Tiger Woods was defiant during a press conference ahead of this week's 144th British Open, saying he's not too old or injured to pursue Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles.
"Retirement?" Woods, 39, responded to a reporter’s question,
USA Today reported via MSN. "I don’t have my AARP card yet, so I’m a ways from that."
"I feel like my body is finally healed up from the surgery from last year," he continued. "They say it takes you about four-to-six months to get back, but I've heard a lot of guys on tour who have had the surgery and other athletes say it takes over a year to get back."
Woods seemed generally optimistic about winning his third British Open on the Old Course, however he has not won anywhere since 2013. He is currently ranked No. 226 in the world.
Woods said his tie for 32nd in The Greenbrier two weeks ago was a good sign that he's back on his way to the top.
"I'm hitting the ball much, much more solid. I'm controlling my flights," he said.
"That's something that I feel you have to do here on this golf course. You have to be able to maneuver the golf ball because there's a big difference of hitting the ball low with a draw and hitting the ball low with a cut. Sometimes it can be 30 to 50 yards' difference in how the ball reacts on the ground."
Woods said the Old Course is his favorite track in the world.
"I just enjoy playing tournament golf, and I enjoy competing at the highest level against the best players in the world."