“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the confidence to compete and beat other players.”

‘Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (48, USA) returned with a bright smile. Ahead of his return match after 7 months, he showed strong confidence and did not hide his strong will to win a top prize.

At a press conference held at the Riviera Golf Course in Los Angeles, California, USA on the 15th (Korean time) ahead of the opening of the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational, Woods said, “I can’t understand the words that just passing the cut is great. “I always go to competitions to win,” he said.

Woods was in a car accident on a coastal road in Los Angeles after finishing the Genesis Invitational in February 2021. During this time, his right leg and ankle were severely injured and he underwent surgery. After over a year of rehabilitation, he made his comeback at the Masters in April of last year.

However, Woods raised concerns the very next month when he limped his leg at the PGA Championship, where he played. Ultimately, he skipped the US Open in June, and briefly left the field after missing the cut at the Open in July. In December of last year, he tried to participate in the Hero World Challenge hosted by the Tiger Foundation, but gave up his intention to participate because of plantar fasciitis.

Despite a series of injuries and a considerable age, Woods did not let go of the rope toward golf. He prepared for his comeback by steadily building his body, and through this tournament, he competed again for the championship. 바카라

Woods had a slight limp as he entered the press conference that day. He said, “There will come a time when my body won’t allow it, but it’s still too early to take on the role of public relations ambassador. I came out to win,” he said. “I trained by hitting the ball almost every day. He practiced in the backyard of his house, and he perfected his shots while walking around the golf course near his house. When it was difficult, I rode a cart, but it is clear that I practiced steadily.”

The Genesis Invitational boasts a scale comparable to that of major tournaments with a total prize pool of 20 million dollars. Of course, the list of participants is also gorgeous. Woods has fallen to 1294th in the current men’s golf world rankings. The age of entering the late 40’s is also a stumbling block. Woods competed in the British Open, a major tournament, in July of last year. It has been two years and four months since the Zojo Championship in October 2020 to participate in a non-major PGA Tour general competition. Woods will play with Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Justin Thomas (USA) in the first and second rounds.