31-Jan-2012
THE NEWS
Abu Dhabi challenge
ABU DHABI: Tiger Woods was heading home to Florida late Sunday with a mixed report card from his first foray into the 2012 golf season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
A share of third place in a tournament that boasted the top four players in the world and six out of the top 10 was, on the face of it, an encouraging performance. But eyebrows were still raised by his inability to finish the job off when he was tied for a share of the lead going into the final round with 34-year-old Robert Rock, an Englishman ranked 117th in the world, whose sole tournament win in nine years came at last year’s Italian Open.
Woods, bidding to rebound after a year mired in injuries and personal scandal involving his married life, was upbeat.
“I’m pleased at the progress I’ve made so far,” he said of his work with new coach Sean Foley who has been helping him re-fashion his swing to accomodate the leg injuries that sidelined him for most of last year. “Basically since Australia (in November), my stroke-play events have been pretty good.
“So I just need to keep building and today was a day when I putted beautifully. Just didn’t give myself enough looks.” The 36-year-old American has been characteristically circumspect during his season-opening week in the Gulf, with his private life strictly out of bounds and his targets for the year left deliberately vague. But he has looked healthy and determined to continue his march back up the golfing ladder. |
