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Tiger Woods celebrates his BMW Championship victory at Cog Hill last year.
LEMONT, Ill. -- Looking to continue his strong play in the PGA Tour playoffs, Tiger Woods shoots for his sixth victory in the $7.5 million BMW Championship this week, the third event for the FedExCup. He previously won the tournament at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2009.
The top-ranked Woods enters 51st in points and will likely need a top-five finish to climb into the top 30 and advance to the Tour Championship, Sept. 23-26 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. Woods has won two of the three FedExCup titles.
"I've won in different ways, and it's always nice to come back to a venue that, yeah, I've won, but also I've won it multiple times and different ways and have a way of -- I can always kind of go back to that no matter how I'm playing," said Woods, who made his first PGA Tour cut at Cog Hill. "I can still figure out a way to get it done because I've done it different ways."
Woods is coming off two good performances. Two weeks ago, he tied for 12th at The Barclays. On Monday, he tied for 11th in the Deutsche Bank Championship.
"I'm pleased at the progress I've made in my game working with Sean [Foley]," Woods said. "That's been nice to see the progress, to be able to go out there and hit the golf ball the way I know I can, know the fixes and understand the concept. That is something I am proud of, and I'm showing some good signs so far and just got to keep building."
Woods said he will continue to work with Foley.
"I've committed to the concept," he said.
Asked if he would work exclusively with Foley going forward, Woods said, "We're working on it. He's coaching me."
Off the course, Woods' life has settled down after his divorce, and he has adapted to a new routine. That has also translated to his improved play on the course.
"Yeah, certainly my life has become much more in balance," he said. "That's the whole idea is to have life in balance."
Last year, Woods won the BMW Championship by eight strokes, firing a record-setting 9-under-par 62 in the third round on the Dubsdread Course. In 11 starts in the BMW Championship, he has five wins and nine top 10 finishes.
The Dubsdread course, designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee in 1963, has long been considered one of the premier venues on the PGA Tour. Formerly the site of the Western Open from 1991 to 2007, the rolling, oak tree-lined layout features 98 bunkers, seven water hazards and large, undulating greens.
Following the 2007 BMW Championship, the course underwent a $5.2 million renovation by Rees Jones. He rebuilt all greens, tees and bunkers, reshaped the fairways and added a pond on the par-4 seventh hole. The course reopened in the spring of last year.
"It's definitely become more difficult," said Woods. "The bunkers are deeper. He's pinched them in a bit. It depends how the fairways are playing, but sometimes you can run it past them. You've got to make a decision before; you can't just basically wail on it all week and be very aggressive. Now it's more strategic. You've got to place your golf ball around here, a lot more fingers on the greens you've got to fire into."
Woods said the condition of the greens could be a factor.
"They're a little bit spotty," he said. "It does affect the putts, no doubt. We're going to have to deal with it. It's been a hot summer, and the bentgrass greens get a little bit stressed."
Woods starts first-round play Thursday at 2:10 p.m. ET with K.J. Choi. There is no cut.