Tiger Woods' latest comeback to competitive golf has had a different feel thus far. We've seen Woods more talkative and loose on the course, and the 14-time major champ even admitted to having more realistic goals ahead of his recent start at Torrey Pines -- a stark departure from his usual win-or-bust mentality. But in the heat of serious contention, golf fans still can expect to see a vintage Tiger.
At his Tuesday pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Genesis Open, Woods was asked whether he could "turn the cold shoulder" to some of the young stars he's formed relationships with -- two of which, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, he'll tee it up with on Thursday and Friday at Riviera -- in recent years, and how he thought they'd react. And Woods responded like the man who once simply -- and fantastically -- said "9 and 8" when asked for his reaction to beating Stephen Ames 9 and 8.
"I don't care how they react," Woods said. "Hey, I'm trying to win a tournament. I'm sure they feel the same way. But, hey. . . it's winning time."
There's the old Tiger we know and love. You can watch a full clip of the exchange here:
In other words, don't expect too much on-course chit-chat if these three friends are still paired for a late tee time on Sunday.
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