Tiger Woods Speaks Before PGA Championship

Tiger Woods spoke with SiriusXM’s Gary Williams this afternoon at Valhalla Golf Club ahead of this week’s PGA Championship.

You can watch Woods’ Q&A with SiriusXM here:

https://twitter.com/SiriusXMPGATOUR/status/1790422368138965144

Williams asked Tiger about his mental and physical preparation coming into big events as he plays in fewer tournaments.

Williams:  “Everyone focuses on the physical for you coming to these events infrequently. But you can clear space emotionally, intellectually better than anybody. How challenging is that now, doing this less and less?”

Tiger:  “You know, the hard part, Gary, is just that I don't have the competitive reps that I like to have coming into big events. Because I only play big events now. Unfortunately, I just don't play that much. Getting reps at home or getting reps here this week, every shot's important to try and figure out ball flights or the golf course, how I'm gonna attack and how I'm gonna play it. How am I gonna feel day to day? You know, these are all things that I didn't have to worry about when I was 24 years old. So it's just different.”

Tiger also remembered his experience, as a young player on tour, playing with Jack Nicklaus at the 2000 PGA Champion at Valhalla.

Tiger:  “The way he competed and way he played, the putts he made, the focus. I remember the routine of him building his stance and the shots, and it was awesome. It was truly awesome. When we were talking out there, when we were playing, I mean, I didn't realize it at the time, but he played with Gene Sarazen in his last PGA, and I played with Jack in his last PGA, and now here I am 24 years later still playing. But it was a bit of a passing of the torch at that time. I was coming into my own, Jack was leaving the game of golf, and it was an incredible two days.”