By Tiger Woods
This has been a busy stretch for me between rehabbing my knee, helping out with
my foundation, keeping up with my three golf course design projects and
fulfilling sponsor obligations. There hasn't been a lot of down time, although
Elin and I took Sam to a Halloween party, where she dressed up as Tigger.
The knee is progressing. I'm working hard every day and there have been no
setbacks. I've actually started to do a little chipping and putting, but no
full swings. That's not going to happen until early next year.
We held our fourth annual Block Party and raised about $700,000 for our
Learning Center. I want to thank Fred Couples and Chris Riley for helping me
with the morning clinic at Pelican Hill. Freddie also helped out with our live
auction and is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. I also want to thank
world-renowned chef Mario Batali for preparing a three-course gourmet meal -
yes, I ate two steaks - and special thanks to Seal for putting on a great
concert. Just seeing him perform again was absolutely incredible. He's a nice
guy, too.
Mario is so fired up about his cooking. I didn't learn much, but told him I
would drop by some of his restaurants instead. I boil water really well and can
make eggs in the morning.
I'd also like to thank one of the most important guests of the night - Eric
Leos, a TWLC student who spoke about how much the Learning Center has helped
him. His story is pretty amazing and hearing how the Learning Center completely
changed his life really hit home. I'd like to extend by heartfelt thanks to the
Orange County community for their continued support of the TWLC and students
like Eric. It's important work, and we're making a real difference.
I also announced my third golf course design project, <Punta Brava in Ensenada, Mexico - about 65 miles south of
San Diego. Like my other design projects, Punta Brava fits all the criteria I'm
looking for when deciding to design a course. The site is spectacular. I knew
during my first visit it would be an amazing project. I also found a great
partner in The Flagship Group, and I've really enjoyed working with them.
Now it's up to me to create a fantastic design and take full advantage of this
unique site. I like working with the land to design a course that is a good
fit. So walking the site and thinking through the strategy and shaping of each
hole are really important elements of my design process. Punta Brava is my
first oceanfront design, and there are 17 tees and greens on the water. It's
awesome.
One of the things I love most about golf is thinking my way around a course,
and it's a lot of fun incorporating this into my course designs. Each project
is unique - the desert oasis, a mountain meadow course and now an oceanfront
course - but all of them have been designed to be fun for all skill levels and
reward smart thinking.
I did sneak in a Dodgers playoff game while I was in Southern California and
had a great time. I've been a life-long fan and was disappointed they didn't
win it all.
While I was down there, I did a Buick outing at Torrey Pines, and it was the
first time I returned since I won the U.S. Open last June. While it was great
to be back, it was a little harder to reminisce than I thought. I was shocked
to see what the course looked like without grandstands. I hadn't seen it like
that since junior golf.
I also did outings for Nike and Gillette. During the two Nike days, John Cook
and Anthony Kim helped me conduct a couple golf clinics. Both are outstanding
players and interacted really well with the guests. Also with Gillette, Derek
Jeter and I filmed a commercial together. Derek and I are also participating in
the Gillette EA SPORTS Champions of Gaming Tournament which is going to be the
biggest global multi-sport gaming competition. Gamers from around the world
will compete against each other for the chance to play against me and other
Gillette Champions. I'll probably get killed by these experts, but we'll have
fun. Entries have begun, and it wraps up in February. During the filming of the
TV commercial, we played a new EA boxing game "Facebreakers," I beat
him the first time; he got me the second. The crew had plenty of video and
pictures, but we weren't leaving. You can't have a tie! He won the last game
and gave me a hard time, but that's okay. I would have done the same.
I'm looking forward to hosting the <Chevron World Challenge presented by Bank of America. It's
Dec. 17-21 at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. We're excited
about our new partnerships and celebrating our 10th year. We have a young,
competitive field, so it should be a great week.
One last thing: Congratulations to my friend John Cook for winning the AT&T
Championship on the Champions Tour. We play a lot of golf together, and I think
the only reason he won was because he wore a red shirt on Sunday.
Thanks for reading. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Tiger
TIGER'S TIP
By Tiger Woods, Golf Digest Playing Editor, Edited By Pete McDaniel and Mark
Soltau
Rip It Out Of The Rough
Golf course superintendents are going to great lengths to protect par,
including narrowing landing areas and growing rough thick enough so you can't
see your shoes. Hitting even a short wedge shot from this thick stuff requires
strength and know-how.
Assuming you have adequate strength, the keys to advancing the ball from heavy
rough are having a decent lie and keeping the clubface from turning over at
impact. To accomplish this, I grip the club a little firmer than normal. It's
not a death grip, just tight enough to keep the hosel from getting twisted in
the long grass surrounding the ball.
I set up in a slightly open stance with the clubface also open a bit. Then I
make a little steeper backswing so I can hit down on the shot, catching the
ball first. I try to really fire my right side into the ball, powering it out
with the big muscles in my legs and back, while keeping my lower body stable.
Beware: Even with proper execution, it's tough to judge how far the ball will
go. Pick your target and club accordingly.
