Woods labored in Open

New father Tiger Woods said that his wife, Elin, had been admitted to a hospital in Orlando, Fla., four days before their daughter was born, while Woods was playing the first round of the U.S. Open in Oakmont, Pa.

“She had some complications,” Woods said Tuesday in a pre-tournament news conference at Bethesda, Md., before the AT&T; National that he hosts.

“We talked all the time. Everything was all right, I mean it wasn’t life-threatening or anything, but she just had a few problems and had to be admitted.

“It wasn’t easy. It was not easy because I wanted to be there. And the doctor and Elin said, ‘There’s nothing you can do. So go out there and just get a W.’ Came close. But that night was infinitely more rewarding than any W ever could have been.”

Sam Alexis Woods was born in the early morning of June 18, the day after Woods tied for second with Jim Furyk behind U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera.

Woods was one shot out of an 18-hole playoff that would have been scheduled the day his daughter was born. He would not speculate whether he would have shown up for a playoff.

“That didn’t happen, so it would all be hypothetical,” he said. “I’m not going down that road.”

The first-year AT&T; National at Congressional has prize money of $6 million and will feature Woods and Phil Mickelson, who is playing his first tournament since he missed the cut at the U.S. Open because of a wrist injury.

Woods said he is still trying to find the balance between his work and his family life.

“It’s just time management and understanding where your priorities are, and our priorities are with Sam,” he said. “That’s the one priority. And from there, you work it out.”

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thomas.bonk@latimes.com