Tiger Not Shining Brightly After First Round at Torrey Pines

IT IS impossible to keep Tiger Woods out of the limelight. Ahead of his return to action in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, it was revealed that he had signed a multi-year contract with TaylorMade.

It is quite a leap of faith by TaylorMade, especially when you consider that Woods himself doesn't know how his body is going to stand up to the rigours of tournament play. Torrey Pines is the first of four tournaments he is scheduled to play in five weeks.

“I'm excited about playing," Woods said before the first round. "I feel like I'm playing well and just need to get some tournament rounds under my belt.”

He wasn't quite as upbeat after an opening round of 76 that left him with a mountain to climb to make the cut. Playing the more demanding of the two courses being used at Torrey Pines, the South, Woods was one over par at the turn and things looked up when he birdied 10 and 11.

But it didn't last and he bogeyed the next three holes, followed it up with a double bogey at 15 and then let another shot go at the 17th. He did at least finish with a birdie on the 18th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3wE3wZkhSU

From Torrey Pines he will fly to Dubai to play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic (Feb. 2-5), then he takes a week off before playing in the Genesis Open (Feb. 16-19) and the Honda Classic (Feb. 23-26). It is the start of what he hopes will be a full, untroubled schedule and he knows that the eyes of the world will be upon him. He knows, too, that a successful return will be a huge boost to professional golf around the world. Yes, we have managed without him, but it just hasn't been the same.

Woods admits that he has some concerns about how he will cope, especially with the overseas travel, but he also knows that the only way he is going to find out what his body is capable of is by giving it a go. And Woods has never been one to do anything without giving it 100% commitment.

“I just need to get out there and do it and see what happens," he said. "I feel like I'm strong enough to be able to handle the workload, but I still got to go out there and do it. Feeling good about it and doing it are two different things.”

Woods last played at his own event, the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in early December. It was his first start since he missed more than a year recovering from two back surgeries. He led the field in birdies, which was extremely encouraging, but he also made more bogeys than anybody else, which was less so, and finished 15th out of 17.

Woods said he has been playing up to five times a week since then and has been making plenty of low scores. He also tried out lots of different clubs made by lots of different manufacturers, before finally deciding on TaylorMade.

He admitted that looking after his troublesome back will be his main concern, but he knows that if it goes again then it will surely signal the end of his playing career. “I know I can shoot scores, but I need to have my health at a state where I can prepare," he said. "If I have that I know I can shoot scores and win golf tournaments.”

As we all know, unless Woods believes he can win tournaments then he has no interest in playing. Watch this space.