Woods isn’t the same as he was when he won in 2009 Before addressing his first shot in a chipping contest against Tiger Woods, Tyler Nguyen of Centreville engaged in some trash talk with the golf superstar. Woods took the ribbing with a good-natured smile and high-fived Nguyen for his moxie.
A few minutes later, Nguyen, 46, bumped a shot to within a foot of the cup, inside the mark of Woods.
On every golf course Woods steps on these days, it seems there’s less fear of the 14-time major champion, even among fans.
| AT&T National |
| When » June 28-July 1 |
| Where » Congressional |
| Country Club |
| 2011 champ » Nick Watney |
When Woods returned to Congressional Country Club for the first time in three years Monday, it was with a different swing, a different image and a different golf persona than when he playfully presented himself the crystal trophy for winning the 2009 AT&T National.
Woods was golf royalty in those days. The victory was one of six that season on the PGA Tour. The last three years, however, have produced only one win as Woods has struggled with physical, personal and mechanical issues.
“I’ve been through this before,” Woods said. “I had a pretty good year in 2000. And I didn’t win for a couple of months, and the word ‘slump’ came about. And that’s basically the same thing.”
Woods was at Congressional on Monday to promote the return of the AT&T National to the D.C. area. The tournament was played at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia the last two years as Congressional prepared for and then hosted the 2011 U.S. Open. Woods missed both events last year after straining his Achilles at the Players Championship.
“It’s tough because I missed out on a golf course I know and that I’ve won on and that I like,” Woods said of Congressional. “It was difficult to sit back and watch. What Rory [McIlroy] did was absolutely extraordinary.”
The tournament has already attracted some big names. Chairman Greg McLaughlin announced that former AT&T champions Nick Watney (2011), Justin Rose (2010) and K.J. Choi (2007) will play along with Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan. Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft also will play along with college standouts Patrick Cantlay, who emerged last year at the U.S. Open, and Jordan Spieth, who has challenged twice at the Byron Nelson Championship near his hometown of Dallas.
Regardless of who else commits, the biggest drawing card will be Woods, who attracted enormous crowds to Congressional in 2007 and 2009. He missed the 2008 AT&T after limping to a victory over Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and undergoing knee surgery. That signature win remains his last in a major. The four-year drought is his longest.
Still, Woods continues to preach the mantra of “being close,” a notion reinforced by swing coach Sean Foley.
“It’s one shot here and there,” Woods said. “[What] Sean was telling me the other day was pretty profound. If I would have improved my final round by two shots, I would have had four wins this year.”
