His optimism has solid base

Woods stance: Knee is ready for Open

Tiger Woods hits on the 14th hole during a practice round for the 108th US Open. (Matt Sullivan/Reuters)

SAN DIEGO - He walked gingerly. Slowly, cautiously. It was as if at any moment he felt he would go over the edge of a cliff, but guess what? That was Tiger Woods's only concern.

"They've got us out in the ocean," said Woods with a smile as he made his way from the 12th green to the 13th tee, which we have been assured is still on the property here at Torrey Pines Golf Course. We'll take the US Golf Association's word on it, but who knows? The new tee box is in a spot that rarely has been visited.

"We're almost on Black's Beach. It's unbelievable how far back that is," said Woods, who has been playing at Torrey Pines for more than 20 years, going back to his youthful phenom days. "That is where they start their hang gliding over there."

But now, it'll be the starting point for players taking on the 614-yard, par-5 13th hole in the 108th US Open, a major championship test that Woods insisted he is up for. He is eight weeks removed from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and while he hasn't played competitively or walked 18 holes since April 13, Woods was adamant.

"I'm good to go," he said. "Come game time, I'll be ready."

Speculate all you want, but a walk along Torrey Pines's demanding back nine as Woods played through an early-morning fog complete with a floor of thick dew offered proof that he should be taken at his word.

No swing indicated it any better than the one he made from perhaps 130 yards at that 13th hole. Having taken those cautious steps back to the tee - not out of concern for his knee, but having been pushed to the far reaches of the magnificent cliffs at Torrey - even the powerful Woods could not reach in two, though his second shot had been hit weakly and to the right. Instead of being down in the bowl, where he would have an uphill shot of 90 yards, Woods had a downhill lie to a severely uphill green, and as he stood over the ball in the first cut of rough, it was clear he would have to brace himself by putting all his weight on the left leg.

Displaying not a sliver of hesitation, Woods opened up the blade of his short iron and swung with great might, and with great precision he lofted the shot onto the front portion of the putting surface. Satisfied in his swing and execution, Woods handed the club to caddie Steve Williams and showed no signs of a limp or a grimace. And for good reason.

"Am I fully recovered? Probably not," said Woods. "Oh, well."

If he thought that would halt further questions, he was mistaken, but chances are Woods knew they'd keep coming. Never did he suggest he wasn't ready to be competitive, though he conceded it wasn't until those last days of May when he became convinced he could play this week.

"The week prior to the Memorial [May 29-June 1] I was not feeling good enough where I was 100 percent sure I could play all four days," said Woods, who pulled back on plans to play in Jack Nicklaus's tournament just a few days before it began. "But then my leg started getting a lot better quickly, which was great. My lifting went way up. My endurance came back. All the different things started coming up."

There is a history with Woods and long layoffs when it comes to the US Open and Torrey Pines. But one reference is different than the other.

In 2003, Woods stormed to victory in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines nine weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

In 2006, he missed the cut in a major for the first time as a professional as he shot 76-76 in the US Open at Winged Foot after sitting out eight weeks in the aftermath of his father's death.

Whether he can match his performance of 2003 remains to be seen, but Woods suggested this would not be a repeat of Winged Foot for good reason. He's mentally prepared to play this time, and that wasn't the case two summers ago.

"When I played Winged Foot after a long layoff, I didn't get into the flow of the round for three or four holes," he said. "You can't do that. You have to get into the flow of the round on the very first hole and find that rhythm of the round. I didn't do that; it took too long."

Unlike those long weeks when he was mourning the death of the man who taught him the game, Woods for the past eight weeks has been mentally prepared to play. Now that he's been able to train with his usual lifting, cardio, and stretching, he is encouraged all is well. More than that, he said his spirits are high.

"I haven't played, obviously, since the Masters [April 10-13], so getting out there and getting into the flow and dealing with the adrenaline, dealing with the juices flowing . . . I'm really excited about getting out there and feeling that."

Even if it takes him to the edge of the cliff out there on the 13th hole. No worries, he said. He'd just walk carefully.

Jim McCabe can be reached at jmccabe@globe.com.