Tiger falls just short in charge
HEARTENING: CASEY HOLDS WOODS OFF TO WIN BY ONE
Tiger Woods came up just short of his 80th US PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Valspar Championship, where it was England’s Paul Casey ending his victory drought with a one-stroke triumph.
Woods, the 14-time Major champion playing just his fourth Tour event since spinal fusion surgery last April, showed he’s a contender again as he fired a one-under-par 70 to share second on nine-under 275 – one stroke behind Casey who surged to his second US PGA Tour title with a 65 for 274.
“I think I’ve got a little better than what I was a couple of weeks ago,” Woods said.
“I keep getting just a little better and a little sharper.”
Woods opened with a birdie on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Florida, but gave that stroke back with a bogey at the fourth.
He didn’t find another birdie until the 17th, where he drained a putt of almost 45 feet to close within one stroke of Casey’s clubhouse lead and send his massive gallery into a frenzy.
He couldn’t repeat the feat at the 18th to force a play-off, however, another long birdie try coming up a couple of feet short. Woods finished the day tied for second with fellow American Patrick Reed.
Casey had four birdies and a bogey on his front nine, then seized control with three birdies on the trot at 11, 12 and 13 that moved him to 10-under.
He said keeping bogeys off his card over the demanding closing holes was key.
“The clean-ups on 16, 17 and 18 – fantastic,” Casey said. “I’ve not done that in a long time and that’s the difference. That’s what I need to do.”
The 40-year-old has 17 victories on the European Tour, the most recent coming at the KLM Open in September of 2014.