Golfing superstar Tiger Woods, who is relaxing on a Caribbean honeymoon with his Swedish sweetheart Elin Nordegren, said being married would not reduce his passion for winning golf tournaments.
”It is not going to change the way I play golf,” Woods said on his website tigerwoods.com.
”I have been with Elin and happy together the last two years. Just because you are married it doesn’t change your relationship. It doesn’t change who we are.
”I just hope I can get the ball in the hole a little faster.”
The 28-year-old American said he is having too much fun on a 47-metre yacht, called Privacy, to contemplate an immediate return the PGA Tour.
”It is the first time we have been alone for awhile. We are on our own and enjoying that. Its so nice to be on the boat, relaxing, and just having a great time. Were diving every day and just enjoying being out here by ourselves, just chill and relax. It’s a lot of fun.”
Woods tied the knot with 24-year-old Nordegren on Tuesday during a sunset ceremony at a posh resort in Barbados.
Attendance was by invite only as Woods had security guards watching the beach and hotel grounds to keep the curious away.
As host of the Target World Challenge, Woods took a break from his honeymoon to plug the tournament which features the top 16 players in the world.
The event will be played at Sherwood Country Club in Los Angeles beginning on December 8.
Woods was asked about playing in the Funai Classic in Florida from October 21-24 in Florida where he lives with his wife but he was non-committal.
”I do not know yet. Hopefully things will come together faster than they have been. I just need to play solidy the rest of the year,” he said.
Woods has not won a stroke play tournament this year and has slipped from world number one to number three in recent weeks falling behind Fijian-Indian Vijay Singh and South Africa’s Ernie Els.
He is winless in his last 10 major championships after going on a two-year run between 2000-2002 where he captured seven of 11 majors.
Woods and Nordegren were introduced three years ago by PGA pro Jesper Parnevik, who did not attend the wedding.
They became engaged in December at a South African game farm after Woods proposed during a evening walk.
There were only two fellow golfers at the event, Mark O’Meara and John Cook. Charles Howell was invited but he had to play in a tournament in Las Vegas. – Sapa-AFP