Back in the swing again

MAMARONECK, N.Y. – There have been times in the past six weeks when Tiger Woods considered returning to competition – at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte (N.C.) and Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament – but he just wasn’t ready.

One thing his father always taught him was not to show up unless he was committed to victory.

Consider it another piece of Earl Woods’ legacy, then, that Tiger had no trouble recalling such instruction even with his beloved father no longer around.

“Dad was always adamant of whenever you’re ready to play, play,” Woods said Tuesday at Winged Foot Golf Club, site of the 106th U.S. Open, where he returns to competition this week for the first time since his father died of cancer May 3. “If you’re not ready, don’t play.

“I didn’t feel that I could be as focused as I could be to win the championship,” Woods said. “If you’re not focused 100 percent on winning a championship, there’s really no need to go play.”

Woods’ last tournament was in early April at the Masters, where his putting went haywire in the final round but he still tied for third. Woods then traveled to New Zealand – at the behest of his ailing father – to serve as best man for his caddie, Steve Williams, and to feed his adrenaline rush by bungee jumping.

After his return, his father died at age 74 at his home in Cypress, Calif., beginning a period of mourning during which Woods didn’t touch a golf club for at least a month.

“I was with my family for much of the time and just trying to get through things,” Woods said at his first public press conference since the Masters. “I really had no desire to get back to the game of golf.

“I think one of the hardest things for me, in all honesty, was to get back to the game of golf, because a lot of my memories, great memories that I have with my dad, are at the golf course. It was certainly a little more difficult than I had expected. But then again, it also brought back so many great memories.”

Woods also was overwhelmed by the support he and his family received from all corners of the game.

“It’s been really eye-opening and made things just so much easier,” Woods said. “People that I haven’t talked to in years called.”

Woods withdrew from Wachovia the week his dad died, then decided not to play the Memorial four weeks later, his first time skipping Nicklaus’ event since turning professional. He said Tuesday he considered not playing this week, but ultimately declared himself ready for competition.

“It wasn’t like I was not thinking about my swing for this time,” Woods said. “Every once in a while I kind of would think about my game a little bit. I basically had a game plan for what I wanted to do when I came back.”

One of the first orders of business was to fix his putting, which cost him a shot at victory at Augusta. Woods’ miscues included four three-putts during the 27 holes of the weather-delayed third round and final round Sunday, when he closed with a 70 and finished three shots behind Phil Mickelson.

“The entire day on the putting green warming up, I did not have my speed,” Woods said. “I did all the little drills to try to get my speed. I just didn’t have it.”

Nine weeks since he last played, though, Woods said he is ready this week.

“I’m very excited the way I’ve played at home and even more excited the way I’ve played here,” said Woods, who won his first starts after the two other longest layoffs of his career: in the Buick Invitational in 2003, after knee surgery the previous off-season, and again at Torrey Pines this year, after extended time off with family.

“I’m looking forward to Thursday,” he said. “I’m here to compete and play and try to win this championship.”