Pain-free Woods looks to add to major booty

MELBOURNE (AFP) – Tiger Woods says he is proud of his comeback year from knee surgery and is looking forward to adding to his 14 major titles next year now he is pain-free.

The American world number one has surprised even himself with how he has hit back on the circuit this year after an eight-month injury lay-off with six tournament victories since limping to his last major win at the 2008 US Open.

Woods, 33, who is playing in this week's Australian Masters at Kingston Heath, ranks second only to Jack Nicklaus (18) with most major victories and is looking for more in 2010.

"I'm really looking forward to next year," Woods told a press conference in Melbourne on Tuesday.

"To come off what I came off last year and have the year that I had this year, I don't think anyone would have suspected that or foreseen that.

"I'm very proud of the fact that I was able to be as consistent as I have been all year, and hopefully next year I can improve on that."

Woods said he was now confident with his left knee after the surgery and was enjoying playing pain-free.

"My knee is great. Finally it feels good," he said.

"It's as stable as it has been in over a decade. To finally feel the strength and the stableness in my knee is something I hadn't felt in just such a long time.

"Playing golf pain-free is certainly a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to my career going forward now that I'm able to play this way."

Woods finished joint sixth at this year's Augusta Masters, joint sixth at the US Open, missed the cut for the first time in 14 British Opens and was runner-up at the US PGA Championship.

"I gave myself a chance in three of the four championships to win it, and unfortunately I didn't," he said.

"You're not going to win all of them. Jack (Nicklaus) finished second 19 times, so obviously you would like to win all of them.

"But the whole idea is to give yourself a chance in each and every one.

"I did that three of the four I gave myself a chance, and unfortunately just didn't get it done.

"You learn from it. I made a few mistakes at the Masters and the US Open and the PGA. Consequently I didn't win either one of those and obviously I didn't make the cut at the British Open."

Woods has won 92 tournaments, 71 of those on the US PGA Tour.