TIGER PUTTS IN BEST FINISH SINCE OP
TIGER WOODS continued his comeback with his best finish in a full-field PGA Tour event in more than two years at the Farmers Insurance Open.
The former world No.1 has only completed four competitive rounds in the invitational Hero World Challenge – an event with no cut – while recovering from back surgery last April.
But the 14-time Major winner carded four birdies and four bogeys in a closing 72 yesterday for a three-under-par total at Torrey Pines. That left him inside the top 30 – his best finish since tying for 10th at the Wyndham Championship in August 2015.
Woods said: “I played a lot better today. It was tough conditions out there, it was tough scoring.
“I wanted to shoot around 65, I thought that might be a play-off number. I was trying to post early and see what might happen.”
From the 14th hole Woods went birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie to improve to four under overall at the turn. After missing a 10-foot birdie chance at the first he lashed a 350-yard drive to within 40 yards of the cup, before flipping a delicate wedge shot to six feet, guiding the putt home for another birdie.
Asked to grade his week’s work Woods – who hit fewer than a third of fairways – added: “Very pleased, after not playing for a couple of years.
“I fought hard for these scores, they weren’t drive down the middle, hit it on the green and two-putt. This was a lot of putting.”