Tiger Woods’ recent run of three straight tournaments that culminated in a US PGA Championship defeat not only cost him a major title – but he lost some weight as well.
Woods reveals in his blog that he lost nine pounds during those three weeks, in which he won two straight US PGA Tour titles – the Buick Open and the Bridgestone World Golf Championship – before losing out to South Korean Yang Young-eun in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
The world number one brings a high-energy game to the Tour, as he says:
“There was some wear and tear on my body. I lost nine pounds in three weeks. If you watch me play, I eat a lot – usually bananas, nuts or a sandwich – and drink a lot of Gatorade Tiger, but I burn it off quickly. I just couldn’t seem to get enough calories in me a couple of those weeks, and it was pretty hot. I need meals in order to maintain my weight.â€
He also said it was the first time since 2007 that he has played three tournaments in a row, something he has done 16 times in his career. He has also played four in a row on five occasions.
Woods also answers critics who accuse him of playing too conservatively when he was two shots up heading into the final day. He said the fact that he did not putt well made those suggestions obsolete.
The putting problems were what frustrated Woods most during the tournament. He said his putts were leaning left, which he blamed on his own poor alignment.
Still, Woods is counting on his mental toughness to bounce back. After all, he has won 14 major titles already and is still on course to match Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18. He said:
“When I woke up Monday, it was on to the next day. I had a good run of three weeks. Unfortunately, I didn’t putt well one day, and it cost me a tournament.â€
Woods is now looking forward to The Barclays, the first of four FedEx Cup play-off events.
