Tiger: "I feel fit, I have wanted to start the new year"

Tiger Woods downplayed the two bad years in his career, marked by his marital infidelities and several injuries, and said that these periods are part of life for all athletes.

"If you look at the careers of the athletes always have ups and downs. Hopefully difficult periods are short and the good times last longer. Everyone goes out there," said former world number one in a statement to the newspaper "The Straits Times'.

"I feel fit again, playing back, playing more and more consistently. So I have wanted to end this year and start the next."

Tiger, currently ranked 52 in the world, will play this month the Australia Open.