Tiger confident of form going into US Open

Tiger Woods has played just 24 rounds of golf in regular PGA Tour events this year, making folks wonder whether he would be truly ready to defend his title when the 103rd U.S. Open starts tomorrow at Olympia Fields Country Club.

Having undergone knee surgery Dec. 12 and taking the next two months off, Woods immediately quieted skeptics in February when he won the Buick Invitational in his first start, tied for fifth in Los Angeles and won the World Golf Championship Match-Play event.

In March he won at Bay Hill, but he failed to win the Masters and has virtually disappeared from the tour, having played only the Memorial Tournament and the European Tour's Deutsche Bank Open since.

Is he worried about a slump as he prepares to chase his third U.S. Open title and ninth major?

``No,'' Woods snapped. ``I don't think I've ever been in a slump. I think my overall career has been pretty good ever since I came out of the womb and I started playing golf. I've had a pretty good career.

``My game is pretty good, I think. I hit the ball really well in Germany (at the Deutsche Bank), I just didn't make any putts. Then I hit the ball really well at the Memorial and I just had nine holes there on Saturday afternoon that cost me my chance of winning the tournament. I'm hitting the ball well this week so far. I'm pleased at the signs I'm showing.''

Yet he still had a recent session with sometime swing coach Butch Harmon, who basically is only called in now when there's a reason. Otherwise Woods figures things out himself or has his good buddy and Orlando-area neighbor Mark O'Meara look at him.

``(Harmon) said just keep working on the things you're working on because I've been playing well,'' Woods said. ``As I said, I didn't make any putts in Germany and then at the Memorial I hit the ball just as good and I made some putts. I just had that little block of nine holes where I went for wads.''

Woods finished tied for fourth at the Memorial despite a 76 in the third round. He followed it up with a 65 in the final round.

Woods so far this season has three wins in seven tournaments in North America, yet by his standards people are now questioning his decision to stay home weeks on end or come to Chicago early, as he did a couple of weeks ago when he played several courses, including this one with Michael Jordan.

``Any year you win a major is a great year,'' Woods responded when asked what he would think if he failed to win another tour event in 2003 but won a major.

Like most players, Woods immediately saw the difference in nature between this course and Bethpage's Black Course, the monster in New York where he won his second Open last year.

``This course is totally different,'' he said. ``It's not as big a golf course (it measures 7,190 yards at a par 70) and certainly has a lot of doglegs. You have to make a decision what your line is going to be off the tee and stay committed to those lines. Also the greens are a lot more undulating than they were last year.

``We've got some good slopes on them and I'm sure the USGA will put some pretty tricky pins out there for us.''

Translated, Woods would probably like to be able to hit more drivers here, but he can't because it's too demanding for long-ball hitters to have to work the ball around some of these corners and stay out of the rough. It means there is more of a variety of players in the field with a chance to stay in contention than Woods would really like.

Everything considered, a Woods win here might take some of his most remarkable play, and that would be the kind of story that most folks here are hoping for.

``I've had some success,'' Woods said. ``But I think sometimes all of you can be a bit dramatic in your writing, very flowery at times. I've hit some good shots, but they haven't been that good! And then I've hit some bad shots and they haven't been that bad!''