U.S. Open 2010: Tiger Woods says golf game is better, won't talk about private life

If Tiger Woods’ close encounter with the U.S. Open press corps is any indication, the warm and fuzzy Tiger has retreated to his lair and the old Tiger is back, steely glare and all. Whether he can translate all that barely contained hostility into a semblance of his old golf game remains to be seen, but Woods expressed enthusiasm for the on-course gains he’s made in the past several weeks.

• Tiger Woods returns for the 2010 U.S. Open, as these photos of the top-ranked golfer illustrate

Excited with progress. “I’m very excited about how [my game has] progressed,” Woods told reporters after a 14-hole practice round Tuesday. “The more time I've been able to practice and play, it's started to solidify and I'm actually really excited to tee it up on Thursday.”

Woods, it would seem, thankfully, has decided to stop complaining about his lack of competitive golf.

“I've played so much more since [the Masters in April],” he said. “I only had a few weeks to get ready for Augusta after being off for quite awhile. Now I've been playing tournament golf basically since April. So, yeah, [my game is] just much different.” 

None of your business. Tiger was a tad less buoyant after an intrepid reporter dared ask a personal question. With new rumors circulating about the serial philanderer, golf watchers waited and wondered if anyone would have the chutzpah to mention Woods’ alleged “love child.”

Not after this back and forth:

• Q: “Blah blah blah...can you tell us if you've got any resolution one way or the other with Elin [Nordegren, Woods' wife] yet?”
• Tiger Woods (with an icy stare and in a clipped monotone): “That’s none of your business.”

All righty, then. Next....

Thanks for the memories. Always the center of attention whether he tees it up or not, Woods will be under particular scrutiny this week at Pebble Beach, site of his 15-shot demolition of the field at the 2000 U.S. Open. The still top-ranked golfer has been fighting a wayward swing since his return to competitive golf after a self-imposed four-month hiatus following his sex scandal.

Woods will also try to win his 15th major championship after a missed cut at the Quail Hollow Championship in April and an injury-related withdrawal from last month’s Players Championship. (His neck is okay, thank you; not where he wants it, but “better,” Woods said.)

Woods talked about changes to the course -- lots of new bunkers, quick fairways, faster greens -- and said he would hit driver on only a few holes because of the speed of the layout.

Tom who? The three-time Open winner also dismissed talk about Tom Watson’s miraculous chip-in at 17 to win the 1982 Open. Perhaps, after all of Watson’s public scolding of Woods for his on-and off-course behavior, replicating the old guy’s celebrated shot was not exactly at the top of Tiger’s bucket list.

Indeed, the Associated Press’ Doug Ferguson tweeted earlier Tuesday that the chilly temperature at Pebble Beach “dropped even lower” when Woods and Watson waited together on the 10th tee. Apparently, the two golfers did not jaw about Watson’s guest appearance at the fourth wedding of Rush Limbaugh, another conservative loudmouth. (Limbaugh believes so much in so-called “traditional marriage,” he’s now on number four.)

Forget playing with recent PGA Tour winner Lee Westwood and two-time U.S. Open champ Ernie Els, as Woods will do Thursday and Friday. If the folks at the USGA had a sense of humor, they’d put Woods and Watson together. Now, that would be a pairing.

Stupid long. The presser dragged on, with more talk about course changes (some fairways end at the seaside cliffs; should be interesting, said Els), some self-deprecation (Monday’s playing partner Dustin Johnson is “stupid long....not too many of us out here [have that shot]”), kudos to Phil Mickelson (“It’s just a matter of time before he [wins an Open]”), thumbs up for technology and fitness (wake me when it’s over), the need to control his “traj” (trajectory for the jargon-impaired), and swing instructors.

“A lot of guys out here...don’t have swing coaches,” Woods said. “Some guys bounce around from coach to coach, week to week. Other guys don’t ever use one. [Wait for it....] But, for some reason, people are very curious about my life.”

Just don’t ask him about it.

On the women’s tour, look for 15-year-old phenom Alexis Thompson to make her professional debut at this week’s ShopRite LPGA Classic. Read how Thompson capped her stellar amateur career with an undefeated run at last week’s Curtis Cup.