Woods Upbeat Over 2019 Hopes

Tiger Woods says he is in a much better place than 12 months ago as he prepares for what he hopes will be a successful 2019. The US star finally got back to somewhere near his best last season when finishing second at the USPGA Championship before then winning the season-ending Tour Championship.
That victory was Woods’ first on the PGA Tour since 2013 and it means he’s looking forward to 2019 with excitement and hope rather than trepidation. This time last year there remained plenty of question marks over the 14-time major winner’s ability to even finish tournaments due to long-term back issues but now he seems ready to compete for major honours once again. “My expectations are now way different to a year ago,” he said. “I know what my body can and cannot do. So last year was very fluid and it was like trying to hit a moving target. “It was quite interesting to try and figure it all out as the year progressed and it evolved. (My) Body held up better than I thought it would, even though I got pretty tired at the end.”
Woods starts his year at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday, where he will be aiming for his eighth win at Torrey Pines, and he hopes to enjoy himself on a course he loves.
He added: “To have won on this property and had the success I’ve had, it’s been a lot of fun and looking forward to getting out there this week.”
Woods will play with fellow US stars Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele for the first two rounds in California.