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ROLAND, Ark. -- Tiger Woods said he will play in the U.S. Open next month, his first appearance on the PGA Tour since the Masters in April and the death of his father, Earl, on May 3. Woods, the world's top-ranked golfer, hasn't missed a major since turning professional in 1997. His decision to skip this week's Memorial Tournament in Ohio had raised questions about whether he would keep that streak going at the Open, which starts June 15 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. "Am I definitely going to play? Yeah," Woods, 30, told Bloomberg News on Tuesday in a brief interview after holding a private clinic at the Alotian Club outside of Little Rock. It was his first golf-related appearance since Earl Woods died of cancer. Woods, the winner of 10 major titles, has played in 37 consecutive majors since turning pro. He withdrew from this week's Memorial, an event he has won three times, for the first time in his career. During the clinic, Woods spent about an hour hitting shots with a variety of clubs and taking questions from children and adults in the audience. Asked how he was preparing for the U.S. Open, Woods said he had been spending most of his time working on distance control. "I've been practicing my butt off," Woods told the audience. "At Winged Foot, it's imperative that you hit the ball below the hole. If you miss the green even two yards past the hole, you don't really have a shot because the slopes are so severe. You have to make sure you're always shy of the hole." Woods played a round at Winged Foot on Saturday. When asked by a member of the crowd how he would prepare for the U.S. Open, Woods said he had plenty of practicing to do. "Obviously, you have to drive the ball great at U.S. Opens. You can't win a U.S. Open driving the ball poorly," Woods said. "Work on my driving and really work on my irons, distance control." Woods spoke of his father a few times while addressing the crowd, including at the end, when he was asked what advice he had for his young fans. "I think the greatest advice is to care and share," Woods said. "My dad was so adamant about that line. He said if you care about something, you'll share it. And if you love life, you'll share life. I love kids and I'll share with them whatever I have." The Arkansas tournament, which was Monday and Tuesday, is named after Jack Stephens, the late billionaire, philanthropist and former chief executive officer of Stephens Inc. Stephens was chairman of Augusta National in 1997, when Woods won the Masters there for his first major championship. The children at the clinic were seated on a small incline behind Woods as he hit. At the start, Woods said other spectators seated in chairs further back could move closer if they wanted. Afterward, he posed for pictures with the kids. "Tiger's not at all what I thought he would be," said Hayley Carter, 15, of Greenwood. "I pictured him as being quiet and off to himself, but he was a lot different." Woods stressed early on that he wanted the event to be interactive and turned around often for questions from the audience, although he didn't talk to reporters afterward. He flashed his usual bright smile throughout despite having to stop several times because of a nagging cough. "I know he doesn't feel well, but unless somebody told you, I don't think you'd know it," said Warren Stephens, Jack Stephens' son. Warren Stephens took over the microphone to thank Woods after the demonstration, although the audience was a bit distracted. In the background, Woods was doing one of his most famous tricks, juggling a ball on the face of his club, then hitting it out of the air with one hand. Information from Bloomberg News and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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