What Tiger Woods would always ask his caddie before hitting any shot over water during tournament play

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Tiger Woods remains absent from the PGA Tour due to injury, with the season continuing this week with the Memorial Tournament.

Woods surprised himself at the Memorial Tournament in 2004, a tournament he has won on five occasions, more than any other player.

But Woods has struggled on the PGA Tour over recent years, with the 15-time major champion having been riddled with injury.

The 82-time PGA Tour winner is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery on a ruptured achilles tendon earlier in the year.

Woods is yet to make a start on the PGA Tour in the 2025 season so far, having been limited to just five last time out.

What Tiger Woods always asked his caddie about hitting over water

But he remains highly influential in the golfing world, with amateurs certain to learn a lot from the carry number insight he has shared recently.

Offering a demonstration for Golf Digest, Woods explained: “I always look at carry number and where I want that ball to land.

READ MORE: Why Paul Azinger felt he had to apologise to Tiger Woods after what happened on the final day of the 2001 Memorial Tournament

“I’ve got water short here. I would like to know how far is it on the green. Generally if I ask what’s the backstop? What’s behind it? If we had a little shoulder to kind of play off of it, and you use that to come back, what is that number?

“Joey’s (Joe LaCava) got a good understanding that I like just two numbers, basically. What is it to get over the top of something, and then the flag, then he has the option to give me something deeper than that.

“So if I’m going to go to the right flag, I know there’s water right. If I’m not feeling that great about my swing, I’ll go to the right edge of the tee box, so I’m firing away from the water. If I’m feeling pretty good about it, I’ll go the left side of the tee box, so I’m firing more along the water.

“Here today, 145 yards, there is really nothing going on, so I’ll go to the left side of the tee box and be a little more on the aggressive side.

“But if the wind’s pumping, I’ll go to the right side and just dump it on the left-hand side and move on. So I’m going to throw it about eight feet left of the hole, hit a nice little cut in there… oh that’s good.”

When will fans see the return of 15-time major champion Tiger Woods?

Amateurs and Woods’ fellow PGA Tour players can certainly learn a lot from the insight, and indeed from the approach he takes to pretty much every other shot.

Fans have unfortunately not been able to see such shots in recent times, and it remains to be seen when Woods will make his return.

READ MORE: What Tiger Woods once said when asked if he was a better golfer than Jack Nicklaus in his prime

Fortunately he was able to take on the inaugural TGL season, and it did look like the 49-year-old enjoyed himself despite his injury issues.

But the indoor event is some way away from an actual outdoor tournament, with Woods last appearing in July at The Open Championship in 2024.

That competition returns later this summer at Royal Portrush, with the US Open next up in the major tournament schedule.

Oakmont plays host, with LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau looking to defend his title from Pinehurst last year.