Tiger Woods showed a little of the form we are used to seeing from the World No. 1 when he birdied his closing three holes on the final day of the 25th Dubai Desert Classic.
Woods was struggling to be two over par for his round before he great finish in a round of 71 for a six under par total.
Tiger Woods birdies closing three holes but overall it was a no frills four rounds in Dubai. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Overall it was a no frills performance from the World No. 1 who, while spending a lot of the off-season working on strengthening his back, has not spent near enough time working on his game.
“I just turned it around too late,” he said.
“I drove it great today, piped it all day. My iron game was not as sharp as I would have liked but then I also had seven lip outs today, so that’s quite a few lip outs.
“After making that quick easy fix on my grip the other day and from then on I drove it great.
“But it’s been hard chipping of this rye grass as I have been so used chipping out of Bermuda and that needs a little different technique.”
Woods has now played seven rounds in his 18th full season in the professional ranks but only once has he broken 70 and that was a round of 68 on the opening day in Dubai.
He arrived in the UAE posting a 79 to miss the third round cut in defence of his Farmers Insurance Open title.
Also in those seven rounds Woods is just two under par for par fives having played the par fives at Torrey Pines in four-over par and four par fives over the four days on the Emirates course at six-under.
“The long game was certainly frustrating this week,” he admitted.
“This weekend, nice to be able to start piping it out there again and getting it out there with the big boys, when I didn’t have my grip right.
“I throttled back a little bit, trying to get the ball in play, and just don’t hit it as far. I’m able to now start letting it go, a couple of carries out there were in the 310, 315 yard range and I hit it over the top of them.
“So that’s back to where I should be.”
Overall it was a no frills four round performance from the World No. 1 who, while spending a lot of the off-season working on strengthening his back, seems to have not spent near enough time working on his game.
It is understood since his last event in mid-December Woods had just three sessions with coach, Sean Foley.
While Woods or his manager Mark Steinberg would not confirm it, Woods is expected not to contest the February 19th starting $9m WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship.
If so, his next full tournament will be the following week’s PGA Tour Honda Classic in Florida.
Woods intends remaining to watch TV coverage of Super Bowl XLVIII commencing 3.30am Monday local UAE time.
Woods will then head to India for a first time in his career where he will compete Tuesday in an exclusive 18-hole corporate outing at the Delhi Golf Club.
