Tiger Woods on comeback: 'I wouldn’t put myself out here if I didn’t think I could win'


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Tiger Woods may be making his competitive comeback after seven months out, but he was explicit in his target at this week’s Genesis Invitational – he’s there to win.

“I wouldn’t put myself out here if I didn’t think I could beat these guys and win the event," Woods said on Tuesday at a pre-tournament news conference. “That’s my mentality. I’ve come off rusty situations before.

“Plus I know this golf course. Haven’t had a lot of success here. But I knew what to practise for, the shots to hit."

Woods, 47, has not played an official event since missing cut at the Open at St Andrew’s in July, but made the surprise announcement on Friday that he will be teeing it up at Riviera Country Club – the tournament his foundation hosts – from Thursday.

The 15-time major champion, who has been drawn in the opening two rounds alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, has played only three tournaments in the past year as he continues his recovery from a serious leg injury sustained in a car accident in February 2021.

The single-car crash occurred the day following the Genesis Invitational, where Woods had not competed.

"If I'm playing, I'm playing to win," the American said. "Making a cut is a great thing but if I'm entering an event it is always to get a ‘W’.

"There will come a point in time when my body won't allow me to do that and it's probably sooner than later. But wrapping my head around that transition and being in an ambassador role - just playing and just trying to be with the guys out there - it is not in my DNA."

In the past 12 months, Woods finished 47th at the Masters and withdrew after three rounds of the US PGA Championship. In December, he partnered McIlroy in an exhibition match-play event against Thomas and Spieth, while he took part in the PNC Championship with his son, Charlie, that same month.

Woods was slated also to play in the Hero World Challenge at the beginning of December – his foundation hosts that tournament, too – but withdrew because of plantar fasciitis. Woods said on Tuesday that he is still dealing with the issue.

"Would I like to play more? Yes," he said. "Would [my health] allow me to? I don't know. I have to be realistic about that.

"As far as the recovery, it's more my ankle, whether I can recover from day to day. The leg is better than it was last year, but it's my ankle.

“So being able to have it recover from day to day and meanwhile still stress it but have the recovery and also have the strength development at the same time, it's been an intricate little balance that we've had to dance."

Woods, who remains at a joint-record 82 career PGA Tour titles, made his professional debut at Riviera in 1992 while still an amateur in high school. This week will mark his 15th start in the event – meaning it sits as the tournament he has competed in the most without winning.

The Californian said he struggles still to walk 72 holes in four days, but that he was planning on playing the Masters, the year’s first major and a tournament he has won five times, at Augusta in April. Woods triumphed there in 2019, his most recent major victory.

A vocal opponent to the breakaway LIV Golf Tour, Woods said he recognises there could be tension at the annual Champions Dinner at Augusta, as players from LIV and the traditional tours meet.

"I don't know what that reaction's going to be," Woods said. "I know that some of our friendships have certainly taken a different path, but we'll see when all that transpires."

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About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD

Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder

Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm

Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds

Top speed: 202kmh

Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km

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Panipat

Director Ashutosh Gowariker

Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment

Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman

Rating 3 /stars

War and the virus
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

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ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

The biog

Name: Salem Alkarbi

Age: 32

Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira

First started supporting Al Wasl: 7

Biggest rival: Al Nasr

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Grubtech

Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi

Launched: October 2019

Employees: 50

Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)

 

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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

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Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

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Results
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How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

Updated: February 15, 2023, 6:28 AM`