This weekend, Tiger Woods will make his first competitive start since last summer's Open Championship, when he returns to action at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles.
The legendary Woods continues to recover from serious injuries sustained in a car crash just under two years ago, and admitted during Tuesday's media sessions that he has yet to play a full 72-hole round on foot in 2023.
Nonetheless, he hopes to contend for major honours once again, and bullishly turned down suggestions he could move towards a senior tour in years to come.
Tiger Woods playing to win on return to PGA Tour
15-times Major winner Tiger Woods returns to PGA Tour action this weekend at the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
Ahead of the tournament getting underway this Thursday, Woods carried out his media responsibilites on Tuesday afternoon - and said he has no intention of giving up on chasing more silverware in years to come.
Such a great question from @KVanValkenburg, and it gets Tiger thinking and talking in a way you can tell is authentic and not canned. You can almost *see* him trying to work out his answer in real time. So good. pic.twitter.com/CaYDviIXCm
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) February 14, 2023
After laughing off a question at playing in over 50 Masters tournaments, Woods said he nonetheless has every intention of continuing to fight for golf's biggest trophies in the coming years.
Woods said that he has no interest in playing in tournaments for the sake of competing, saying that he intends to fight for "Ws" every time he takes to the course:
If I'm playing, I'm playing to win. I know that players have played and they are ambassadors of the game and have tried to grow the game...I can't wrap my mind around that as a competitor. If I'm playing the event, I'm going to try and beat you. I'm there to get a W.
I don't understand that 'making the cut is a great thing'. If I enter an event, it's always to get a W. There will come a point in time when my body will not allow me to do that anymore, and it's probably sooner rather than later.
But wrapping my head around that transition, and that ambassador role and just playing and trying to be out here with the guys - that's not in my DNA. An ambassador role in hosting events like this and hosting the Genesis Invitational, or those type of things, I totally get it.
But as a player, I flip the hat around and become a player. From a player's standpoint, I'm here to get that W.
Tiger's last tournament win came at the 2019 Zozo Championship, just over six months after his most recent tournament win at the remarkable 2019 Augusta Masters.
He effectively confirmed that he would be participating at this year's Masters during Tuesday's media duties, suggesting that the traditional champions dinner may be "awkward" due to the presence of several LIV defectors.
Woods will tee off on Thursday alongside friend Rory McIlroy, who has led the PGA Tour's strong stance against the breakaway LIV series. McIlroy has spent much of the past year as World Number One, and Woods praised the form of the Northern Irishman as he takes on a new leadership role within the sport:
You've seen our ambassador, Rory, go through it. It's been tough on him, but he's been exceptional.
To be able to go through all that, I've been with him on all those conference calls and side meetings, and for him to go out there and play and win, it's been incredible.
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