WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- In advance of his first tournament start since missing the U.S. Open cut two weeks ago, Tiger Woods sounded cautiously optimistic about his impending performance.
"Yeah, I made a little progress since the last time I played," Woods said Wednesday ahead of the Greenbrier Classic. "Obviously, not really saying much, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
So far this year, Woods has made six competitive appearances on the PGA Tour, finishing all 72 holes on just two occasions.
Even so, he insisted once again that he remains committed to finding his game while continuing to play tournament golf.
"I've done this before," he explained. "I've gone through stretches like this. If you look at what I did through the end of '97, all of '98, it wasn't very good. I had some top-10s in there, but I wasn't really contending to win tournaments. I was trying to make cuts." Following rounds of 80 and 76 at Chambers Bay, Woods put away his clubs and retreated to a Bahamas vacation with his children, snorkeling with them and teaching them how to spot fish.
As to whether time away from the game can help his performance, he maintained that previous experiences have culminated in mixed results.
"Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't," he said. "If I've got a certain pattern that I feel is good, then it's good to take a break. But if I don't have a pattern that's good or I'm not close to turning the hump, then I can't afford to take a break.
"In the beginning of this year, after Torrey and Phoenix, I was not in a position where I could take time off. I had to practice every day and change the pattern. Then once I turned the corner, then yeah, I could take a few days off here and there and the pattern will be fine."
This week's tournament will mark Woods' final start before a return to St. Andrews for The Open Championship in two weeks.
