Tiger Woods is "not as sharp" as he would like to be for this week's Open Championship but says a light schedule is vital to prolonging his career.
The 43-year-old has played just three tournaments - two of them majors - since winning the Masters in April.
Woods, who ended an 11-year major drought at Augusta, is playing less golf to ease the strain on his back.
"You have to understand, if I play a lot, I won't be out here that long," said the 15-time major champion.
"The tricky part is trying to determine how much tournament play I need to get the feel for the shots and also understanding where my body is."
Woods underwent spinal fusion surgery in 2017 to try and rectify long-standing back problems.
Victory at Augusta saw Woods win a fifth Green Jacket, 22 years after his first, but the American, who has climbed back up to fifth in the world rankings, added: "Getting myself into position to win the Masters took a lot out of me. That golf course puts so much stress on the system.
"It was a very emotional week. It's hard to believe I pulled it off."
Changes to the major schedule also now mean a more condensed programme for the world's top golfers, with the US PGA Championship this year moving from August to May, making this Open Championship, which is being played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, the last major of 2019.
"Last year, I played too much. I played 17 events and a lot of it was trying to qualify for certain events," added Woods.
"This year I made a conscious effort to cut back on my schedule to make sure that I don't play too much."
