Woods humbled by Nicklaus endorsement

Golf:Tiger Woods has taken heart from Jack Nicklaus still believing his 18-major record will be broken by the former world number one, who tees up in the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami on Thursday.

Woods, who will be playing alongside long-time rival Phil Mickelson and US Open winner Graeme McDowell tomorrow, will be looking for his first win November 2009.

“It’s nice to have Jack say that — that’s something that is very humbling,” said Woods on the eve of the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami, where he will bid to end the longest winless run of his career.

“I respect the heck out of Jack and what he’s done and the person he is, and for him to still believe that I can still play top-notch golf it certainly is a confidence-booster, there’s no doubt.”

Woods, stuck on 14 majors since the 2008 US Open, was reminded that Nicklaus did not lift any titles in 1979, a year after making the Open Championship his 15th major.

“Yeah, he turned it around and in 1980 he did pretty good — a couple of majors,” Woods added.

Knocked out in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play by Thomas Bjorn a fortnight ago, Woods has been back on the practice range since.

“It was good,” he added. “Worked a little bit with Sean again on the same things. Haven’t changed anything, so just keep going down the path. I’m seeing some really good signs. Unfortunately just haven’t been able to carry it to the golf course yet at a consistent level.

“And unfortunately, when I lose it for a while, I also don’t get up and down at times so just kind of adds to it.

“I still get asked a bunch of questions about winning, whether I was winning or not winning. Still got to do press conferences and everything is still the same — the only difference is I just haven’t won tournaments.”

His last success was in Australia, just before he crashed his car and details of his serial adultery emerged. Asked why he does not play more to try to end his barren spell, father-of-two Woods added: “Well, because I have a family. I’m divorced. If you’ve been divorced with kids then you would understand.”

Woods was also questioned about television commentator Johnny Miller comparing his fall to that of ex-heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.

“That’s Johnny being Johnny making statements like that,” he added. “I think he’s done that before in the past, hasn’t he? Everyone is entitled to their opinion and he has his, which is a lot.”

Miller had said: “It’s a little bit like a Mike Tyson story. Sort of invincible, scared everybody, performed quickly under pressure. Until a Buster Douglas came along — his life crumbled.

“It’s like Humpty Dumpty. He was on the high wall, way above all the other players, and had a great fall. There’s pieces all over the place and he’s trying to put them together.”