Tiger turns focus back on golf

Tiger Woods will try to turn his mind back to golf again today, after admitting that playing while going through a divorce was “a lot more difficult than I was letting on”.

The world number one, whose marriage to Swede Elin Nordegren ended on Monday nine months after the world started to learn about his serial adultery, is in New Jersey for the opening event of the FedEx Cup play-off series.

The Barclays could also be the last event of the series for Woods because the field is cut each week and his position is under threat after nothing better than fourth place finishes in The Masters and US Open this season.

First, though, he was met with yet more questions about his private life yesterday.

“It’s a sad time in our lives,” he said. “We’re looking forward in our lives and how we can help our kids the best way we possibly can. That’s the most important thing.

“As far as my game and practicing, that’s been secondary. We’re trying to get our kids situated to our new living conditions and how that’s going to be. That’s where our focus is going to be right now.

“You don’t ever go into a marriage looking to get divorced. That’s the thing - that’s why it is sad.

“My actions certainly led us to this decision. I’ve certainly made a lot of errors in my life and that’s something I’m going to have to live with.

“Being asked questions all the time, even as the tournaments are going, is always difficult, especially when I’m trying to work on a few things.

“Certainly you try and block it out as best you can and focus on a shot, but at times it certainly was difficult.”

He has worked more with Sean Foley since the US PGA Championship two weeks ago and commented: “It’s just a matter of getting it more solidified.

“I still haven’t officially decided to change my swing yet, just because this would be the fourth time since I’ve been on the PGA Tour.

“It’s an undertaking that I have to wrap my head around because it’s going to take some time.”

The first big story of the tournament came before it started, with “third seed” Jim Furyk being disqualified for oversleeping and missing his tee-off time – not in the event proper, but the curtain-raising pro-am.

Furyk had set a wake-up call on his mobile phone, but the battery ran out during the night.

Points leader Ernie Els, who was due to partner Furyk in the first two rounds, said: “It’s obviously a bit of a shock.

“He paid the ultimate penalty. Jim is the ultimate professional, if there is one out there, but unfortunately we have rules.

“He does a lot of stuff for the Tour that benefits the Tour, so you could definitely have an argument to somehow help a player when he’s qualified for the play-offs. Maybe penalise him some points or something.”

Phil Mickelson described Furyk’s disqualification as ridiculous.

“The rule itself applies to only half the field,” said Mickelson, referring to the fact that not all the players are required for the pro-am.

“So if you’re going to have a rule that does not apply to everybody you cannot have it affect the competition.

“It’s got to be a different penalty. It can’t be disqualification if it only applies to half the field.

“It’s not protecting the players. It’s not protecting the sponsors. Yet it affects the integrity of the competition.

“I cannot disagree with it more. I have no idea how the Commissioner (Tim Finchem) let this rule go through. It’s ridiculous. I made my viewpoint very clear to him.”