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Golf returned to the Games in 2016 after a
112-year absence but Woods, who dominated the sport in the first
decade of the 21st century, missed its return through injury.
"Making the Olympic team is a big goal," the 15-times Major
winner told Reuters in an emailed interview. "I don't see myself
having too many opportunities other than next year.
"Four years from now, at the next Olympic Games, I’ll be
48-years-old. To be one of the top Americans at that age is
going to be tough.
"I went to my first Olympic Games when it was in Los Angeles
(1984). So now to have the opportunity to be a part of the
Olympics, because golf in my lifetime wasn't a part of the
Olympics, is an important aspect for us and the growth of the
game.
"The game has become so global, and so reaching, that I think
the Olympic Games is a great extension of that and I'd like to
be a part of it."
Woods will get a taste of golf-crazy Japan when he competes in
'The Challenge: Japan Skins' on Oct 21.
Woods will take part in a high-stakes challenge at the Accordia
Golf Narashino Country Club in Chiba alongside Rory McIlroy,
Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama.
The extravaganza, which will in part be floodlit, is being
televised globally by GOLFTV and will be played under the
'skins' format.
The format, designed to encourage aggressive play from start to
finish, forces players to win a hole outright to take a “skin”,
with tied holes resulting in a “push” of the skin to the next
hole.
Woods, who won the Masters earlier this year to end an 11-year
wait for his 15th Major, says he is thrilled to be back at the
top of the sport after injuries caused four back surgeries
between 2014 and 2017.
"To be able to have played the last couple of years after where
I was (with injury)... and to have two wins in my last two years
– I definitely would not have foreseen that at the time,
pre-surgery.
"So I’m just excited and ecstatic to be able to participate in
golf at this level again. I missed it. I missed competing
against these guys.
"The interesting thing about now is that when I was out, there
was a whole generation of guys that I didn’t really compete
against.
"Whether it was Jordan (Spieth), JT (Justin Thomas), Bryson (Dechambeau)
or Patrick (Reed) these guys were just coming out and I missed
that. Now they’re established and I’m coming back into the game,
so it’s been fun to compete against those guys, not to mention
some of the older guys."
If he is to realize his Olympic dreams it seems likely Woods
will be competing against players from this new generation to
earn a spot at Tokyo.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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