USA TODAY International Edition
Casey wins, Woods solid in tie for 2nd
PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Tiger Woods looked whole again.
Paul Casey was a winner again. Woods, in his best performance in five years, made a 43-foot putt for birdie on the 71st hole Sunday in the final round of the Valspar Championship but came up one shot shy of forcing a playoff when his birdie putt from 39 feet on the 72nd hole was two feet short.
That gave Casey, who has 13 titles on the European Tour, his second PGA Tour victory and first since the 2009 Shell Houston Open. Casey’s chances looked doomed after a miserable finish to his third round dropped him five shots behind with 18 holes to play. But a sparkling 6-under-par 65 on the Copperhead Course in the final round moved Carey to 10 under, one clear of Woods and Patrick Reed.
Woods closed with a 70 and tied for second with Reed, who shot 68 but made bogey on the last hole.
“It’s been tough,” Casey said. “Especially with the guy, whose won more tournaments than all of us put together, playing in front of you. He made it look so easy for so long but it’s not. To get my second PGA Tour title in so long, it’s emotional.”
Woods, seeking his first Tour title in five years and with massive galleries following his every step, grabbed a share of the lead early in the final round but an uncooperating putter proved to be his downfall.
Still, Woods, repeatedly written off by critics after one dismal comeback after another, and bedridden with constant pain just a year ago, showed his latest return is different as he is healthy of body, mind and spirit.
“I’ve gotten a little bit better and a little sharper each tournament,” said Woods, who will play next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, which he has won a record eight times. “I had a good shot at winning this tournament. If a couple putts had fallen, it might have been a different story.”
Five years removed from his last title in the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, 11 months after his spine was fused, 10 months after his DUI put his mugshot on the front pages of sports sections the world over, and just five months since doctors gave him the go-ahead for full golf activities without restrictions, Woods looked to be the Woods of old.
In just his fourth start on the PGA Tour in his latest comeback and currently on his fifth major swing change, Woods broke par in all four rounds for the first time since 2013. It was a remarkable week considering Woods said two years ago he couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. He said during last year’s Presidents Cup that he had no idea what his future held.
But it wasn’t a shocking week to the trained eye.
Unlike previous attempts to resurrect his career – his comeback at the end of 2016 and into 2017 lasted just seven rounds – this is a different Woods. Slowly and then more rapidly, Woods began piecing together his game.
His swing speed was not an issue from almost the get-go, his power coming along for the ride. But he talked of his need to get competitive rounds under his belt, each one providing the rhythm of playing at the professional level he so craved. With each round – and subsequent practice sessions – Woods started to gain more control of the golf ball. All the while, his chipping and putting, he said, were not a hindrance.
Shortly into his comeback, Woods reached a point where he started saying he just had to clean up his game and stay away from stupid mistakes to become a contender again. That time has arrived.
“I’ve been watching him swing and he’s really got it in good positions,” Ernie Els said. “He’s putting well, his short game looks really sharp and he’s got energy. He’s got the right energy. This time he’s physically fine and he’s actually swinging the club as good as I’ve seen him back in the day.”
Els spent 17 consecutive years ranked in the top 10 going toe-to-toe with Woods, who he has known for a quarter of a century. During the worst of times, Els had doubts Woods would ever return.
“I’m seeing the normal Tiger. The Tiger that was not quite the same guy was because of the injuries,” Els said. “Who knows how bad it was? And he just went through a tough time there and he’s now back.
“He’s swinging hard, he’s swinging with confidence. And with that, knowing that his back is going to be fine, you have a future now. You can plan things and look to them with excitement instead of going week to week wondering if something is going to break. He has that energy believing that his body is back and he has the talent and he’s done the work.”