Tiger Woods says he would prefer to retire from golf than suffer a slow decline into mediocrity.

The world number one is currently in outstanding form, winning seven tournaments in a row worldwide before finishing two shots behind Geoff Ogilvy at last week's WGC-CA Championship.

And the 32-year-old admitted he would have no interest in hanging around making up the numbers if his game declines with the passage of time.


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"For me it is very simple, it is when my best isn't good enough any more," Woods told Reuters.

"I could not live with myself going out and practicing and preparing as hard as I do and knowing that if I go out and play my best someone is just going to beat me.

"But that happens, your skills diminish, guys get better, they are more athletic. You have your time in the sun, there is nothing wrong in walking away from it.

"I have accomplished so much in the sport already and hopefully I can continue to do that for as long as I possibly can but when that time comes, well, every athlete knows when that happens.

"I am trying to prolong it, that early exit. One of the great things about our sport is you can play as long as you want.

"But do you want to play in mediocrity? That is the thing that I would have a hard time with."

The American, who has won 13 majors during his career to date, is confident that his retirement date is a long way off yet.

"I am 32 and I feel like I am just entering my prime," he said. "Every sport is slightly different.

"I think MJ (Michael Jordan) would probably say his best years (in the NBA) were his early 30s whereas most (NFL) running backs would probably say it is their mid-to-late 20s.

"In our sport your best years are generally in your 30s, some guys are able to sustain that into their early 40s."

On the end of his seven-tournament winning streak, he added: "Losing is never fun. (But) there were some nice positives that came from it.

"Yes, there were some three putts, there were some mistakes, and yet I was only two shots back.

"I feel I should have won the tournament. But I didn't. That is how close the gap is, you can't make many mistakes against that kind of field.

"Everyone is pushing. Our tour is getting so deep that anyone can win at any time, it is only going to get deeper.

"It is deeper now than when I came out in 1996 and it is going to be deeper still."