Tiger says he’ll stick to routine

Say what you like about Tiger Woods’ golf game these days, you have to admire his persistence.

The former world No 1, now ranked No. 262 in the world, has declared he will stick with his intended program for the reason of the season in a desperate bid to finally run himself into some form.

Tiger Woods (Credit: Anthony Powter)

That means Woods’ next goal is to get himself ready for the last major of the year, the US PGA at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin in a month’s time.

It’s an event the American star has won an impressive four times among his 14 major championship victories.

Woods admitted he had become frustrated that his short game has taken longer to “come around” than he expected.

“I haven’t scored very well,” he said heading into last weekend’s Quicken Loans National, where Woods fired rounds of 68-66-74-68 saw him finish in a tie for 18th behind Troy Merritt.

“I’ve missed cuts. I haven’t done much in the last couple of years,” said Woods.

“That’s what Joey [LaCava, Woods caddie] keeps reminding me of: “Would you just relax? You haven’t played that much.”

“Also, he keeps reminding me, ‘You won five times two years ago and so it’s not that far removed’.”

“So hopefully, I can start playing the way that I know I can play and start gaining some W’s [wins] again.”

Incidentally, if Woods doesn’t qualify for the FedEx playoffs – and there’s a good chance he won’t in his current vein of form, than the PGA Championship might be the last time we see him in action until the season-ending ‘novelty’ events before Christmas, including his own Hero World Challenge in the first week of December.