Tiger: My Teachers Didn't Understand Back Nine Sunday Feels

The most encouraging remark from Tiger this week may have been his suggestion that his three primary instructors as a professional couldn't understand the feel a golfer experiences under tournament pressure. Encouraging because it could suggest he's going to go teacherless and play more by feel, a nice contrast to the explosiveness talk that seems to suggest he's obessed with distance.

We'll find out soon enough, but this is from Doug Ferguson's AP notes column:

"I would have to say on the technical side, I probably don't know as much as some of them," Woods said without singling out Butch Harmon, Hank Haney or Sean Foley. "But from a feel standpoint, which is something I think is innate because of what we're able to do at such an elite level, yeah, I think I know a lot more than they do. Because they've never played down the stretch of a major championship. What do the hands feel? What does the body feel?"

"You have to understand your practice sessions," he said. "Will they work on the back nine on a Sunday of a major? Either yes or no. And I think that's one thing I've always tried to tell all my coaches. Will it work or not work? And if it's not going to work, then we're not going down that road."