CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Scuba tanks, bungee cords, asbestos racing suits and parachutes all have been part of Tiger Woods' growing toy collection lately when it comes to his outside interests and activities.
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| A break? Tiger Woods doesn't know the meaning of it. (Getty Images) |
Rest assured, his off-time isn't just about assured rest. He's proving it this week at the Wachovia Championship.
Shaking off any notion of rust after three weeks on the sidelines, Woods fired a 4-under 68 on Friday to claim a share of the lead with Arron Oberholser and old rival Vijay Singh at the Quail Hollow Club. Woods, at 6 under overall, matched the low round of the day and will be paired Saturday with Singh, the only other player with two wins this season.
Over the years, Woods has always had a stellar record after lengthy layoffs, so his performance this week has hardly seemed atypical. But the whys and wherefores of his ability to pick up where he left off are exactly that.
Not many years ago, golf not only was Woods' vocation, but his avocation. He didn't have many outside interests and spent many hours bashing balls on the range across the street from his home in Orlando. Whether he still logs as many practice hours is debatable, but the evidence suggests that he is investing more sweat equity than ever.
Though Woods has traditionally played between 18-20 events per year, a light schedule compared to some, his pre-tournament preparation would take the wind out of anybody's sails. Perhaps only Singh, another guy known for his fanatical workout ethic -- his ocean-side home in Florida contains a huge gymnasium -- can compare.
Hall of Famer Gary Player, one of the fittest players on the planet, spotted Woods lifting weights in a hotel workout room in February and decided to take notes. He was flabbergasted. Woods, who had a tournament tee time that afternoon, was working on his chest and arm muscles with 25-pound dumbbells and flinging them around like paperweights.
"I worked out, I think, extremely hard for 63 years," Player said recently. "I thought, I'll watch him and see what he does. I thought I was seeing things. He was playing that day at 1 o'clock, and here he was pumping this iron, and I said, well, he's raised the bar even further."
From iron bars to lead vests, even. Woods has been known to don a weighted jacket during his jogging trips through his neighborhood, just to raise the stakes, if not his pulse.
"I just enjoy pushing myself," he said. "Whether it's trying to outrun my border collie or lifting weights or whatever it may be. I just enjoy pushing my body to the limit."
For those who wonder how a guy who weighs a solid 185 pounds can have a 30-inch waist and the body-fat content of a triathlete, there's your answer.
Sure, he partakes in high-risk swims with sharks, free dives into the ocean depths and goes cave diving. But to most folks, nothing sounds scarier than Woods' daily running regimen. When he is on the road and playing, he runs between four and six miles, either before or after his daily round. During his so-called off weeks, he grinds out that mileage each day and then some.
