Woods says golfers need to 'choose and pick' where they play to stay 'fresh'

World number one Tiger Woods has backed fellow American Phil Mickelson's decision to cut his schedule in 2014, saying that the huge number of tournaments these days means the top players have to pick and choose where they go.

British Open champion Mickelson announced that he would be scaling down his appearances next year, indicating that the US PGA Tour's money-spinning FedEx Cup playoff series might be on the chopping block.

According to Sport24, Woods, who is playing in the Turkish Airlines Open, said that he does not blame Mickelson for cutting down his schedule, adding that a player needs to choose where they want to play nowadays given that he has 15 tournaments as a minimum for voting membership on the US Tour.

Woods further said that it is necessary to be fresh and ready for the major championships like the World Golf Championships and the Players Championship, adding that even when the the four majors are over for the season, players still have the FedExCup to support in August and September.

According to Woods, players need to find blocks of their time for their off season, and he cited the example of his US Ryder Cup playing partner Steve Stricker as the perfect example of a leading golfer who has derived tangible benefits from reducing his tournament appearances.