AP
Tiger felt more energetic Saturday, leading to some better work off the tee.
Q: 27 putts, and it's not just the numbers. I thought you were in control of your game.
TIGER WOODS: I hit it really good today. Today was kind of how I hit it on Sunday last week as well as Thursday. I missed a few out there today, but all in all, a good score, I think.
Q: You said you missed a couple but you missed them with really good putts. You couldn't hit a better putt than what you did on 15, but they just didn't go down.
TIGER WOODS: I did. The only bad putt I hit all day today was at 16. I just blocked that one. But other than that, I really rolled it well today.
Q: Is it just golf? Any swing key or anything that you were able to turn it around in 24 hours?
TIGER WOODS: No, I just felt better today. I just felt more energetic today and ready to go.
Q: You said Sunday last week was the best round of the year. How would you compare today?
TIGER WOODS: The same way. It was good. I hit it just as good, and I felt better today. I rolled it pretty good. I had one bad putt today at 16, I blocked that one, but other than that, I hit so many pure putts.
Q: How crazy this game is from day to day, what you did yesterday compared to what you did today?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I'm in a learning curve still. I'm still learning to put this thing together. I'm going to have off days. Yesterday, I started off terrible, but I got it back, and I pieced it back together again. That's something that I alluded to in New York that I wasn't able to do at the PGA. It was still too new. But I rectified it yesterday and continued on today.
Q: And in comparison to last week, you hit a lot of drivers today. How much more comfortable are you with that driver in your hand right now?
TIGER WOODS: It's getting better. I've seen more reps. It takes time. Just like this whole change, any change you make, it's going to take time and just continue to do reps.
I hit it good today and made a few putts, which was nice.
Q: Six birdies, no bogeys.
TIGER WOODS: It was a clean card today. Could have been a little bit lower. I missed a few out there, but overall with the wind blowing like this, it's a little bit swirly and a little bit gusty, I feel very pleased with the number I was able to post.
Q: Do you want it to keep blowing?
TIGER WOODS: Absolutely, absolutely. If it doesn't blow, the guys are going to shoot what they shot yesterday, and I'm sure that if it didn't blow at all, the cut would have been 4-under.
Q: Your hopes for the rest of the weekend?
TIGER WOODS: Continue building what I'm building on. Each and every day I'm trying to build on what I'm working on, and it takes time. I'm pleased that yesterday I was able to turn it around yesterday after a poor start, figure out what the changes I need to make in my swing, and I did that, and that continued today.
Q: At what point did you [inaudible]
TIGER WOODS: I don't know, I was just trying to shoot 8-under for the day.
Q: [Inaudible.]
TIGER WOODS: After I missed that putt on 16, I thought if I birdied the last three, I would have shot my number.
Q: How does it feel to have all the support out here?
TIGER WOODS: It feels great. It feels great. To have all these people come out here and support this event and support me, as well, it's been phenomenal, it really has.
Q: At what point in the day did you feel like you were going to have a good day
TIGER WOODS: Well, considering I didn't miss a shot for the first six holes, I hadn't missed a shot, so it was a good start.
Q: And what was the most important thing you did today?
TIGER WOODS: Probably the up-and-down at 8. I flipped it left, and at the time, the wind just picked up, so that bunker shot was dead downwind. I landed it on the fringe, which was the only shot I could do, and it ran by about 12 feet, and I made it.
Q: How much did you think about yesterday last night when you went home?
TIGER WOODS: Not at all.
Q: Just threw it away?
TIGER WOODS: Didn't think about it at all. Just was hungry.
Q: Did you feel a little bit more pressure going into today's round than normal?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I had to shoot a good one if I was going to move on, and I was able to do that today
Q: How important are these last two rounds in your Ryder Cup chances?
TIGER WOODS: I figure if I play two good rounds and win the tournament, I should be all right. [Laughter.]
Q: How is 12 playing today?
TIGER WOODS: 12 is playing different. It's dead into the fan, maybe a slight bit off the right. I hit a driver and a 6-iron today, whereas yesterday I hit 3-wood and a 9-iron.
Q: Were you able to generate some momentum for yourself today?
TIGER WOODS: As I said to Doug, the first six holes were nice. I didn't miss a shot. I striped it on every shot. To start off that way, that was nice, because I hit three poor shots there at 7, 8, 9 but then got it right back.
Q: So you're wearing your school colors today -- you figure it's got to be a good day?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it's always a good day when we're playing.
Q: What was the key factor, key to your round?
TIGER WOODS: I think it's just building what I did yesterday. I turned it around yesterday, got off to a bad start and understood what my fix was going to be. I went with it yesterday, and I turned it around, and today just built on that.
Q: How did you putt today?
TIGER WOODS: I rolled it good today, I really did. I had good control of the speed, the pace. I was seeing my line. Only poor putt I had was at 16, blocked that one, but other than that, I really rolled it pretty good today.