Tiger's Back, And So Is His Game

There was a time this spring when Tiger Woods went an entire month without touching a golf club.

The thought of playing 18 holes, or even lining up a putt on the practice green, was out of the question. Everything associated with golf reminded him of his father, who was no longer there to share his love of the game.

After Woods finished tied for third at the Masters in April, he left the PGA Tour to be with his ailing dad. Earl Woods died of cancer on May 3, leaving Tiger in no mood to dabble in the sport that bonded father and son for more than 25 years.

"I really had no desire to get back to the game of golf because of all the memories," Woods said Tuesday at Winged Foot, where he will seek to win his third U.S. Open.

When he finally decided to pull his clubs out of the closet last month, Woods found that the time he spent with his father was something to savor.

"It was hard times going out there late in the evening like I always do. Anytime you take time off and start back, you always work on your fundamentals: grip, posture, stance, alignment. Well, that's what I learned from Dad," Wood said. "It brought back so many great memories, and every time I thought back, I always had a smile on my face."

When Woods ends his nine-week hiatus from the PGA Tour on Thursday, it's likely he won't play a single hole without thinking of Earl Woods. But his focus will be on winning another major, the 11th of his spectacular career.

"I'm here to win the tournament, and all my energy is going toward that," he said. "We've gone through a lot already. Hitting a golf ball around like this is actually the easy part."

Hitting the ball has always come easy for Woods, who surprised himself by rounding his game into form in the weeks leading into the U.S. Open. Instead of bringing a rusty swing and an uncertain putter to the tournament, Woods is toting a bag full of confidence.

"I'm very excited the way I've played at home, and even more excited the way I've played here," Woods said. "I'm looking forward to Thursday."

Woods twice previously went through extended layoffs as a professional. He needed time to recover from knee surgery in 2002, and took about six weeks off last winter. On each occasion, he returned to win the first time out.

He has no reason to believe this time will be any different.

"It's just one of those things where it's your preparation, your practice, your attention to detail when you are preparing," he said. "That's something I've learned and done very well, and it's applied to this stretch."

His return rekindles one of the best rivalries in sports: Woods vs. Phil Mickelson. Both players will attract huge galleries at Winged Foot, and Mickelson — who bested Woods in the Masters — expects his adversary to be in the hunt for the title late Sunday afternoon.

"I've never seen him in a tournament where he has not been prepared to win, unfortunately," Mickelson said with a chuckle. "I would expect him to be 100 percent because he's had a lot of time now to work on his game and get sharp and focus in on just this one tournament."

Woods considered returning earlier, but his heart wasn't in it. Playing one tournament to get ready for another has never been his style, and this wasn't the time to change that philosophy.

"If you're not focused 100 percent on winning a championship, there's really no need to go play, so I didn't," he said.

That's another thing he learned from his dad.

"Dad was always adamant," Wood said. "If you're ready to play, play. If you're not ready, don't play."

Tiger is indeed ready to play again, and he's not in it just to get the feel of competition again.

"I'm here to compete and play and try to win this championship," he said. "I know that Dad would still want me to go out there and grind it and give it my best, and that's what I always do. That's what I will certainly try to do this week."

By David Ginsburg