Tiger feels close to ending drought after achieving Tour Championship goal

A first win since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is getting ever closer for Tiger Woods, according to the 14-time major champion.

Tiger Woods in action

Tiger Woods feels that he is close to ending his PGA Tour drought after completing his objective of reaching the Tour Championship.

It has been five years since 14-time major champion Woods' last win at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, a string of back surgeries forcing him to spend prolonged spells away from the course.

But, the 42-year-old has twice been a runner-up this season – most recently at the US PGA Championship – and has six top-10 finishes to his name.

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Those results have helped Woods earn a spot in the 30-man field at East Lake this weekend ahead of his return to Ryder Cup action, and he hopes to bring all aspects of his game together to end his barren run.

"It's exciting to be back. I haven't been here in quite some time and it's great to have accomplished one of the goals I set out at the start of the year. Now, I want to get the W and head into next week with the Ryder Cup," said Woods.

"I think the season itself has been amazing, to be able to have played this well after coming off what I came off of. I didn't know how many tournaments I'd play in and the next [thing] you know I'm here in the Tour Championship. It's been a pretty tall order and something I'm proud of."

"I'm close to winning golf tournaments again. I'm putting the pieces together, I've changed some of my technique and my equipment – I'm very close. I've come close in a couple events and it's about putting it together at the right time."

"It's always been something – I haven't driven it well, I haven't hit my irons well, I haven't putted it well. Just pick one of those things and it happens to be that particular week."

"I seem to have got most of those things going well, but there's always something missing. It could be any of those facets of the game, I just haven't put it all together at the same time. That's something that'll hopefully come together this week."

Woods has developed a greater appreciation for the game after his injury-forced absence and hinted at an interest in representing the United States at the next Olympics.

On the prospect of playing at Tokyo 2020, he said: "That'd be an accomplishment, to be one of the top American players, to have worked my way back to that point."

"It's two years from now and to have played that consistently for that period of time is something I'd like to see happen, I just need to go do it."

"I need to keep my game at the level it is, maybe refine it a little more and stay healthy. It's something I haven't done in a number of years and this is a good starting point."