TIGER’S IN THE SWING
Woods back on track with the fastest club speed on the PGA tour... 129MPH
TIGER WOODS has admitted his surprise at the speed of his recovery after recording the quickest swing on the PGA Tour this season.
The American superstar tees up today as the hot favourite at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – his final event before his return to the Masters.
The 14-time Major winner, who started the year ranked No.656 in the world, finished tied for second at the Valspar Championship in Florida on Sunday in only his fourth PGA Tour event of the year.
And in the third round at Palm Harbor, the 42-year-old produced a clubhead speed of 129.2mph – the fastest on the PGA Tour this season – even though he has had four operations on his back.
Asked to explain how, the world No.149 smiled: “Dude, if I knew I’d tell you. It just happened. I went through years when I just couldn’t get speed. Now all of a sudden it’s just happening.
“My inner circle think that I was living in so much pain and I was protecting it, playing around it. It was like in slo-mo but to me it felt hard. Now it doesn’t feel like I am swinging very hard but it is producing some incredible speeds.”
The former world No.1, who now uses a longer shaft on his driver, currently ranks second on the PGA Tour with a 122.4mph average club-head speed – just ahead of Rory McIlroy. In his last full season in 2013, he was ranked 28th with an average of 118.3mph.
The American has won eight times at Bay Hill, including in his last appearance in 2013. “Just because I have won here eight times doesn’t mean I am going to win here automatically,” he said.
And the fourtimes Augusta winner said he was already looking forward to his next appearance at the Masters, which starts on April 5. “Very eager, very,” he said. “I feel like I am physically able to do it again. I love playing Augusta National. I know how to play it. “
Though Woods has won the Green Jacket four times, his last victory at Augusta was in 2005.
“There is no other golf course like it in the world and no tournament like it. It is literally a player’s heaven,” he said.
While Woods is looking for his first win since August 2013, McIlroy (left) is searching for form before his latest bid to complete his career Grand Slam at the Masters. The four-time Major winner has also failed to record a top-10 finish in his last eight USA events.
McIlroy, who asked his coach Michael Bannon to stay in Florida with him this week, admited his timing is out just three weeks before Augusta.
“There’s a bit of technical stuff in there that I need to address,” he said. “I think if I fix the technical thing, the timing will come back with it.”