Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TIGER’S BACK ..AND BACKED Augusta punters lump on after birdie blitz
TIGER WOODS cranked up the Augusta hype in his last event before the US Masters with a 70-foot birdie putt at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
And the world No.149, who opened with a sensational four-under 68, is now favourite with US bookies for the first Major of the season next month.
“There’s a lot of gambleholics out there,” said Woods, runner-up to Paul Casey in Florida on Sunday.
In his fifth PGA Tour event since back surgery last April, the American superstar birdied all four par-fives in a round for the first time since 2015. Only an 18th-hole eagle from Jimmy Walker prevented Woods sharing the early clubhouse lead at Bay Hill.
The 14-time Major winner, who has won eight times at Bay Hill, said: “When I first came back I was just getting my feel for tournament golf again and now it’s back. What do I need to improve before the Masters? Everything can be shored up a little bit.”
Woods said his 70-foot birdie putt at a par-three was lucky.
“It had too much steam on it. Luckily it hit the hole or it would have rolled eight feet past,” he said.
He needed only 25 putts – and hit eight out of 14 fairways.
Woods finished the opening round four shots behind leader Henrik Stenson, who shot a stunning 64. Rory Mcilroy double-bogeyed the last to finish on three under, level with Justin Rose.