NEWSLETTER

July 8, 2008

By Tiger Woods

First, I want to congratulate Anthony Kim for winning the AT&T National. He played a nearly flawless final round Sunday at Congressional Country Club, shooting a bogey-free 65 on a difficult golf course. Any time you can do that on such a great venue, it's no fluke. I called Anthony to congratulate him. I told him to keep working hard and that the sky is the limit. No reason to stop now.

I thought the event went very well. We had a diverse field, the course was in wonderful condition, and everyone had a good time. I think there were 14 players within five strokes of the lead starting play Sunday, so it was an exciting championship.

My thanks to AT&T, all the staff and members at Congressional Country Club, the military, the volunteers, the fans and the players for their hard work and support. Special thanks to Fred Couples for standing in for me during the opening ceremonies.

One thing I'm really proud of is that the money we raise at the AT&T National goes back into the local community. I'm excited about expanding my Foundation to the East Coast and making a real difference for the kids there. We're taking our time researching how to best help the local kids and hope to have something to announce soon.

As for me, it was tough watching the AT&T National on television. It's my tournament and I felt disappointed I couldn't be there. I'm sure I drove our staff crazy with all my calls and text messages, but I wanted to stay as involved as possible. They all did a great job!

Winning the U.S. Open for my 14th major title was an amazing accomplishment. I'd have to say it was the biggest win of my pro career. Some people have mentioned the 1997 Masters, but for me as a player, the U.S. Open was more difficult. I still don't know how I did it. Why did I do it? Am I that stubborn?

The three reasons I played were: 1) It was Torrey Pines, a place where I grew up playing and have had a lot of success; 2) I was comfortable on the course and knew the greens; 3) I knew it was going to be my last event of the year.

When I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee after the Masters, I knew my ACL was basically shot. I was just trying to get through the season, then planned to have reconstructive surgery. Unfortunately for me, I developed two stress fractures during my rehabilitation and that set me back.

I wanted to play in the Memorial Tournament, but couldn't walk. I just figured if I took it easy for a couple weeks, I would be able to play in the U.S. Open.

I was hitting the ball well enough. I wasn't hitting a lot of balls, but worked hard on my putting. It's amazing what happens when you practice your putting.

Once the pain subsided, I could hit four or five balls at a time and then I would have to sit down in the cart because the stress fractures hurt so much. Then I would hit a few more balls and go home for the day. That's how I got ready for the U.S. Open.

When I walked, my knee throbbed, but it wasn't a shooting pain. Most of the pain came when I swung the club. Certain shots I couldn't lean forward - that was the frustrating part.

I didn't really have a go-to shot because I wasn't sure where the pain was coming from. I hit a 40-yard pitch shot and felt I was going to fall over. Saturday was pretty bad, but Sunday was worse.

Honestly, I never thought about quitting. I was going to make it. I might have been slow, but I wasn't going to stop playing.

Would I do it again? Probably. I knew I could win; it was just a matter of dealing with the pain and executing. The day after the tournament, my knee was done. I couldn't stop limping. It's amazing what adrenaline does to a system.

As everyone knows, I'm a pretty active person and don't like sitting around. Unfortunately, I don't have much choice right now. Initially, it wasn't much fun. But I'm on the good side now and starting to get more sleep.

I have spent most of my mornings watching Wimbledon, the afternoon watching AT&T and the evenings watching the U.S. Olympic Trials. I also read and play video games. Anything to get me through the day.

Looking ahead to 2009, I have no idea when I'll return to competition. I haven't set a date, because I just don't know when I'll be ready. That's the frustrating part; I don't know what to look forward to.

The good news is that my stress fractures are healing. If I hadn't played in the U.S. Open, they would be almost fully healed by now. So, the surgery was a blessing in disguise. By the time I come back, they should be fine.

The thing I'll miss most about sitting out the rest of the season is not being in the fight. Everybody knows how much I love to compete. I was really looking forward to playing in the British Open at Royal Birkdale, where I finished third in 1998, and trying to defend my title in the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.

I have been asked if I would consider being an assistant coach for the U.S. Ryder Cup Team in September. I wouldn't do it for a couple reasons: 1) I'm not on the team. 2) The event should be about the competitors and the competition. The guys will have plenty on their minds and I wish them the best. I'll be cheering loudly.

I'll be checking in when I can...

Tiger

Interesting...

Funny way to prepare for a Major Championship, huh?

He is the man!

im sad to see him gone, he's solely the reason why i watch and play golf. its going to be a long year for me. i cant wait to see him back in action

Could you reprint the article in its entirety this time? The interesting parts seem to have been left out.

Do you have a link to the entire article?

Thanks for posting.

Tiger needs to get over to golfwrx.com, start posting. I'm sure he has got some interesting thoughts on stack and tilt, slow play, David Duval, Big Break 9, etc. If not, he ought to write another golf book - so much has happened since the first book.

Good post Chris!

I wonder how much of it was written by Nike and other handlers (I am not bashing...just wondering)

exactly what I think everytime I read his newsletters, its sad but true.

well if I was an athlete and could be potentially crucified and burned at the stake should the wrong words come out of my mouth or in print, I'd be for damned sure to make 100% certain that somebody else was double/triple checking and editing anything and EVERYTHING I put out under my own name

Agree. Tiger is very sharp in that respect. Nothing wrong with being careful and private. Tiger shows plenty of emotion on the course. The public is not entitled to anything with respect to how he disseminates information about his health and personal life.

Very well posted article by Woods. I'm glad he's letting his fans and everyone else how he is feeling and that he is able to golf. (Sad part his, him golfing with a shot knee is probably better than most people at their prime lol).

Hopefully he can get back in the game next season and win some majors.

I was wondering about content...not edit checks.