Perked up Woods is back on the course

BEIJING, May 14 -- Tiger Woods is chipping and putting again, and he hopes to play in the Memorial in two weeks. But even if he can't compete until the US Open, he doesn't expect the same result as his last layoff during a season.

Two years ago, Woods didn't play for nine weeks while coping with the death of his father. He returned to competition in the US Open at Winged Foot and missed the cut for the only time in a major.

"That was a totally different mental situation than I am now," Woods said on Monday. "Even when I came back for the Open, I probably wasn't ready to play yet. I was eager to get back and play and be in a competitive environment, but I wasn't ready to deal with all the things you have to deal with inside the ropes. ... And it showed, and I played terrible.

"This time around, it's totally different," he added. "Everything in my life is doing great. I'm just trying to get the leg organized enough to where I can play, and hopefully, I can play before. If not - if I can't play before - then hopefully, at the Open."

Woods had surgery on his left knee April 15 for the second time in five years, this time to clean out some cartilage. He has not played since finishing three shots behind Trevor Immelman at the Masters.

Doctors said the recovery would be four to six weeks, and Woods said his rehabilitation was going well.

"I'll tell you what, I'm getting sick and tired of riding the bike," he said.

Woods spoke on a video conference to promote the BMW Championship, which he won last year on his way to capturing the FedEx Cup. The tournament will be held from September 4-7 at Bellerive Country Club, where Woods has played only a practice round. He was on the course on September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

He has been able to chip and putt, and Woods said he hopes to work his way through the bag to hit fuller shots as he regains strength. But he is in no shape to play now, except for a short game contest.

"I couldn't compete against those guys, unless we were playing a putt-putt course," he said. "All I could do was chip and putt. I think they would have a distinct advantage over me for anything over 30 yards."

(Agencies)