Mixed day for Tiger Woods, as Scottie Scheffler builds three-shot Hero World Challenge lead
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Tiger Woods said he had been surprised and pleased at how his body has held up.
PHOTO: AFP
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MIAMI – A “pleasantly surprised” Tiger Woods continued his comeback at the Hero World Challenge on Dec 2 with a one-under 71, as world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler fired two eagles in his 65 to build a three-shot lead.
Woods, playing his first tournament since ankle surgery in April
The 15-time Major winner said he had been surprised and pleased at how his body has held up, which was more of a concern than the state of his swing. “I still have the game,” he added. “It’s whether the body can do it.”
Woods, who turns 48 on Dec 30, had ankle surgery in April on the same leg that was severely injured in a 2021 car crash. While his leg pain is gone, he said he still contends with chronic back pain.
In the third round, he started 10 off the pace and got off to an inauspicious start with bogeys at the first and second.
He clawed back with birdies at the third, sixth, eighth and ninth before two bogeys and a birdie coming in. That included a seven-foot par putt miss at the 18th.
“It could have been a little better than the score indicates,” Woods, who hit just eight of 18 greens, his worst of the week, added. “I could have shot something in the high 60s. It was cleaner than it was yesterday.”
Most importantly, he said he was “very excited” at how he has responded physically to the pace of competition.
“To be able to knock off some of the rust as I have this week, showed myself that I can recover each and every day,” he said. “I’m very excited how the week’s turned out.”
He could next play at the Genesis Invitational in February before another event in March to prepare for the Masters in April.
Scheffler started the day tied for the lead with Jordan Spieth and seized control with a 15-foot eagle at the third.
He added four birdies before he rolled in a 14-foot eagle at No. 15 to push his lead to four strokes over England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who also signed for a 65.
A closing bogey cut that by one, giving him a 16-under 200 score. “I played really well today, really solid the whole day,” said Scheffler, the 2022 Masters champion who has finished runner-up in this event the past two years.
“(It’s) nice to see some putts go in. These greens can be tough at times, but I’m rolling it good.”
Justin Thomas (68) was alone in third on 205, while Spieth had four birdies and three bogeys in his 71 for 206. AFP, REUTERS
