Woods surprised at own title wins

DUBAI (Reuters) - Never in his wildest dreams did Tiger Woods guess he would have 13 major championship titles at the age of 32, the world number one said on Wednesday.

"When I first turned pro could I ever have foreseen this happening this soon in my career? No, certainly not. Not having 13 majors by the time I'm 32," Woods told reporters on the eve of the Dubai Desert Classic.
"I wouldn't have foreseen getting to that point because at the time my game wasn't good enough. I had not matured and had not understood how to play the game."
The American, who has 62 PGA Tour victories to his credit and is chasing Jack Nicklaus's all-time record of 18 major wins, says his experience and course strategy has made him the player he is.
"Over the years understanding how to manage my game around the course and getting the most out of it every day, that takes experience," said Woods, the favorite here after his eight-shot triumph at the Buick Invitational in California on Sunday.
"When I first turned pro there is no way I could ever have foreseen that. I didn't have that experience. I didn't have that knowledge to get around the course."
SELF DOUBTS
Despite his overwhelming superiority over his international rivals, Woods acknowledged self doubts did occasionally creep in.
"Of course they do," he said. "That's part of the game of golf and part of life.
"You have those doubts and the whole idea is to obviously keep pushing through and keep improving and have a game plan to execute."
Woods also said he was gaining more satisfaction from his work as a course designer, with two projects up and running in Dubai and the U.S.
"I am certainly looking forward to getting more into the course-design business," he said. "I am just having so much fun with the one in High Carolina and the one here.
"The amount of detail that goes into it has been eye-opening. I didn't realize that but I have loved it.
"I spend hours just looking at plans and thinking and creating. That to me is fun, trying to give the developers what they want."
When it comes to courses that have already been built, Woods rates one above all the others.
"My favorite is St Andrews," he said.
"It's the home of golf and the history behind it, the nuances and the intricacies behind it and understanding how to manage your way around that course, that's fun."