Tiger Woods was playing host on Tuesday at the site of next year’s U.S. Open, Pebble Beach Golf Links, for his annual Tiger Woods Invitational. The three-day event offers patrons a rota that equals that of the AT&T Pro-Am with rounds at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
The event also includes Q&As with Woods, silent auctions, dinners and a clinic from the host himself.
While you’ll need to shell out a pretty penny to get the full experience, his TGR Live Events Instagram account allowed those of us not fortunate enough to attend a glimpse into what Woods talks about when he’s relatively unfiltered.
During a clinic, Woods answered questions shouted out by those in attendance, ranging from equipment inquiries and the Ryder Cup to his upcoming schedule, including his role as the 2019 Presidents Cup captain.
On His 80th Win
“It’s still sinking in, because 80 is a big number,” Woods said, according to Golfweek.com. “I’ve won 80 times out there. That’s pretty cool. It hasn’t been easy. What validates it for me is the fact that I got a chance to go against Rory (McIlroy) head to head in the final group, and also (Justin Rose), who was tied with Rory, a group ahead. He’d just become the No. 1 player in the world. In order to get my first win in five years I had to beat those two guys. That makes it feel even more special.”
On The Ryder Cup
Asked if he were captain what he would have done differently, Woods deflected.
“I’d like to change that L to a W,” Woods said. “That doesn’t feel very good, losing.
“It was just a cumulative effect of the entire season,” Woods said. “I was tired because I hadn’t trained for it. I hadn’t trained this entire comeback to play this much golf and on top of that deal with the heat and the fatigue and the loss of weight.”
On His 2019 Schedule
“I’m still figuring that out,” he said. “Flying out here yesterday trying to look at the schedule, it’s the first time I’ve taken a look at it. I’ve been so focused on getting through the playoffs and the Ryder Cup that I just took a look at the schedule and saw how packed it is.”
On The Presidents Cup
Woods seems hellbent on being a playing captain, and he tipped his hand to a strategy he admires, which was put into play by Hale Irwin in 1994.
“God I hope so,” Woods said when asked if he’ll be a playing captain. “I looked at the standings last night and I was 9th, so I’d be asking Captain for a pick.
“1994, Hale Irwin was a playing captain and what he did was interesting. It was the first year of the Presidents Cup and it was the exact same format as the Ryder Cup, so what he did to be able to control the pairings, he sat out in the morning and then played in the afternoon so he could control and submit the pairings. He did the same thing on Saturday. Then on Sunday, being a playing captain, he wanted to be first out, so he could get back with his team.”
