email from Tiger
Here’s what Tiger had to say about his recent victory over Phil Mickelson:
“Mickelson is one of the best players in the world and we’ve gone head-to-head many times, in major championships and at the Buick Invitational in San Diego. It’s been a lot of fun to go head-to-head against somebody who’s that talented and that good. He’s won a bunch of tournaments, so you know he knows how to handle the pressure, so that makes it even more thrilling.
“I live for those moments. That’s exactly why you practice, to be in that position and try to handle the situation. That’s what you dream about as kids, going against the best. When we get that opportunity – it doesn’t happen very often because of the nature of our sport, our travel schedules and the fact that you can’t always play well each and every week, it’s very rare that we separate ourselves and focus on each other in the final group. That doesn’t happen very often. So when you do have that opportunity, you’d like to take advantage of it.
“You’re definitely nervous. If you’re not nervous, you’re not alive. The day I lose that nervousness is the day I quit. That means I don’t care anymore. Since I do care about how I finish and how I play, yea I’m going to be nervous. It’s about handling your nerves and channeling it so that you’re able to perform at a high level. That’s what’s exciting.”
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