Tiger Woods expects to be 100 percent for U.S. Open at Torrey Pines

From WorldGolf.com News Services

Despite having to back off on previous plans to play in this week's Memorial tournament, Tiger Woods said Tuesday that his rehabilitation is right on schedule, and that he expects to be 100 percent healthy for next month's U.S. Open.

Woods, who was promoting his upcoming tournament - the AT&T National in July at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. - said he's recovering nicely since having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two days after his runner-up finish in the Masters April 13.

"[The] knee is doing better. The rehab is working," Woods told reporters when asked for an update. "It gets really old riding that bike, man. But everything is on schedule. Just trying to get this thing organized for the Open - right on schedule for that."

Originally, Woods had said he planned to make his return at the Memorial, but realized that he just wasn't tournament-ready yet.

"I started my practice basically just recently, so going to Memorial rusty, it wouldn't have made any sense," Woods said. "I wasn't sharp enough. I didn't hit all my shots I needed to hit yet at home and make sure everything is organized.

"The whole idea is to be ready for the U.S. Open."

Woods has had mixed success when coming off a layoff. After knee surgery in 2002 — on the same knee — he returned to win the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. In 2006, Woods took two months off following the death of his father and missed the cut in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, marking the only time he's failed to make a cut in a major during his professional career.

When it comes to rehabbing injuries, Woods admits he's not a patient person.

"Sometimes it is hard for me not to do that, but [I've] got to be smart about it, and I've done that," Woods said. "I'm hitting the driver. I'm playing.

"I shut it down when I feel it's time to shut it down. It's on a day-to-day deal. Some days it is not very long. Some days it is all day."

Woods, who was reportedly walking with a slight limp, said his knee isn't pain-free yet.

"It's more stiffness than anything, trying to get the muscle to fire back and get those things developing again," Woods said. "That's the main thing right now is keeping my endurance up."

Woods said that although he could "get by" playing with the pain at Augusta National, he had made the decision two to three weeks prior to the Masters that he was going to have surgery right after the year's first major.

"I couldn't function anymore with what I was doing," Woods said. "Not a fun way to play."

Woods said he's looking forward to getting back to action on the PGA Tour. The U.S. Open will be played June 12-15 at Torrey Pines in LaJolla, Calif.

"I miss mixing it up with the boys," Wood said. "I miss the heat of being in there, in contention with everything on the line, trying to pull off a shot. That's fun to me. That's why I prepare, and that's what I love to do."

May 28, 2008