Woods: ‘It’s been a great year’

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Tiger Woods last night insisted his year will be a success whether he wins this week’s US PGA Championship or not.

Tiger Woods last night insisted his year will be a success whether he wins this week’s US PGA Championship or not.
Woods has won five tournaments in 2009 from 12 starts since returning from the game having spent eight months out following reconstructive knee surgery.
The latest victory came last Sunday following a compelling tussle with Padraig Harrington at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational that followed a win at the Buick Open the previous week and gave him the 70th title of his career on the PGA Tour.
Yet as the world number one prepares to tee off alongside Harrington and Rich Beem at Hazeltine National in Minnesota tomorrow, the 14-time major winner has declared himself already satisfied with his year’s work, despite not having added to his major haul.
“It’s been a great year either way,” said Woods, who 12 months ago was still on crutches following the surgery on his left knee.
“For me to come back and play and play as well as I’ve done and actually win golf events; to say at the very beginning of the year, when I was feeling the way I was, to be honest with you, I don’t think any of us would have thought I could have won this many events this year.”
Woods tied for sixth place at both this year’s Masters and US Open but missed the Open cut at Turnberry last month and having said he had bounced back better than most from his anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction he added that had been the only disappointment of his 2009 season.
“It usually take as while for an athlete to come back, and most guys, or some of the guys who have had it in our sport have not gone on to have the years I’ve had this year,” Woods said.
“I’m very proud of not only winning the golf tournaments but how consistent I’ve played.
“The only one bad event I’ve had was the British Open. Otherwise I’ve had a pretty good run of top-10s, stroke-play events, like 18 or 20 in a row, I think that’s pretty good.
“As far as the Masters, the Masters I did not putt well. I putted well in streaks and I didn’t finish off the rounds the way I should have.
“At the US Open, I putted very, very poorly. Hit the ball well enough to win, but certainly did not putt well enough to win.
“And the British Open, I had six bad holes that cost me a chance of contending on the weekend.”
Despite having won both tournaments he has entered since Turnberry, Woods felt the need to underline his game was back on track since missing just fifth cut of his 13-year professional career.
“I feel as if I made some pretty good strides since the British Open. I had some nice practice sessions before the Buick, and especially on Monday and Tuesday after the Buick.
“I really had some good work down there.
“I think it was evident the way I was hitting the golf ball last week, I really hit it good last week, and hopefully I can improve on that and carry that over into this week.”

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