Tiger Woods says it's too late to be 'worried' about golf's big-hitters

Tiger Woods fears it is too late for golf's governing bodies to be thinking about trying to rein in long-hitters like Bryson DeChambeau, saying: "The genie's out of the bag now".

Tiger Woods is defending his Zozo Championship title, won in Japan last year, in Los Angeles this week as he prepares for next month's Masters. Picture: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Payne’s Valley Cup

The 15-time major winner was asked about the game's two governing bodies, the R&A and USGA, having shown concern about the distance gain in the sport in recent years as he prepared for his Zozo Championship defence in Los Angeles this week.

"They should have been worried a long time ago, but the genie's out of the bag now," he said. "It's about what do we do going forward and how soon can they do it.

"You're not going to stop the guys who are there right now. Guys are figuring out how to carry the ball 320-plus yards, and it's not just a few of them. There's a lot of guys can do it.

"That's where the game's going. There's only going to be a small amount of property that we can alter on golf courses. I just don't see how they can roll everything back.

"I would like to be able to see that, but then we go back down the road of what do you bifurcate, at what level? That's a long discussion we've had for a number of years, for 20-plus years now, and I think it's only going to continue."

Woods won the Zozo Championship in Japan last year, returning from a nine-week break following arthroscopic knee surgery to claim his 82nd victory on the PGA Tour, tying the record set by Sam Snead.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this week's event has been relocated to Sherwood Country Club in California, where Woods used to host his World Challenge event, winning that five times and finishing runner-up on another five occasions.

It had been thought this would be his final warm up for another title defence in next month's rescheduled Masters, but that might not now be the case.

"I don't know if I'm going to play Houston or not," he said of the PGA Tour there the week before the Masters. “I'm not playing next week, and we'll see how this week goes and make a decision from there.”

Woods has never played the week before the Masters in any year since playing his first as a professional at Augusta National in 1997, but this is no ordinary year and he is having to make adjustments.

"You can't," he replied to being asked how he would try to replicate his run-up to the Masters. "It's not normally this time of year.

"It's not normally played this way, the configuration of events. We're not in a Florida swing. This is all different. This whole year's been different for all of us.

"The fact that the Masters will be held in November, it's unprecedented, never been done before.

"I can't simulate the normal ramp-up that I normally have, and I don't think anyone else can either. It will be different for all of us."

Woods is also braced for a different test than players normally find in April when he returns to the scene of his sensational return to winning ways in majors early last season after an 11-year drought.

"I have played there in November. And the few times that I have played in November, it's been the same," he said. "It's been cold, ball doesn't go very far.

"Before the last big change they made in, what, '02, I guess it would be the fall of '01, we went up there and it was driver, 3-wood into 1; 18 was a driver, 3-wood.

"You know, it's so different. If you're able to get the north wind that time of year, it can be awfully difficult and long and very different than what we normally play in April."

Woods has played only seven times in 2020, slipping from 13th to 28th in the result on the back of his best finish being a tie for ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open in January .

He missed the cut in his last start at the US Open at Winged Foot last month, but is feeling a bit more confident heading into this week's challenge.

"My game's definitely better than it was at the US Open," he said. "I feel a little bit more prepared, a little bit better, and hopefully that translates into playing the golf course.

"The whole idea is to be ready in a few weeks. Whether or not that's playing one more event here or whether that's Houston, the whole idea is just making sure that I'm ready for Augusta."

Woods needed a sponsor's invitation to play in this week's event. The 78-player field is comprised of the top 60 available from previous FedEx standings. He was 63rd and only one player - US Open champion DeChambeau - among the top 60 decided to sit out the event.

"I have played well here over the years," said Woods. "But let's just say that the field is a lot bigger than normally when I have played here.

"I only had to beat 11 other guys, so that's very different. Hopefully, everything comes together starting from Thursday and have a great week.

"The fact that we're able to have this championship, it was a big thing for the Tour and a big bonus for all of us to be able to have this opportunity.

"It's awesome for us to be able to come back here to Sherwood. I think that having it here and having Zozo come to America and have it come to this venue in particular is fantastic for all of us."

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