After an opening-day Europe fightback erased an early US lead, American golf stars must show their own resiliency if they are to keep the Ryder Cup.

Europe fell behind but swept four foursomes matches to carry a 5-3 edge into Saturday's second day of the biennial team golf showdown at Le Golf National, where the US squad is trying to snap a 25-year European win drought.

"Our team came out and did what they do best, be resilient, and that's awesome," said England's Ian Poulter, the European talisman who sparked an epic last-day comeback win in 2012 at Medinah.

Saturday's four foursomes and fourballs matches are followed by 12 concluding singles matches Sunday, with the Americans, who won the trophy in 2014 at Hazeltine, needing 14 points to retain and Europe needing 14 1/2 points to win for the ninth time in 12 attempts.

"If we can make up some ground our team can certainly pull it off in singles," three-time major champion Jordan Spieth said. "We're two evenly matched teams and here on their soil with the fans they have an extra gear."

The Americans were solid oddsmakers favourites with 11 of the world's 17 top-ranked players in the lineup and the odd man out being five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, ranked 25th at age 48.

"We've just got to regroup and come out sharp," Mickelson said. "There's a lot of golf left, a lot of matches and we've just got to come out and bring our best stuff.

"We know these matches are going to be close. We know it's going to be a fight 'til the end, and we've got a lot of points left."

With 14-time major winner Tiger Woods leading the way, the US squad boasts nine major champions with a combined 31 major titles compared to five major winners and eight major titles for Europe, four-time major champion Rory McIlroy setting the pace.

But what matters now is shotmaking over a difficult French layout half of the US team hadn't seen until this week.

"We have to shore things up," US captain Jim Furyk said. "I think our guys will respond, I really do. I have a lot of confidence in this team. It's going to leave a sour taste in their mouth. We didn't play our best golf."

Americans add to own pressure

Furyk admitted seeing European domination on the scoreboard can make matters worse for players struggling to halt a European wave.

"You start seeing those putts go in. You start seeing the birdies. You start seeing the blue numbers on the board. I think the guys press a little hard," Furyk said.

"I think they try a little bit too hard and I think they put a little bit too much pressure on themselves."

Rickie Fowler, who was paired with top-ranked Dustin Johnson in a foursomes loss to Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose, said the spirited fightback was no shocker.

"We knew it was going to be tough. I don't think we looked at it as we were going to get up to some sort of crazy lead," he said. "Each session is a whole new battle. We knew it was going to be a grind."

And they don't want to need too many singles wins on Sunday to tighten their grip on the Cup, mindful of the Miracle of Medinah that went against them with a 10-6 edge.

"Those singles matches can go quick," said two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. "We're going to keep doing what we're doing. We just didn't make the putts we've got to make."

After an opening-day Europe fightback erased an early US lead, American golf stars must show their own resiliency if they are to keep the Ryder Cup. Europe fell behind but swept four foursomes matches to carry a 5-3 edge into Saturday's second day of the biennial team golf showdown at Le Golf National, where the US squad is trying to snap a 25-year European win drought.

After an opening-day Europe fightback erased an early US lead, American golf stars must show their own resiliency if they are to keep the Ryder Cup. Europe fell behind but swept four foursomes matches to carry a 5-3 edge into Saturday's second day of the biennial team golf showdown at Le Golf National, where the US squad is trying to snap a 25-year European win drought. "Our team came out and did what they do best, be resilient, and that's awesome," said England's Ian Poulter, the European talisman who sparked an epic last-day comeback win in 2012 at Medinah. Saturday's four foursomes and fourballs matches are followed by 12 concluding singles matches Sunday, with the Americans, who won the trophy in 2014 at Hazeltine, needing 14 points to retain and Europe needing 14 1/2 points to win for the ninth time in 12 attempts. "If we can make up some ground our team can certainly pull it off in singles," three-time major champion Jordan Spieth said. "We're two evenly matched teams and here on their soil with the fans they have an extra gear." The Americans were solid oddsmakers favourites with 11 of the world's 17 top-ranked players in the lineup and the odd man out being five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, ranked 25th at age 48. "We've just got to regroup and come out sharp," Mickelson said. "There's a lot of golf left, a lot of matches and we've just got to come out and bring our best stuff. "We know these matches are going to be close. We know it's going to be a fight 'til the end, and we've got a lot of points left." With 14-time major winner Tiger Woods leading the way, the US squad boasts nine major champions with a combined 31 major titles compared to five major winners and eight major titles for Europe, four-time major champion Rory McIlroy setting the pace. But what matters now is shotmaking over a difficult French layout half of the US team hadn't seen until this week. "We have to shore things up," US captain Jim Furyk said. "I think our guys will respond, I really do. I have a lot of confidence in this team. It's going to leave a sour taste in their mouth. We didn't play our best golf." Americans add to own pressure Furyk admitted seeing European domination on the scoreboard can make matters worse for players struggling to halt a European wave. "You start seeing those putts go in. You start seeing the birdies. You start seeing the blue numbers on the board. I think the guys press a little hard," Furyk said. "I think they try a little bit too hard and I think they put a little bit too much pressure on themselves." Rickie Fowler, who was paired with top-ranked Dustin Johnson in a foursomes loss to Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose, said the spirited fightback was no shocker. "We knew it was going to be tough. I don't think we looked at it as we were going to get up to some sort of crazy lead," he said. "Each session is a whole new battle. We knew it was going to be a grind." And they don't want to need too many singles wins on Sunday to tighten their grip on the Cup, mindful of the Miracle of Medinah that went against them with a 10-6 edge. "Those singles matches can go quick," said two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. "We're going to keep doing what we're doing. We just didn't make the putts we've got to make."

USA must match European resiliency to keep Ryder Cup

Tiger Woods teed off in an electric atmosphere at his first Ryder Cup since 2012 on Friday as defending champions United States launched their quest for a first win on European soil in 25 years.

Woods, a 14-time major winner, snapped a five-year win drought only five days ago to cap a sensational comeback season after spinal fusion sugery and was set to attract huge crowds in a feature morning four-ball match alongside Masters champion Patrick Reed&nbsp;against British Open champion Francesco Molinari of Italy and&nbsp;English rookie Tommy Fleetwood.

More than 7,000 spectators&nbsp;at Le Golf National jammed into the largest first-tee grandstand in Ryder Cup history, cheering and screaming to produce a roar unique to the emotional atmosphere of the biennial team golf showdown.

"It's unbelievable," US captain Jim Furyk said. "Any Ryder Cup is magical but there are 6,000 people back here. It's incredible."

Four-morning four-ball matches were set to be followed by four-afternoon foursomes matches on Friday and Saturday with 12 concluding singles matches Sunday.

"This is going to be pretty mega," said European talisman Ian Poulter, the Englishman whipping up loud cheers from the crowd even though he was benched for the opening session.

The Americans need 14 points to retain the trophy while Europe need 14 1/2 points to win for the ninth time in 12 attempts.

England's Justin Rose birdied the opening hole to give himself and Spain's Jon Rahm, another Ryder Cup newcomer, a 1-up edge on US rookie Tony Finau and reigning PGA Championship and US Open champion Brooks Koepka.

Rory McIlroy teamed with&nbsp;Danish rookie Thorbjorn Olesen against world number one Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler for the Americans, while Europe's Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton faced Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

Reed grinned as the crowd booed his name while Woods remained stoic. Reed swung his club to elicit "Ole" cheers from spectators then blasted his tee shot down the heart of the fairway. Woods followed by finding the left-centre of the fairway.

Woods has been on only one triumphant team in seven prior Ryder Cup appearances, that in 1999 when the Americans made the best last-day fightback to win in their history, and has eight losses in 13 matches in both foursomes and four-ball formats compared with four wins and only one defeat in singles.

Not since 1993 at The Belfry in England has an American squad tasted victory in Europe.

This marks only the second Ryder Cup in continental Europe after 1997 in Spain.

Tiger Woods teed off in an electric atmosphere at his first Ryder Cup since 2012 on Friday as defending champions United States launched their quest for a first win on European soil in 25 years.

Tiger Woods teed off in an electric atmosphere at his first Ryder Cup since 2012 on Friday as defending champions United States launched their quest for a first win on European soil in 25 years. Woods, a 14-time major winner, snapped a five-year win drought only five days ago to cap a sensational comeback season after spinal fusion sugery and was set to attract huge crowds in a feature morning four-ball match alongside Masters champion Patrick Reed against British Open champion Francesco Molinari of Italy and English rookie Tommy Fleetwood. More than 7,000 spectators at Le Golf National jammed into the largest first-tee grandstand in Ryder Cup history, cheering and screaming to produce a roar unique to the emotional atmosphere of the biennial team golf showdown. "It's unbelievable," US captain Jim Furyk said. "Any Ryder Cup is magical but there are 6,000 people back here. It's incredible." Four-morning four-ball matches were set to be followed by four-afternoon foursomes matches on Friday and Saturday with 12 concluding singles matches Sunday. "This is going to be pretty mega," said European talisman Ian Poulter, the Englishman whipping up loud cheers from the crowd even though he was benched for the opening session. The Americans need 14 points to retain the trophy while Europe need 14 1/2 points to win for the ninth time in 12 attempts. England's Justin Rose birdied the opening hole to give himself and Spain's Jon Rahm, another Ryder Cup newcomer, a 1-up edge on US rookie Tony Finau and reigning PGA Championship and US Open champion Brooks Koepka. Rory McIlroy teamed with Danish rookie Thorbjorn Olesen against world number one Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler for the Americans, while Europe's Paul Casey and Tyrrell Hatton faced Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. Reed grinned as the crowd booed his name while Woods remained stoic. Reed swung his club to elicit "Ole" cheers from spectators then blasted his tee shot down the heart of the fairway. Woods followed by finding the left-centre of the fairway. Woods has been on only one triumphant team in seven prior Ryder Cup appearances, that in 1999 when the Americans made the best last-day fightback to win in their history, and has eight losses in 13 matches in both foursomes and four-ball formats compared with four wins and only one defeat in singles. Not since 1993 at The Belfry in England has an American squad tasted victory in Europe. This marks only the second Ryder Cup in continental Europe after 1997 in Spain.

Tiger tees off as Americans chase rare European win in Ryder Cup

Two years after delivering coffees to Europe's players at Hazeltine, Danish rookie Thorbjorn Olesen has earned himself what he hopes will be a more pivotal Ryder Cup role this time.

The 28-year-old grabbed a place on compatriot and close friend Thomas Bjorn's 12-man team after an impressive season on the European Tour -- grabbing the last qualification spot less than a month ago at the Made in Denmark event in Silkborg.

As with Europe's four other debutants, the enormity of a Ryder Cup match will hit home on Friday morning at Le Golf National just south of Paris.

But Olesen says his stint driving then vice-captain Bjorn's buggy around Hazeltine in 2016 will hold him in good stead for what he can expect inside the ropes.

"Well, first of all, it's the toughest job I've ever had, for sure. Driving Thomas's buggy was difficult. He was very demanding, so I was running around," Olesen told reporters on Thursday.

"I definitely had to go into the clubhouse to get coffees a few times, more than a few times. And it was really, really difficult to get from the course into the clubhouse, especially in a European cart."

Olesen is happy to swap the steering wheel for his clubs this time round, but says the close-up view he got at Hazeltine, where Europe lost, was invaluable as he prepares for the biggest three days of his career.

"It was a great experience for me. Seeing behind the scenes, seeing what the captains do, vice-captains, realise how tough of a job they actually have to pick the teams," he said.

"Standing on the first tee, seeing all that, I think is a good experience, and I think it can only help me this week."

Olesen is a close friend of Bjorn's, describing him as a mentor as he made his way through the ranks.

They both live in London and occasionally watch football together so he said it was a relief that he gained one of the eight automatic qualification places, sparing Bjorn a potentially difficult decision when naming his wildcards.

"100 per cent. It meant the world that I could qualify straight in, and it would have been a really tough decision for Thomas if it wasn't because there was so many great players being outside," he said.

"I wouldn't know if I wouldn't have qualified if I would have got the pick or not."

Olesen said there were nerves during his first practice round on Tuesday but looked relaxed on Thursday.

"I think it's going to be very, very different standing there on the first tee tomorrow, I'm sure. I'm definitely going to be very nervous, no doubt about it," he said.

"I will try to just embrace the moment and do my best. I enjoy being nervous, so I think that's a great feeling to have, so I'm looking forward whenever I'm standing on that first tee."

Two years after delivering coffees to Europe's players at Hazeltine, Danish rookie Thorbjorn Olesen has earned himself what he hopes will be a more pivotal Ryder Cup role this time.

Two years after delivering coffees to Europe's players at Hazeltine, Danish rookie Thorbjorn Olesen has earned himself what he hopes will be a more pivotal Ryder Cup role this time. The 28-year-old grabbed a place on compatriot and close friend Thomas Bjorn's 12-man team after an impressive season on the European Tour -- grabbing the last qualification spot less than a month ago at the Made in Denmark event in Silkborg. As with Europe's four other debutants, the enormity of a Ryder Cup match will hit home on Friday morning at Le Golf National just south of Paris. But Olesen says his stint driving then vice-captain Bjorn's buggy around Hazeltine in 2016 will hold him in good stead for what he can expect inside the ropes. "Well, first of all, it's the toughest job I've ever had, for sure. Driving Thomas's buggy was difficult. He was very demanding, so I was running around," Olesen told reporters on Thursday. "I definitely had to go into the clubhouse to get coffees a few times, more than a few times. And it was really, really difficult to get from the course into the clubhouse, especially in a European cart." Olesen is happy to swap the steering wheel for his clubs this time round, but says the close-up view he got at Hazeltine, where Europe lost, was invaluable as he prepares for the biggest three days of his career. "It was a great experience for me. Seeing behind the scenes, seeing what the captains do, vice-captains, realise how tough of a job they actually have to pick the teams," he said. "Standing on the first tee, seeing all that, I think is a good experience, and I think it can only help me this week." Olesen is a close friend of Bjorn's, describing him as a mentor as he made his way through the ranks. They both live in London and occasionally watch football together so he said it was a relief that he gained one of the eight automatic qualification places, sparing Bjorn a potentially difficult decision when naming his wildcards. "100 per cent. It meant the world that I could qualify straight in, and it would have been a really tough decision for Thomas if it wasn't because there was so many great players being outside," he said. "I wouldn't know if I wouldn't have qualified if I would have got the pick or not." Olesen said there were nerves during his first practice round on Tuesday but looked relaxed on Thursday. "I think it's going to be very, very different standing there on the first tee tomorrow, I'm sure. I'm definitely going to be very nervous, no doubt about it," he said. "I will try to just embrace the moment and do my best. I enjoy being nervous, so I think that's a great feeling to have, so I'm looking forward whenever I'm standing on that first tee."

Golf: Rookie Thorbjorn Olesen happy to give up the coffee run

"Tigermania" is back after crowds mobbed Tiger Woods like a rock star to see him snap a five-year win drought, and it's about to hit France in a major way at the 42nd Ryder Cup.

Like the Beatles in America in 1964 or Michael Jordan and the US basketball team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Woods will be the star attraction this week at Le Golf National.

The 14-time major champion, back on top form after spinal fusion surgery, leads holders the United States&nbsp;against Europe starting Friday, the Americans seeking their first victory on European soil in 25 years.

"The comeback is for real and it's nice for him to prove that to the world," Britain's second-ranked Justin Rose said. "The weekend is a pretty good introduction into the Ryder Cup for sure."

Woods won the Tour Championship on Sunday at East Lake for his 80th career US PGA Tour title, two shy of Sam Snead's all-time record, and his first victory in 1,876 days, an emotional triumph highlighted by a spectator stampede surrounding a police-protected Woods in a rush to see him on the 18th green.

Fans chanted "Ti-ger, Ti-ger" and "U-S-A, U-S-A" and Woods fought back tears before making the final putt to become a champion once again after once fearing he might never play again.

"I was having a hard time not crying on the last hole," Woods said, his voice choking at times. "I just can't believe I pulled this off.

"It hasn't been so easy the last couple of years. It's hard to believe I was able to do it again."

Nagging back injuries led to four operations since 2014, including a "last chance" spinal fusion that has helped him to regain the form of glory days at age 42.

"It's certainly up there with obviously all the major championships I've won," Woods said. "I just didn't know whether this would ever happen again. It means a lot. It really does.

"Eighty is a big number. I've been sitting on 79 for about five years now, and to get 80 is a pretty damned good feeling."

"Sam is still ahead of me. Maybe I'll keep chipping away at that number and maybe surpass it. But what I've gone through and what I've dealt with, I've gotten lucky."

Rose jokes: 'About time'

Rose watched with amazement at the endearing response Woods drew from US fans, then joked with him as he walked off the last green.

"Jokingly, I said to him, 'About time,'" Rose said. "I think that it's been a matter of time and we've all been waiting for him to win and we've all been wanting him to win. And I think it's great for the sport.

"He truly moves the needle like no one else out here, and he wins in style. He wins with charisma. He's brilliant to watch."

World number 21 Paul Casey, Rose's European Ryder Cup teammate, is excited about the Woods victory and what it means for Ryder Cup week.

"I'm pumped for next week," Casey said. "It's like next week already. It was like warm-ups. This is quite important. So this is massive. And this is a brilliant victory."

It was obvious when Woods found himself surrounded by well-wishers taking photos of him with their cell phones, what he dubbed a "fevered pitch."

"I could hear it. I just didn't really see much," Woods said. "I was kind of looking forward and I figured that security would hold them back."

"Tigermania" is back after crowds mobbed Tiger Woods like a rock star to see him snap a five-year win drought, and it's about to hit France in a major way at the 42nd Ryder Cup.

"Tigermania" is back after crowds mobbed Tiger Woods like a rock star to see him snap a five-year win drought, and it's about to hit France in a major way at the 42nd Ryder Cup. Like the Beatles in America in 1964 or Michael Jordan and the US basketball team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Woods will be the star attraction this week at Le Golf National. The 14-time major champion, back on top form after spinal fusion surgery, leads holders the United States against Europe starting Friday, the Americans seeking their first victory on European soil in 25 years. "The comeback is for real and it's nice for him to prove that to the world," Britain's second-ranked Justin Rose said. "The weekend is a pretty good introduction into the Ryder Cup for sure." Woods won the Tour Championship on Sunday at East Lake for his 80th career US PGA Tour title, two shy of Sam Snead's all-time record, and his first victory in 1,876 days, an emotional triumph highlighted by a spectator stampede surrounding a police-protected Woods in a rush to see him on the 18th green. Fans chanted "Ti-ger, Ti-ger" and "U-S-A, U-S-A" and Woods fought back tears before making the final putt to become a champion once again after once fearing he might never play again. "I was having a hard time not crying on the last hole," Woods said, his voice choking at times. "I just can't believe I pulled this off. "It hasn't been so easy the last couple of years. It's hard to believe I was able to do it again." Nagging back injuries led to four operations since 2014, including a "last chance" spinal fusion that has helped him to regain the form of glory days at age 42. "It's certainly up there with obviously all the major championships I've won," Woods said. "I just didn't know whether this would ever happen again. It means a lot. It really does. "Eighty is a big number. I've been sitting on 79 for about five years now, and to get 80 is a pretty damned good feeling." "Sam is still ahead of me. Maybe I'll keep chipping away at that number and maybe surpass it. But what I've gone through and what I've dealt with, I've gotten lucky." Rose jokes: 'About time' Rose watched with amazement at the endearing response Woods drew from US fans, then joked with him as he walked off the last green. "Jokingly, I said to him, 'About time,'" Rose said. "I think that it's been a matter of time and we've all been waiting for him to win and we've all been wanting him to win. And I think it's great for the sport. "He truly moves the needle like no one else out here, and he wins in style. He wins with charisma. He's brilliant to watch." World number 21 Paul Casey, Rose's European Ryder Cup teammate, is excited about the Woods victory and what it means for Ryder Cup week. "I'm pumped for next week," Casey said. "It's like next week already. It was like warm-ups. This is quite important. So this is massive. And this is a brilliant victory." It was obvious when Woods found himself surrounded by well-wishers taking photos of him with their cell phones, what he dubbed a "fevered pitch." "I could hear it. I just didn't really see much," Woods said. "I was kind of looking forward and I figured that security would hold them back."

'Tigermania' roars into France as Ryder Cup showdown looms

Rory McIlroy has come a long way from dismissing the Ryder Cup as "an exhibition event" of little importance to becoming fully established as one of the European team leaders who cannot wait to soak up the experience for a fifth time.

McIlroy was a 20-year-old when he derided the biennial event as something not among his goals, but the four-time major winner soon started to understand its special place in the calendar the following year on his debut at Celtic Manor.

"Going into my first Ryder Cup, I didn't know what all the fuss was about. I still thought it was this team event that really doesn`t matter in the big scheme of things," the 29-year-old told a news conference at Le Golf National on Wednesday.

"I was more concerned about individual titles and all that. Once I got on to that first tee on Friday morning, I thought, 'oh, this is a little different than I expected'.

"It doesn't seem that it's been that long and now this is going to be my fifth Ryder Cup," added the Northern Irishman, who last week said that winning majors had provided his proudest moments but Ryder Cups had been his best-golfing experiences.

"But they have all been wonderful experiences for different reasons, and I'm sure this time will be no different.

"I've been excited for this for basically since the last day in Hazeltine, whenever we weren't the ones spraying champagne for a change," the world number six said.

WASTED ENERGY

That contest two years ago featured one of the all-time great singles matches as McIlory took on this year's U.S. Masters champion Patrick Reed in a high-octane, high-volume Sunday showdown.

Sent out first by their captains, the talismen traded shots and celebrations through a terrific match in front of baying galleries, before Reed eventually triumphed on the final hole.

Both have since spoken about how much they enjoyed that battle but McIlroy said on Wednesday that having looked back on how high he was on adrenalin, he had learned an important lesson.

"I could play it for nine holes, and then it suddenly hit me," he said. "The level sort of declined after that and reached its crescendo on the eighth green, and the last 10 holes weren't quite as good. I hit a wall on that back nine and it cost me.

"I look back as those videos, it wasn't just Sunday. It was Friday and Saturday. I'm surprised I had a voice left at the end of the week. It looked tiring to have to play golf like that for three days.&nbsp;

"I learnt a lot from that and learnt that it`s good to get excited and to have that, but at the same time, if I need to play a late match on Sunday or whatever it is, I want to have all my energy in reserve so I can give everything for 18 holes."

Rory McIlroy has come a long way from dismissing the Ryder Cup as "an exhibition event" of little importance to becoming fully established as one of the European team leaders who cannot wait to soak up the experience for a fifth time.

Rory McIlroy has come a long way from dismissing the Ryder Cup as "an exhibition event" of little importance to becoming fully established as one of the European team leaders who cannot wait to soak up the experience for a fifth time. McIlroy was a 20-year-old when he derided the biennial event as something not among his goals, but the four-time major winner soon started to understand its special place in the calendar the following year on his debut at Celtic Manor. "Going into my first Ryder Cup, I didn't know what all the fuss was about. I still thought it was this team event that really doesn`t matter in the big scheme of things," the 29-year-old told a news conference at Le Golf National on Wednesday. "I was more concerned about individual titles and all that. Once I got on to that first tee on Friday morning, I thought, 'oh, this is a little different than I expected'. "It doesn't seem that it's been that long and now this is going to be my fifth Ryder Cup," added the Northern Irishman, who last week said that winning majors had provided his proudest moments but Ryder Cups had been his best-golfing experiences. "But they have all been wonderful experiences for different reasons, and I'm sure this time will be no different. "I've been excited for this for basically since the last day in Hazeltine, whenever we weren't the ones spraying champagne for a change," the world number six said. WASTED ENERGY That contest two years ago featured one of the all-time great singles matches as McIlory took on this year's U.S. Masters champion Patrick Reed in a high-octane, high-volume Sunday showdown. Sent out first by their captains, the talismen traded shots and celebrations through a terrific match in front of baying galleries, before Reed eventually triumphed on the final hole. Both have since spoken about how much they enjoyed that battle but McIlroy said on Wednesday that having looked back on how high he was on adrenalin, he had learned an important lesson. "I could play it for nine holes, and then it suddenly hit me," he said. "The level sort of declined after that and reached its crescendo on the eighth green, and the last 10 holes weren't quite as good. I hit a wall on that back nine and it cost me. "I look back as those videos, it wasn't just Sunday. It was Friday and Saturday. I'm surprised I had a voice left at the end of the week. It looked tiring to have to play golf like that for three days. "I learnt a lot from that and learnt that it`s good to get excited and to have that, but at the same time, if I need to play a late match on Sunday or whatever it is, I want to have all my energy in reserve so I can give everything for 18 holes."

Golf: Ryder Cup convert Rory McIlroy ready for event he once dismissed

US golfer Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour Championship by two shots to<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tiger-woods-seals-first-win-five-years-tour-championship-167319"> claim his first victory in five years</a>. He said it is hard to believe that he has won the title.

"I was having a hard time not crying the last hole," revealed Woods after claiming an emotional and remarkable win.

"I was having a hard time not crying the last hole. I said, hey, you know what, I can still blade this thing out of bounds. Just suck it up and let's hit some shots. Here, and once I got the ball on the green, I gave Joey a high five because it was done. I could handle that from there," said Woods while speaking to NBC.

The 40-years-old led throughout the final round and finished at 11-under-par 269 at East Lake, where he carded a closing 71 for his 80th PGA Tour victory.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Congratulations to our boss on winning the Tour Championship today, marking it his 80th PGA Tour victory and a comeback for the ages. - TGR <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TW80?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TW80</a> <a href="https://t.co/A0ZR8WceRc">pic.twitter.com/A0ZR8WceRc</a>
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/1043992116416909312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Final scores <a href="https://twitter.com/playofffinale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PlayoffFinale</a>: 
 
1. <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a>, -11 
2. <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyHo_Golf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillyHo_Golf</a>, -9 
3. <a href="https://twitter.com/DJohnsonPGA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DJohnsonPGA</a>, -7 
4. Hideki Matsuyama, -6 
4. <a href="https://twitter.com/webbsimpson1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WebbSimpson1</a>, -6 
4. <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinRose99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinRose99</a>, -6 
7. <a href="https://twitter.com/RickieFowler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RickieFowler</a>, -5 
7. <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinThomas34?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinThomas34</a>, -5 
7. <a href="https://twitter.com/XSchauffele?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@XSchauffele</a>, -5 
7. <a href="https://twitter.com/McIlroyRory?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@McIlroyRory</a>, -5 
 
Leaderboard: <a href="https://t.co/vZk1d8dmgT">https://t.co/vZk1d8dmgT</a> <a href="https://t.co/gJQ0rffMVH">pic.twitter.com/gJQ0rffMVH</a>
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1044007036432855040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"I don't know, but it was just a grind out there. I loved every bit of it. The fight and the grind and the tough conditions and just have to suck it up and hit shots, and I loved every bit of it," said emotional Woods.

Woods, who entered the final round with three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, tapped in to move within two victories of Sam Snead's all-time record of 82 titles.

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80. 🏆 
 
Count 'em.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiveUnderPar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiveUnderPar</a> <a href="https://t.co/sg4gMoiHoS">pic.twitter.com/sg4gMoiHoS</a>
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1044021367568502785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Watch his post-match interview:

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Live with <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a>, the winner of the <a href="https://twitter.com/playofffinale?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PlayoffFinale</a>. 🏆🎤 <a href="https://t.co/tb2XcgxUwQ">https://t.co/tb2XcgxUwQ</a>
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1043995406512742400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He congratulated Rose on winning FedEx Cup, He said, "Congrats Rosie hell of a season World No. 1, Rosie's obviously the best player in the world he's been so consistent the year he had end of the season last year beginning of this year was phenomenal and he's continued to build on it.&nbsp;

"You don't get to be world number one overnight it takes a while and he's done that congratulations to Rosie and his entire family," he added.

US golfer Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour Championship by two shots to claim his first victory in five years. He said it is hard to believe that he has won the title.

US golfer Tiger Woods won the PGA Tour Championship by two shots to claim his first victory in five years. He said it is hard to believe that he has won the title. "I was having a hard time not crying the last hole," revealed Woods after claiming an emotional and remarkable win. "I was having a hard time not crying the last hole. I said, hey, you know what, I can still blade this thing out of bounds. Just suck it up and let's hit some shots. Here, and once I got the ball on the green, I gave Joey a high five because it was done. I could handle that from there," said Woods while speaking to NBC. The 40-years-old led throughout the final round and finished at 11-under-par 269 at East Lake, where he carded a closing 71 for his 80th PGA Tour victory. Congratulations to our boss on winning the Tour Championship today, marking it his 80th PGA Tour victory and a comeback for the ages. - TGR #TW80 pic.twitter.com/A0ZR8WceRc — Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) September 23, 2018 × Final scores @PlayoffFinale: 1. @TigerWoods, -11 2. @BillyHo_Golf, -9 3. @DJohnsonPGA, -7 4. Hideki Matsuyama, -6 4. @WebbSimpson1, -6 4. @JustinRose99, -6 7. @RickieFowler, -5 7. @JustinThomas34, -5 7. @XSchauffele, -5 7. @McIlroyRory, -5 Leaderboard: https://t.co/vZk1d8dmgT pic.twitter.com/gJQ0rffMVH — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 23, 2018 × "I don't know, but it was just a grind out there. I loved every bit of it. The fight and the grind and the tough conditions and just have to suck it up and hit shots, and I loved every bit of it," said emotional Woods. Woods, who entered the final round with three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, tapped in to move within two victories of Sam Snead's all-time record of 82 titles. 80. 🏆 Count 'em.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/sg4gMoiHoS — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2018 × Watch his post-match interview: Live with @TigerWoods, the winner of the @PlayoffFinale. 🏆🎤 https://t.co/tb2XcgxUwQ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 23, 2018 × He congratulated Rose on winning FedEx Cup, He said, "Congrats Rosie hell of a season World No. 1, Rosie's obviously the best player in the world he's been so consistent the year he had end of the season last year beginning of this year was phenomenal and he's continued to build on it. "You don't get to be world number one overnight it takes a while and he's done that congratulations to Rosie and his entire family," he added.

'Hard to believe': Tiger Woods reacts to PGA Tour Championship victory

Tiger Woods scored his first victory in more than five years on Sunday, completing a two-shot win at the Tour Championship to crown a fairy tale comeback after a near two-year absence.

The 42-year-old, 14-time major winner carded a one-over-par 71 at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Course to claim the 80th PGA Tour title of his glittering career.

Woods, who finished with an 11-under-par aggregate 269, raised his arms in delight after the victory, with several thousand fans ringing the green roaring their appreciation.

Woods admitted he had nearly been overcome with emotion as he walked up the 18th fairway.

"I was having a hard time not crying coming up the last hole," Woods said, whose most recent win before Sunday had come 1,876 days ago at the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

"I kept saying 'Hey, I could still play this out of bounds.' But once I got the ball on the green I gave (caddie) Joey (LaCava) a high five because I knew it was done."

It was an emotional finale to a year which saw Woods return to the highest level after he had once feared he may never play golf again.

"It was just a grind out there," Woods said of his final round. "I loved every bit of it. The fight, the grind, the tough conditions.

"To win it's certainly up there with obviously all the major championships I've won, Players, World Golf Championships but then this is under different circumstances.

"I just didn't know whether this would ever happen again. If I could somehow piece together a golf swing this year, I felt like I could do it ... somehow I've been able to do that, and here we are."

Woods later revealed he had also fought back tears on the final green as he prepared for the par putt to complete the win.

"I realised all of sudden I was going to win the tournament," he said.&nbsp;

'It's been tough'

"My eyes started tearing up a little bit. I just can't believe I pulled this off after I've gone through.

"It's been tough. I've had a not-so-easy last couple of years. I've worked my way back. I couldn't have done it without the help of all the people around me.&nbsp;

"Some of the other players knew what I was struggling with. It was really special to see them at the green on 18. It's just hard to believe I won the Tour Championship."

The victory erased any last lingering doubts about Woods' ability to compete at the highest level, something he had served notice of with top 10 finishes at the British Open and US PGA Championships.

Woods, who returned in January after missing almost the entire previous two years with a debilitating back injury, held a three-shot advantage heading into the final round.

A birdie on his opening hole extended Woods' lead to four shots to give the former world number one a dream start.

With the remainder of the 30-man field struggling to make any inroads, Woods then played solid if unspectacular golf to keep a stranglehold on the lead.

A bogey on the 10th was a mere blip, with Woods re-establishing a five-shot cushion at 13 under after rolling in a 13-foot birdie putt on the par-four 13th.

Billy Horschel closed the gap to four shots after a four-under-par final round 66, but Woods looked to be in control.

Woods, however, gave his army of fans roaring him on a scare though when back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes cut his lead to two with two to play.

But he steadied the ship with a dogged par on the 17th and then closed out the win with a par on 18.

"Billy put a bit of pressure on me at the end. The up and down at 17 was huge," added Woods, who was flying to Paris later Sunday with the US team for week's Ryder Cup.

"We're flying tonight with the guys, it's going to be fun," said Woods. "I think we're all going to sleep well."

Meanwhile England's Olympic champion Justin Rose ensured he walks off with the FedEx Cup playoff title after finishing on six under for a share of fourth.

Woods was made to sweat however after a shaky three-over-par 73 on his final round.

"It felt like a slow death out there for me today," Rose said before saluting Woods, who stood nearby.

"I'd like to congratulate Tiger right now. I think the world of golf is really proud of you and is super excited about your game and the way the game of golf is going."

Tiger Woods scored his first victory in more than five years on Sunday, completing a two-shot win at the Tour Championship to crown a fairy tale comeback after a near two-year absence.

Tiger Woods scored his first victory in more than five years on Sunday, completing a two-shot win at the Tour Championship to crown a fairy tale comeback after a near two-year absence. The 42-year-old, 14-time major winner carded a one-over-par 71 at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Course to claim the 80th PGA Tour title of his glittering career. Woods, who finished with an 11-under-par aggregate 269, raised his arms in delight after the victory, with several thousand fans ringing the green roaring their appreciation. Woods admitted he had nearly been overcome with emotion as he walked up the 18th fairway. "I was having a hard time not crying coming up the last hole," Woods said, whose most recent win before Sunday had come 1,876 days ago at the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. "I kept saying 'Hey, I could still play this out of bounds.' But once I got the ball on the green I gave (caddie) Joey (LaCava) a high five because I knew it was done." It was an emotional finale to a year which saw Woods return to the highest level after he had once feared he may never play golf again. "It was just a grind out there," Woods said of his final round. "I loved every bit of it. The fight, the grind, the tough conditions. "To win it's certainly up there with obviously all the major championships I've won, Players, World Golf Championships but then this is under different circumstances. "I just didn't know whether this would ever happen again. If I could somehow piece together a golf swing this year, I felt like I could do it ... somehow I've been able to do that, and here we are." Woods later revealed he had also fought back tears on the final green as he prepared for the par putt to complete the win. "I realised all of sudden I was going to win the tournament," he said. 'It's been tough' "My eyes started tearing up a little bit. I just can't believe I pulled this off after I've gone through. "It's been tough. I've had a not-so-easy last couple of years. I've worked my way back. I couldn't have done it without the help of all the people around me. "Some of the other players knew what I was struggling with. It was really special to see them at the green on 18. It's just hard to believe I won the Tour Championship." The victory erased any last lingering doubts about Woods' ability to compete at the highest level, something he had served notice of with top 10 finishes at the British Open and US PGA Championships. Woods, who returned in January after missing almost the entire previous two years with a debilitating back injury, held a three-shot advantage heading into the final round. A birdie on his opening hole extended Woods' lead to four shots to give the former world number one a dream start. With the remainder of the 30-man field struggling to make any inroads, Woods then played solid if unspectacular golf to keep a stranglehold on the lead. A bogey on the 10th was a mere blip, with Woods re-establishing a five-shot cushion at 13 under after rolling in a 13-foot birdie putt on the par-four 13th. Billy Horschel closed the gap to four shots after a four-under-par final round 66, but Woods looked to be in control. Woods, however, gave his army of fans roaring him on a scare though when back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes cut his lead to two with two to play. But he steadied the ship with a dogged par on the 17th and then closed out the win with a par on 18. "Billy put a bit of pressure on me at the end. The up and down at 17 was huge," added Woods, who was flying to Paris later Sunday with the US team for week's Ryder Cup. "We're flying tonight with the guys, it's going to be fun," said Woods. "I think we're all going to sleep well." Meanwhile England's Olympic champion Justin Rose ensured he walks off with the FedEx Cup playoff title after finishing on six under for a share of fourth. Woods was made to sweat however after a shaky three-over-par 73 on his final round. "It felt like a slow death out there for me today," Rose said before saluting Woods, who stood nearby. "I'd like to congratulate Tiger right now. I think the world of golf is really proud of you and is super excited about your game and the way the game of golf is going."

Tiger Woods seals first win in five years with Tour Championship

Tiger Woods stood on the brink of his first victory for more than five years after opening a three-shot lead over Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy in the third round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Saturday.

Woods exuded a sense of calm as he contemplated his chances of what given his 42 years and surgical history would be perhaps his greatest triumph, at least outside of his 14 major titles.

And he had every reason to fancy his chances given his history as a front-runner of the highest order.

He has enjoyed the sole lead 44 times entering the final round, and has converted all but twice. And he has never coughed up a lead of three shots or more.

"Simple math says that if I play a clean card the guys behind me have to shoot 67, so that helps," Woods told reporters after a five-under-par 65 at East Lake.

"I don't have to shoot 63 or 64 and hope I get help. That's a big difference. This is a spot I'd much rather be in than four or five back.

"I feel good about it. I've been playing well throughout the entire summer, just piecing it together, building, building and building.

"Finally I've come to a point where I've got control of the lead."

A victory on Sunday would be his 80th on tour -- two short of Sam Snead's record -- and his first since the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August, 2013.

Woods has not been the closer of old in his return this year from a spinal fusion, most notably at the British Open at Carnoustie where he charged into the lead halfway through the final round before faltering.

But he said he had felt comfortable on that occasion, even if he did not hoist the Claret Jug.

"When I grabbed the lead at the Open Championship (it) didn't really feel abnormal, even though it's been years since I've been in those spots," he said.

"Today was the same. I got off to just an ideal start ... and the next thing you know I'm off and running."

Indeed he was, a blistering start reminiscent of his halcyon days as he notched six birdies in the first seven holes after starting the day tied for the halfway lead with world number one Rose.

"I felt hot early for sure," Woods said. "I was hitting it absolutely dead flush, the putts I was hitting were going in and from there I just tried to hang in there."

He cooled off on the back nine en route to a 12-under 198 total, while Englishman Rose recovered from a bogey, bogey start to card a 68.

Woods led by five strokes late on, but showed a hint of fragility by fluffing a pitch shot at the par-four 16th, where he failed to carry his ball up the slope.

But with a double-bogey looming, he regrouped to hit his next delicate shot stone dead for a tap-in bogey, before Rose sank an eight-foot birdie to cut the gap to three.

McIlroy, meanwhile, birdied the 16th and 18th holes to join the fray, setting up the prospect of a Sunday to remember.

Tiger Woods stood on the brink of his first victory for more than five years after opening a three-shot lead over Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy in the third round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Saturday.

Tiger Woods stood on the brink of his first victory for more than five years after opening a three-shot lead over Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy in the third round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Saturday. Woods exuded a sense of calm as he contemplated his chances of what given his 42 years and surgical history would be perhaps his greatest triumph, at least outside of his 14 major titles. And he had every reason to fancy his chances given his history as a front-runner of the highest order. He has enjoyed the sole lead 44 times entering the final round, and has converted all but twice. And he has never coughed up a lead of three shots or more. "Simple math says that if I play a clean card the guys behind me have to shoot 67, so that helps," Woods told reporters after a five-under-par 65 at East Lake. "I don't have to shoot 63 or 64 and hope I get help. That's a big difference. This is a spot I'd much rather be in than four or five back. "I feel good about it. I've been playing well throughout the entire summer, just piecing it together, building, building and building. "Finally I've come to a point where I've got control of the lead." A victory on Sunday would be his 80th on tour -- two short of Sam Snead's record -- and his first since the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August, 2013. Woods has not been the closer of old in his return this year from a spinal fusion, most notably at the British Open at Carnoustie where he charged into the lead halfway through the final round before faltering. But he said he had felt comfortable on that occasion, even if he did not hoist the Claret Jug. "When I grabbed the lead at the Open Championship (it) didn't really feel abnormal, even though it's been years since I've been in those spots," he said. "Today was the same. I got off to just an ideal start ... and the next thing you know I'm off and running." Indeed he was, a blistering start reminiscent of his halcyon days as he notched six birdies in the first seven holes after starting the day tied for the halfway lead with world number one Rose. "I felt hot early for sure," Woods said. "I was hitting it absolutely dead flush, the putts I was hitting were going in and from there I just tried to hang in there." He cooled off on the back nine en route to a 12-under 198 total, while Englishman Rose recovered from a bogey, bogey start to card a 68. Woods led by five strokes late on, but showed a hint of fragility by fluffing a pitch shot at the par-four 16th, where he failed to carry his ball up the slope. But with a double-bogey looming, he regrouped to hit his next delicate shot stone dead for a tap-in bogey, before Rose sank an eight-foot birdie to cut the gap to three. McIlroy, meanwhile, birdied the 16th and 18th holes to join the fray, setting up the prospect of a Sunday to remember.

Tiger Woods on brink of breaking title drought at Tour Championship

Tiger Woods and world number one Justin Rose shared the halfway lead after a pulsating second round at the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Friday.

American Woods carded two-under-par 68, while Englishman Rose shot 67 at East Lake.

At seven-under 133, they led Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (68) by two strokes in the final event of the season on the PGA Tour.

Woods, a 14-times major champion, has not won this year in an otherwise impressive comeback following spinal fusion surgery in 2017.

Tiger Woods and world number one Justin Rose shared the halfway lead after a pulsating second round at the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Friday. American Woods carded two-under-par 68, while Englishman Rose shot 67 at East Lake.

Tiger Woods and world number one Justin Rose shared the halfway lead after a pulsating second round at the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Friday. American Woods carded two-under-par 68, while Englishman Rose shot 67 at East Lake. At seven-under 133, they led Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (68) by two strokes in the final event of the season on the PGA Tour. Woods, a 14-times major champion, has not won this year in an otherwise impressive comeback following spinal fusion surgery in 2017.

Golf: Woods, Rose tied for halfway lead at Tour Championship

Anirban Lahiri had a disastrous finish as he dropped four shots in closing three holes to end at 5-over 76 on the opening day of Wells Fargo golf tournament here.&nbsp

The ordinary meant he will need a very low second round to ensure he stays on for the weekend. Lahiri, now lying T-128, continued to miss short putts. On Thursday, he missed at least four putts inside six and a half feet and a few others between 10-15 feet.

Lahiri bogeyed the second and eighth hole and dropped another shot on 11th as he was 3-over through the first 12 holes. Birdies on 13th from 21 feet and 15th from 11 feet seemed to have salvaged the round.&nbsp

And then came the last three as he bogeyed 16th when he missed a five-footer par putt and then on and 17th he missed an 11-footer for par. On Par-4 18th, he had a tough shot from the bunker and went beyond. Then he missed a six-footer for bogey and ended with a double.

John Peterson, 29, made back-to-back eagles on Par-5 seventh and Par-4 eighth and added three more birdies on back nine for a splendid 6-under 65. He bogeyed the fifth. Peterson has declared that he will walk away from golf if he doesn't earn enough money to keep his card in three events.

Tiger Woods returned to Quail Hollow after a six-year absence and shot a modest 71, that pegged him at T-34th. Woods had back-to-back birdies on the holes where Peterson made his eagles, getting him to 1 under. But he hit a poor wedge that led to bogey on the par-5 10th. He had a birdie on the par-5 15th, only to give back that shot with a three-putt bogey from 15 feet on No. 16.

Peterson holed a bunker shot from just under 60 feet on the par-5 seventh and then holed a 56-degree wedge from 107 yards in the fairway for eagle on the next hole, the par-4 eighth.

Peterson has never led after any round in 89 starts on the PGA TOUR. He has declared that he wants to win the Wells Fargo Championship or the two tournaments he has left. Because of surgery on his left hand two years ago, Peterson started the year needing to make $375,165 in eight tournaments to keep his card.&nbsp

Five events later, he still needs $318,096. He has two starts remaining at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and Travelers Championship.

In case he does not make his card, Peterson is ready to get into real estate development with friends in Texas and give up pro golf.

Johnson Wagner, a member at Quail Hollow, also had back-to-back eagles when he drove the green on the par-4 14th to 6 feet, and then hit the green on the par-5 15th hole and made a 45-foot putt. He is in a group of five at 67 that included Tyrrell Hatton.

Rory McIlroy, a two-time winner at Wells Fargo, was among 10 players at 68. Paul Casey and Jason Day were among seven players at 69.

Anirban Lahiri had a disastrous finish as he dropped four shots in closing three holes to end at 5-over 76 on the opening day of Wells Fargo golf tournament

Anirban Lahiri had a disastrous finish as he dropped four shots in closing three holes to end at 5-over 76 on the opening day of Wells Fargo golf tournament here. The ordinary meant he will need a very low second round to ensure he stays on for the weekend. Lahiri, now lying T-128, continued to miss short putts. On Thursday, he missed at least four putts inside six and a half feet and a few others between 10-15 feet. Lahiri bogeyed the second and eighth hole and dropped another shot on 11th as he was 3-over through the first 12 holes. Birdies on 13th from 21 feet and 15th from 11 feet seemed to have salvaged the round. And then came the last three as he bogeyed 16th when he missed a five-footer par putt and then on and 17th he missed an 11-footer for par. On Par-4 18th, he had a tough shot from the bunker and went beyond. Then he missed a six-footer for bogey and ended with a double. John Peterson, 29, made back-to-back eagles on Par-5 seventh and Par-4 eighth and added three more birdies on back nine for a splendid 6-under 65. He bogeyed the fifth. Peterson has declared that he will walk away from golf if he doesn't earn enough money to keep his card in three events. Tiger Woods returned to Quail Hollow after a six-year absence and shot a modest 71, that pegged him at T-34th. Woods had back-to-back birdies on the holes where Peterson made his eagles, getting him to 1 under. But he hit a poor wedge that led to bogey on the par-5 10th. He had a birdie on the par-5 15th, only to give back that shot with a three-putt bogey from 15 feet on No. 16. Peterson holed a bunker shot from just under 60 feet on the par-5 seventh and then holed a 56-degree wedge from 107 yards in the fairway for eagle on the next hole, the par-4 eighth. Peterson has never led after any round in 89 starts on the PGA TOUR. He has declared that he wants to win the Wells Fargo Championship or the two tournaments he has left. Because of surgery on his left hand two years ago, Peterson started the year needing to make $375,165 in eight tournaments to keep his card. Five events later, he still needs $318,096. He has two starts remaining at the FedEx St. Jude Classic and Travelers Championship. In case he does not make his card, Peterson is ready to get into real estate development with friends in Texas and give up pro golf. Johnson Wagner, a member at Quail Hollow, also had back-to-back eagles when he drove the green on the par-4 14th to 6 feet, and then hit the green on the par-5 15th hole and made a 45-foot putt. He is in a group of five at 67 that included Tyrrell Hatton. Rory McIlroy, a two-time winner at Wells Fargo, was among 10 players at 68. Paul Casey and Jason Day were among seven players at 69.

Anirban Lahiri disappoints; modest start for Tiger Woods

Be it a green jacket winner or a total greenhorn, the sheer beauty of Augusta National leaves everyone spellbound. I can only imagine the emotions that Patrick Reed must have gone through while putting on that green jacket on Sunday afternoon after winning the 2018 Masters. 
&nbsp; 
The Augusta National is a true celebration of the world of golf - the big stage where the Gods of the golf vie for the honours and glory. 
&nbsp; 
Out of all my trips and commitments around the world, this is the one date I look forward to. I have been coming to Augusta for over a decade now and my fascination with the place has only grown with time. 
&nbsp; 
While the efficiency of the Augusta National, the immaculate course and the seriousness to keep up the traditions are a huge draw for the golfer in me, the smart engagements around the tournament that give a big boost to the economy of Augusta and Georgia are management lessons for everyone. The town has a population of around 600,000, but come Masters week, it attracts upwards of 50,000 spectators each day. At Augusta National, however, they are referred to as 'patrons' of the game. 
&nbsp; 
Tradition and Old-World charm sit comfortably with the latest technology that goes into conducting a world-class sports tournament of this scale and stature. And yet they keep the patrons gushing with reasonably priced food like the famous Pimento sandwiches for just US$ 1.50 and unlimited supplies of draft beer for $1.00 per glass all-day long! 
&nbsp; 
Augusta is a golfing pilgrimage for every golfer.&nbsp; Relaxing with fellow-enthusiasts on the banks of Savannah River, the little moments of indulgence on the Magnolia Lane and private concerts in the land of James Brown - the Godfather of Soul - Augusta during the Masters is a treat for the senses. 
&nbsp; 
I know how excited and eager Tiger Woods was to get to back to golf, and to Augusta National. He missed being at Augusta the past few years but was thrilled to be back to his favourite hunting ground. While he may not have won, he was surely the centre of attraction all this week. It is just a matter of time before he will be vying for the Majors, and winning too.

As an Indian, I am also proud that we have had our share of golfers competing at the Masters. After Jeev Milkha Singh became the first Indian to compete in 2007, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri have also showed their prowess here. Now we have young Shubhankar Sharma, who has been shining all over the globe with his golf game. While he missed the cut this time around, I am convinced we will hear more about him in the very near future. 
&nbsp; 
It is the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player who have made Augusta Masters the tournament it has become, and now Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth are carrying on the great legacy ever so gracefully. If there is one place on earth that every golf lover dreams of going, it is the Augusta National during the Masters.

(The author is Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hero MotoCorp)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The young and the old, the experienced and the rookies, Augusta is a pilgrimage for everyone, and they just wait to return every year.

Be it a green jacket winner or a total greenhorn, the sheer beauty of Augusta National leaves everyone spellbound. I can only imagine the emotions that Patrick Reed must have gone through while putting on that green jacket on Sunday afternoon after winning the 2018 Masters. The Augusta National is a true celebration of the world of golf - the big stage where the Gods of the golf vie for the honours and glory. Out of all my trips and commitments around the world, this is the one date I look forward to. I have been coming to Augusta for over a decade now and my fascination with the place has only grown with time. While the efficiency of the Augusta National, the immaculate course and the seriousness to keep up the traditions are a huge draw for the golfer in me, the smart engagements around the tournament that give a big boost to the economy of Augusta and Georgia are management lessons for everyone. The town has a population of around 600,000, but come Masters week, it attracts upwards of 50,000 spectators each day. At Augusta National, however, they are referred to as 'patrons' of the game. Tradition and Old-World charm sit comfortably with the latest technology that goes into conducting a world-class sports tournament of this scale and stature. And yet they keep the patrons gushing with reasonably priced food like the famous Pimento sandwiches for just US$ 1.50 and unlimited supplies of draft beer for $1.00 per glass all-day long! Augusta is a golfing pilgrimage for every golfer. Relaxing with fellow-enthusiasts on the banks of Savannah River, the little moments of indulgence on the Magnolia Lane and private concerts in the land of James Brown - the Godfather of Soul - Augusta during the Masters is a treat for the senses. I know how excited and eager Tiger Woods was to get to back to golf, and to Augusta National. He missed being at Augusta the past few years but was thrilled to be back to his favourite hunting ground. While he may not have won, he was surely the centre of attraction all this week. It is just a matter of time before he will be vying for the Majors, and winning too. As an Indian, I am also proud that we have had our share of golfers competing at the Masters. After Jeev Milkha Singh became the first Indian to compete in 2007, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri have also showed their prowess here. Now we have young Shubhankar Sharma, who has been shining all over the globe with his golf game. While he missed the cut this time around, I am convinced we will hear more about him in the very near future. It is the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player who have made Augusta Masters the tournament it has become, and now Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth are carrying on the great legacy ever so gracefully. If there is one place on earth that every golf lover dreams of going, it is the Augusta National during the Masters. (The author is Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hero MotoCorp) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Augusta Masters, a grand stage for Gods of Golf

Fired up by analysts predicting a win for Rory McIlroy, not to mention an Augusta National crowd that seemed to be backing the Northern Irishman to complete the career grand slam, Patrick Reed powered to a one-stroke victory at the U.S. Masters on Sunday.

Reed, who saw off a fading McIlroy by the turn, then had to survive challenges from U.S. Ryder Cup teammates Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler before sinking a par putt at the last to win the Green Jacket and his first major championship.

"Listening to all the analysts this morning, every single one of them except (one) would pick Rory (McIlroy)," said Reed, who teed off with a three-shot lead over the Northern Irishman.

"It just seemed like the pressure at that point was kind of lifted off. No one expects me to go out and win. I expect to win. Everyone else, even though they said all those great things about how I was playing, they thought Rory was going to win."

Reed also noticed the different receptions he and McIlroy received from the gallery.

"(Walking) up to the first tee I had a really welcoming cheer from the fans but when Rory walked up he had a little louder," said Reed.

"It takes the pressure off me and hands it back to him. Rory’s cheer was a little louder."

Apart from a first-hole bogey, Reed was impervious to the pressure for most of the day, watching McIlroy, in his quest for the career grand slam, self-destruct.

He then kept his nose in front of Fowler and Spieth for a one-shot victory, making clutch putts down the stretch, including a nerve-jangling five-footer for par at the penultimate hole, to shoot 71 and finish on 15-under 273.

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On a cool and crisp Georgia afternoon, several of the game’s biggest guns made spirited runs at <a href="https://twitter.com/PReedGolf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PReedGolf</a>, but one by one, he turned them away. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/themasters?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#themasters</a> <a href="https://t.co/87HcCSoRyO">https://t.co/87HcCSoRyO</a>
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMasters/status/983157635603206145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"To win your first major is never going to be easy," he said. "I knew it was going to be a dog fight.

"I always watch leaderboards, whether it’s the first hole on Thursday or the last hole on Sunday.

"I saw Jordan and Rickie storm up those leaderboards. I knew when I birdied 14 it was about the same time Jordan bogeyed the last.

"I knew at that point as long as there weren’t any catastrophic implosions coming in it was going to be between Rickie and I.

"The way those guys played towards the end, having to go shoot under par (in the final round to win your) first major was hard."

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Watch 2018 Masters champion <a href="https://twitter.com/PReedGolf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PReedGolf</a>'s final round in under three minutes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/themasters?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#themasters</a> <a href="https://t.co/iKjPTYRt74">pic.twitter.com/iKjPTYRt74</a>
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He won in his fifth start at Augusta, the city where he went to university, Reed said this was the one he wanted to win.

"Definitely growing up everybody dreams about winning the Masters," he said.

"Today was the hardest mentally a round of golf could possibly be.

"It was awesome and satisfying to make those clutch putts on the back nine."

Patrick Reed powered to a one-stroke victory at the U.S. Masters on Sunday

Fired up by analysts predicting a win for Rory McIlroy, not to mention an Augusta National crowd that seemed to be backing the Northern Irishman to complete the career grand slam, Patrick Reed powered to a one-stroke victory at the U.S. Masters on Sunday. Reed, who saw off a fading McIlroy by the turn, then had to survive challenges from U.S. Ryder Cup teammates Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler before sinking a par putt at the last to win the Green Jacket and his first major championship. "Listening to all the analysts this morning, every single one of them except (one) would pick Rory (McIlroy)," said Reed, who teed off with a three-shot lead over the Northern Irishman. "It just seemed like the pressure at that point was kind of lifted off. No one expects me to go out and win. I expect to win. Everyone else, even though they said all those great things about how I was playing, they thought Rory was going to win." Reed also noticed the different receptions he and McIlroy received from the gallery. "(Walking) up to the first tee I had a really welcoming cheer from the fans but when Rory walked up he had a little louder," said Reed. "It takes the pressure off me and hands it back to him. Rory’s cheer was a little louder." Apart from a first-hole bogey, Reed was impervious to the pressure for most of the day, watching McIlroy, in his quest for the career grand slam, self-destruct. He then kept his nose in front of Fowler and Spieth for a one-shot victory, making clutch putts down the stretch, including a nerve-jangling five-footer for par at the penultimate hole, to shoot 71 and finish on 15-under 273. On a cool and crisp Georgia afternoon, several of the game’s biggest guns made spirited runs at @PReedGolf, but one by one, he turned them away. #themasters https://t.co/87HcCSoRyO — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2018 × "To win your first major is never going to be easy," he said. "I knew it was going to be a dog fight. "I always watch leaderboards, whether it’s the first hole on Thursday or the last hole on Sunday. "I saw Jordan and Rickie storm up those leaderboards. I knew when I birdied 14 it was about the same time Jordan bogeyed the last. "I knew at that point as long as there weren’t any catastrophic implosions coming in it was going to be between Rickie and I. "The way those guys played towards the end, having to go shoot under par (in the final round to win your) first major was hard." Watch 2018 Masters champion @PReedGolf's final round in under three minutes. #themasters pic.twitter.com/iKjPTYRt74 — Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2018 × He won in his fifth start at Augusta, the city where he went to university, Reed said this was the one he wanted to win. "Definitely growing up everybody dreams about winning the Masters," he said. "Today was the hardest mentally a round of golf could possibly be. "It was awesome and satisfying to make those clutch putts on the back nine."

Golf: Patrick Reed thrives on underdog role to clinch first major

The man is back with a new swing, and his old swag.

It takes a Tiger Woods to be tipped as the favourite to win the Masters even after a title drought of five years. It has been exactly a decade since Tiger won a Major - it was US Open in 2008, when he famously beat Rocco Mediate in a sudden death play-off on the 19th hole.

He has played many Majors since, and a lot of personal and physical factors may have come in the way of Tiger adding any more Majors to his total of 14, but this time around he looks good for the Green Jacket.

Tiger's presence at the Masters, at the Augusta National Golf Club this week, has generated a huge frenzy for the first Major of the year. I hear that practice round passes are going for an unprecedented $10,000 and even the guys in Vegas are betting on a Tiger triumph at Augusta, with good reason. With the results of T-12, T-2 and T-5 in his previous three starts, Tiger is looking better with each event, and the big stage of Augusta will be the perfect setting for the star golfer to reclaim his rightful place at the top.

With his sheer magnetism, Tiger has always been the biggest crowd-puller in golf. Undoubtedly, all eyes will be on him at the Masters this year as well.

For me, it is a sense of personal joy that Tiger's latest comeback started at the Hero World Challenge at the Albany in Bahamas in November 2017.

When people say that Tiger doesn't just move the needle in golf, he is the needle, it rings so true. An entire generation of great golfers that played alongside him was left admiring him, simply clutching second places behind him.

Now there is a whole new generation that does not hesitate to admit that Tiger was the reason they came to the sport, and to them, he is both a friend and mentor. They grew up hearing his exploits, seeing his phenomenal performances from the comforts of their living rooms, but they never really felt the fear Tiger would evoke in fellow golfers in his heydays.

They say the clock never turns back, but Tiger seems to be doing exactly that - despite four surgeries and countless setbacks, he is back. After contending on PGA Tour events, he comes to the Major he loves most - the Masters, where he has won four Green Jackets and now looks to adding a fifth.

I have been fortunate to know Tiger for years now and our association has only grown over the past 5-6 years. From the legendary golfer I played a few rounds to start with, he is now a friend, who accepted my invitation to come to India a few years back and got to see how much of an effect he has had on Indian golf. The Hero World Challenge is not just a charity event but a collection of contemporary golf’s greatest names and Tiger wants to go head-to-head with them.

I have seen the man conquer adversity, pain and loss of form. No one is as determined as him in his quest to regain perfection in golf that once belonged only to him. He has worked hard since his latest return at the Hero World Challenge in Bahamas. Most importantly, his game is steadily and strongly coming back. He is smashing the drives, hitting his irons razor sharp and staring down putts as only he can.

Tiger is back, but there is also Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson, the two southpaws, who make shot-making look so easy then there is Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and of course World No.1 Dustin Johnson, who had to pull out after a freak accident on the eve of the Masters in 2017.

Yes, there are many more, including our very own young prodigy, Shubhankar Sharma - all together, making the Masters a superb treat for the enthusiast and the connoisseur.

As an ardent fan and friend of Tiger and follower of the game, I would love to see the Green Jacket on the back of Tiger Woods this coming Sunday that would truly mark the beginning of a new era in golf - the era of Tigermania 2.0.

(The author is Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hero MotoCorp)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There is a whole new generation that does not hesitate to admit that Tiger was the reason they came to the sport, and to them, he is both a friend and mentor.

The man is back with a new swing, and his old swag. It takes a Tiger Woods to be tipped as the favourite to win the Masters even after a title drought of five years. It has been exactly a decade since Tiger won a Major - it was US Open in 2008, when he famously beat Rocco Mediate in a sudden death play-off on the 19th hole. He has played many Majors since, and a lot of personal and physical factors may have come in the way of Tiger adding any more Majors to his total of 14, but this time around he looks good for the Green Jacket. Tiger's presence at the Masters, at the Augusta National Golf Club this week, has generated a huge frenzy for the first Major of the year. I hear that practice round passes are going for an unprecedented $10,000 and even the guys in Vegas are betting on a Tiger triumph at Augusta, with good reason. With the results of T-12, T-2 and T-5 in his previous three starts, Tiger is looking better with each event, and the big stage of Augusta will be the perfect setting for the star golfer to reclaim his rightful place at the top. With his sheer magnetism, Tiger has always been the biggest crowd-puller in golf. Undoubtedly, all eyes will be on him at the Masters this year as well. For me, it is a sense of personal joy that Tiger's latest comeback started at the Hero World Challenge at the Albany in Bahamas in November 2017. When people say that Tiger doesn't just move the needle in golf, he is the needle, it rings so true. An entire generation of great golfers that played alongside him was left admiring him, simply clutching second places behind him. Now there is a whole new generation that does not hesitate to admit that Tiger was the reason they came to the sport, and to them, he is both a friend and mentor. They grew up hearing his exploits, seeing his phenomenal performances from the comforts of their living rooms, but they never really felt the fear Tiger would evoke in fellow golfers in his heydays. They say the clock never turns back, but Tiger seems to be doing exactly that - despite four surgeries and countless setbacks, he is back. After contending on PGA Tour events, he comes to the Major he loves most - the Masters, where he has won four Green Jackets and now looks to adding a fifth. I have been fortunate to know Tiger for years now and our association has only grown over the past 5-6 years. From the legendary golfer I played a few rounds to start with, he is now a friend, who accepted my invitation to come to India a few years back and got to see how much of an effect he has had on Indian golf. The Hero World Challenge is not just a charity event but a collection of contemporary golf’s greatest names and Tiger wants to go head-to-head with them. I have seen the man conquer adversity, pain and loss of form. No one is as determined as him in his quest to regain perfection in golf that once belonged only to him. He has worked hard since his latest return at the Hero World Challenge in Bahamas. Most importantly, his game is steadily and strongly coming back. He is smashing the drives, hitting his irons razor sharp and staring down putts as only he can. Tiger is back, but there is also Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson, the two southpaws, who make shot-making look so easy then there is Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and of course World No.1 Dustin Johnson, who had to pull out after a freak accident on the eve of the Masters in 2017. Yes, there are many more, including our very own young prodigy, Shubhankar Sharma - all together, making the Masters a superb treat for the enthusiast and the connoisseur. As an ardent fan and friend of Tiger and follower of the game, I would love to see the Green Jacket on the back of Tiger Woods this coming Sunday that would truly mark the beginning of a new era in golf - the era of Tigermania 2.0. (The author is Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hero MotoCorp) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: It is time for Tigermania 2.0

Weekly compilation of sports and other related news (March 12 to March 18)

WION'S PICK OF THE WEEK IPL 2018: Squad analysis of MS Dhoni's 'Yellow Brigade' IPL 2018: Squad analysis of Rajasthan Royals, the prodigal son returns Indian Premier League is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining forms of T20 format. Since its inception, many records have been set by players. Here's the list of seven players with the highest strike rates in IPL so far (WION) × Opinion: Indian football rising from the grassroots Opinion: Why Djokovic is right to say tennis players need a union 2018 IPL anthem: 'Ye khel hai sher jawano ka albelo ka mastano ka...' How are Egyptian football fanatics paying tribute to their favourite footballer? Watch this video to find out more ???? @mosalah22 #Egypt #egyptians #egyptian #fan #liverpool #football #footballer #hairstyles #hairstyling #hairart #footballnews #footballfans #liverpoolfc #liverpoolfans #uefa #ucl #championsleague #tribute #worldcup #fifa #fifa18 #mohamedsalah #arabic #portrait #hairstyler #footballfan #footballfans #news #wion A post shared by WION (@wionews) on Mar 16, 2018 at 10:27am PDT × Cricket Nidahas Trophy: India win nail-biting thriller as Dinesh Karthik hits match-winning six Dinesh Karthik has played only 19 T20 games in 11 years Funny Twitter reactions to Bangladesh 'Nagin' dance celebration Amit Shah, Amitabh Bachchan compliment Dinesh Karthik's match-winning knock Indian fans reacted to the famous 'Nagin dance' of Bangladeshi players when 'Men in Blue' won the #NidahasTrophyT20 https://t.co/2Dt8cwEdZl — WION (@WIONews) March 19, 2018 × IPL 2018: KKR's Sunil Narine reported for illegal action in Pakistan Super League Nepal becomes ODI nation for first time in history IPL 2018: CSK's Mitchell Santner ruled out of the tournament due to knee injury In Pictures: Seven #cricket players with the highest strike rates in #IPL so far. @IPL https://t.co/c536Lp0cLG — WION (@WIONews) March 18, 2018 × Bangladesh wants to create own 'brand' in T20s: Mahmudullah Despite ban, Kagiso Rabada named in South Africa's squad against Australia Kevin Pietersen confirms retirement in heartfelt Instagram post Someone just tweeted me to tell me that I scored 30000+ runs including 152 fifty’s & 68 hundreds in my pro career. 4 Ashes wins. Home & away! T20 WC win. Beaten India in India. Home & away 100’s in all major Test nations apart from Bangladesh. All dedicated to my family who have just been the most unreal supporters through thick & thin! I’m super proud of everything! Thank you for all the quite lovely msgs! I loved entertaining you all! Ciao, cricket! I love this game! A post shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24) on Mar 17, 2018 at 4:25am PDT × Football Champions League quarterfinals: Liverpool to face City, Juventus to take on Real Madrid The official result of the #UCLdraw. Predict the final... ???? pic.twitter.com/YAlLd1tWJK — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 16, 2018 × FA Cup: Pedro keeps Chelsea in the hunt for FA Cup glory Mourinho favourites Lukaku, Matic send Manchester United into FA Cup semi-finals FIFA lifts three-decade ban on Iraq hosting international matches FIFA to give VAR green light at World Cup A representative image which shows a panel of assistant referees reviewing actions. (Twitter) × Neymar Jr pays tribute to Hawking, gets trolled Brazilian striker #Neymar Jr has been trolled for his "insensitive" tribute to late #StephenHawkinghttps://t.co/QZDaJWWWmD — WION (@WIONews) March 15, 2018 × Watch: Throwback to Lionel Messi's first goal in Champions League Lionel Messi completed a century of goals in 123 appearances. (AFP) × Champions League: Messi strikes twice as Barcelona crush Chelsea British Police probe Jamie Carragher spitting incident Champions League: Superb Dzeko goal sends Roma into quarter-finals Champions League: Sevilla create history, boot out Manchester United Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday (March 15) over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first. (Reuters) × Michael Carrick to retire at end of the season Sergio Aguero named in Argentina squad despite injury Tennis Tommy Haas announces retirement from tennis Naomi Osaka ousts Simona Halep to enter finals of Indian Wells Naomi Osaka has set up a title clash with rising star Daria Kasatkina. (AFP) × Del Potro stuns Roger Federer to win Indian Wells title Mohammed Shami Controversy Mohammed Shami marital controversy: Who is Hasin Jahan? Not investigating cricketer Mohammed Shami for match-fixing: CoA #MohammadShami being a well-known cricket personality, is quite popular but very few people know about #HasinJahanhttps://t.co/KF4jtmPXTb — WION (@WIONews) March 14, 2018 × Cricket has no link with my 'marital dispute': Mohammed Shami Others Two South Korean skiers banned for life for sexual abuse Golf: Paul Casey defeats Tiger Woods to win Valspar Championship Paul Casey posing with the trophy. (AFP) × Rahul Dravid duped of Rs 4 crore by ponzi firm, files complaint I will come back stronger: PV Sindhu

WION Sports News: Top sports results this week

Tiger Woods came up just short of his 80th US PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Valspar Championship, where it was England&#39;s Paul Casey ending a victory drought with a one-stroke triumph.

Woods, the 14-time major champion playing just his fourth Tour event since spinal fusion surgery last April, showed he&#39;s a contender again as he fired a one-under-par 70 to share second on nine-under 275 -- one stroke behind Casey who surged to his second US PGA Tour title with a 65 for 274.

&quot;I think I&#39;ve gotten a little better than what I was a couple of weeks ago,&quot; Woods said.

&quot;I keep getting just a little better and a little sharper. Today I wasn&#39;t quite as sharp as I would like to have had it, but I had a good shot at winning this golf tournament.&quot;

Woods&#39; fusion surgery ended a brief comeback bid last year. He remains in search of his first title since 2013 -- but on Sunday it finally looked as if it wasn&#39;t a question of whether that drought will end but when.

He opened with a birdie on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Florida, but gave that stroke back with a bogey at the fourth.

Woods didn&#39;t find another birdie until the 17th, where he drained a putt of almost 45 feet to close within one stroke of Casey&#39;s clubhouse lead and send his massive gallery into a frenzy.

He couldn&#39;t repeat the feat at the 18th to force a playoff, however, another long birdie try coming up a couple of feet short.

Woods finished the day tied for second with fellow American Patrick Reed.

Reed opened his round with a 60-foot eagle putt from the collar of the green at the first. He was 10-under through 17, but dropped out of playoff contention with a shocking bogey at the last, where his first putt failed to make it to the upper tier of the green where the pin was located.

Casey had four birdies and a bogey on his front nine, then seized control with three birdies on the trot at 11, 12 and 13 that moved him to 10-under.

Casey &#39;so happy&#39;

He said keeping bogeys off his card over the demanding closing holes was key.

&quot;The clean-ups on 16, 17 and 18 -- fantastic,&quot; Casey said. &quot;I&#39;ve not done that in a long time and that&#39;s the difference. That&#39;s what I need to do.&quot;

The 40-year-old has 17 victories on the European Tour, the most recent coming at the KLM Open in September of 2014.

A three-time Ryder Cup player for Europe, his only previous US tour title came at the 2009 Houston Open.

&quot;To get this one, to get my second one on the PGA tour is emotional. I&#39;m so happy for it,&quot; Casey said, noting that winning any tournament on one of the world&#39;s elite tours is just difficult.

&quot;(Woods) made it look easy for such a long time, and it&#39;s not,&quot; he said.

Spain&#39;s Sergio Garcia put in an encouraging performance as he warms up for the defense of his Masters title, firing a final round 65 to finish alone in fourth on eight-under 276.

&nbsp;

Tiger Woods came up just short of his 80th US PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Valspar Championship, where it was England's Paul Casey ending a victory drought with a one-stroke triumph

Tiger Woods came up just short of his 80th US PGA Tour title on Sunday at the Valspar Championship, where it was England's Paul Casey ending a victory drought with a one-stroke triumph. Woods, the 14-time major champion playing just his fourth Tour event since spinal fusion surgery last April, showed he's a contender again as he fired a one-under-par 70 to share second on nine-under 275 -- one stroke behind Casey who surged to his second US PGA Tour title with a 65 for 274. "I think I've gotten a little better than what I was a couple of weeks ago," Woods said. "I keep getting just a little better and a little sharper. Today I wasn't quite as sharp as I would like to have had it, but I had a good shot at winning this golf tournament." Woods' fusion surgery ended a brief comeback bid last year. He remains in search of his first title since 2013 -- but on Sunday it finally looked as if it wasn't a question of whether that drought will end but when. He opened with a birdie on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, Florida, but gave that stroke back with a bogey at the fourth. Woods didn't find another birdie until the 17th, where he drained a putt of almost 45 feet to close within one stroke of Casey's clubhouse lead and send his massive gallery into a frenzy. He couldn't repeat the feat at the 18th to force a playoff, however, another long birdie try coming up a couple of feet short. Woods finished the day tied for second with fellow American Patrick Reed. Reed opened his round with a 60-foot eagle putt from the collar of the green at the first. He was 10-under through 17, but dropped out of playoff contention with a shocking bogey at the last, where his first putt failed to make it to the upper tier of the green where the pin was located. Casey had four birdies and a bogey on his front nine, then seized control with three birdies on the trot at 11, 12 and 13 that moved him to 10-under. Casey 'so happy' He said keeping bogeys off his card over the demanding closing holes was key. "The clean-ups on 16, 17 and 18 -- fantastic," Casey said. "I've not done that in a long time and that's the difference. That's what I need to do." The 40-year-old has 17 victories on the European Tour, the most recent coming at the KLM Open in September of 2014. A three-time Ryder Cup player for Europe, his only previous US tour title came at the 2009 Houston Open. "To get this one, to get my second one on the PGA tour is emotional. I'm so happy for it," Casey said, noting that winning any tournament on one of the world's elite tours is just difficult. "(Woods) made it look easy for such a long time, and it's not," he said. Spain's Sergio Garcia put in an encouraging performance as he warms up for the defense of his Masters title, firing a final round 65 to finish alone in fourth on eight-under 276.

Golf: Paul Casey defeats Tiger Woods to win Valspar Championship

<big>WION&#39;S PICK OF THE WEEK</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/never-let-people-limit-your-achievement-because-you-are-a-woman-mary-kom-to-wion-35237">Never let people limit your achievement because you are a woman: Mary Kom to WION</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-bill-gates-teams-up-with-roger-federer-for-tennis-match-34871">Watch: Bill Gates teams up with Roger Federer for tennis match</a>

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Roger Federer and Bill Gates during the practice session. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-3-reasons-why-sachin-tendulkar-cannot-be-compared-to-virat-kohli-34840">Opinion: 3 reasons why Sachin Tendulkar cannot be compared to Virat Kohli</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-jacob-moore-accuses-larry-nassar-of-sexual-abuse-34879">Watch: Jacob Moore accuses Larry Nassar of sexual abuse</a>

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A Michigan gymnast became the first man to accuse Larry Nassar of sexual abuse on Monday (5 March). (AP)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/top-5-unusual-celebrations-by-cricketers-of-the-indian-subcontinent-35391">Unusual celebrations by cricketers from the Indian subcontinent&nbsp;</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/vijay-hazare-the-breadman-and-bradman-of-indian-cricket-35380">Remembering Vijay Hazare: The &#39;Bread-man and Bradman&#39; of Indian cricket</a>

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A file photo of Vijay Hazare. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">Throwback</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">&nbsp;to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339"> and most remembered century in IPL history</a>

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Watch: Brendon McCullum scored 158 off 73 balls in the inaugural match and registered the first century in IPL history<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ipl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ipl</a> <a href="https://t.co/4WYp3yTw50">https://t.co/4WYp3yTw50</a>
&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/972701411929722880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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From Dhoni to Kohli, here&#39;s a list of all the leading run-scorers in IPL. Number 1 rank might surprise you (Zee News Network)
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&nbsp;

<big>Football</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/griezmann-angel-vitolo-shine-as-atletico-madrid-stroll-past-celta-35445">Griezmann, Angel, Vitolo shine as Atletico Madrid stroll past Celta</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tottenham-hotspur-beat-bournemouth-to-climb-third-place-35443">Tottenham Hotspur beat Bournemouth to climb </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tottenham-hotspur-beat-bournemouth-to-climb-third-place-35443">third</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tottenham-hotspur-beat-bournemouth-to-climb-third-place-35443"> place</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sergio-aguero-suffers-injury-out-for-2-weeks-35439">Sergio Aguero suffers injury, out for 2 weeks</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/rashford-shines-as-man-united-sinks-liverpool-35341">Rashford shines as Man United sink Liverpool</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/suarez-coutinho-inspire-barca-to-win-against-malaga-35360">Suarez, Coutinho inspire Barca to win against Malaga</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/chelsea-registers-vital-victory-ahead-of-barca-clash-35352">Chelsea register vital victory ahead of Barca clash</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/conte-lauds-willian-as-chelsea-set-sights-on-barcelona-35346">Conte lauds Willian as Chelsea set sights on Barcelona</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-out-of-barca-squad-to-welcome-baby-ciro-35329">Messi out of Barca squad to welcome baby &#39;Ciro&#39;</a>

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FC Barcelona striker shared a beautiful photo on social networking sites quoting, &quot;Welcome Ciro!!&#39;&#39;<a href="https://t.co/Ob8RMH6xm2">https://t.co/Ob8RMH6xm2</a>
&mdash; WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/972585388173811713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ronaldo-strikes-twice-to-defeat-eibar-35340">Ronaldo strikes twice to defeat Eibar</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/barcelona-set-to-buy-brazilian-midfielder-arthur-35431">Barcelona set to buy Brazilian midfielder Arthur</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934">Real Madrid on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934">song</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/football-real-on-song-as-psg-falter-again-in-champions-league-34934"> as PSG falter again in Champions League</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-just-one-in-the-world-fcb-coach-ernesto-valverde-34711">Messi just one in the world: FCB coach Ernesto Valverde</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/sanchez-transferred-to-manchester-united-at-the-wrong-time-jose-mourinho-35284">Sanchez transferred to Manchester United at &#39;wrong&#39; time: Jose Mourinho</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-beat-ac-milan-to-register-much-awaited-victory-35183">Arsenal beat AC Milan to register </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-beat-ac-milan-to-register-much-awaited-victory-35183">much-awaited</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-beat-ac-milan-to-register-much-awaited-victory-35183"> victory</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Cricket</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-registers-easy-win-against-new-zealand-to-clinch-series-35292">England registers easy win against New </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-registers-easy-win-against-new-zealand-to-clinch-series-35292">Zealand,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-england-registers-easy-win-against-new-zealand-to-clinch-series-35292"> clinches series</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-mushfiqur-rahim-performs-naagin-dance-on-ground-to-celebrate-victory-over-sri-lanka-35374">Watch: Mushfiqur Rahim performs &#39;Naagin dance&#39; to celebrate victory over Sri Lanka</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/warner-de-kock-fined-for-bringing-the-game-into-disrepute-35164">Warner, De Kock fined for &#39;bringing the game into disrepute&#39;</a>

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A leaked CCTV footage of the incident happened between Australian batsman David Warner and South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-bangladesh-t20i-nidahas-trophy-in-colombo-india-beat-bangladesh-by-six-wickets-35143">Nidahas T20I Trophy: India beat Bangladesh by six wickets</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/selecting-kohli-in-2008-ended-my-career-as-selector-claims-former-captain-vengsarkar-35159">&#39;Selecting Kohli in 2008 ended my career as selector&#39;, claims former captain Vengsarkar</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mohammed-shami-loses-bccis-player-contract-after-wife-alleges-domestic-abuse-35019">Mohammed Shami loses BCCI&#39;s player contract after wife alleges domestic abuse</a>

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Mohammed Shami and his wife Hasin Jahan. (Photo courtesy: Instagram) (Zee News Network)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-new-pay-contract-ms-dhoni-not-in-the-top-group-mohammed-shami-completely-excluded-35005">BCCI announces new pay contracts; MS Dhoni not in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-new-pay-contract-ms-dhoni-not-in-the-top-group-mohammed-shami-completely-excluded-35005">top</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-announces-new-pay-contract-ms-dhoni-not-in-the-top-group-mohammed-shami-completely-excluded-35005"> group, Mohammed Shami gets nothing</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-gautam-gambhir-appointed-delhi-daredevils-captain-34969">IPL: Gautam Gambhir appointed Delhi Daredevils captain</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-trophy-kusal-thisara-power-sri-lanka-to-5-wicket-victory-in-1st-t20-against-india-34927">Nidahas Trophy: Kusal, Thisara power Sri Lanka to 5-wicket victory in 1st T20 against India</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-australia-calls-bull-on-warner-tantrum-34829">Cricket: Australia calls &#39;&#39;Bull&#39;&#39; on Warner tantrum</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-bowler-nathan-lyon-fined-for-disrespecting-ab-de-villiers-34801">Australian bowler Nathan Lyon fined for &#39;disrespecting&#39; AB de Villiers</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/kagiso-rabada-faces-suspension-for-disrespecting-steve-smith-35308">Kagiso Rabada faces suspension for disrespecting Steve Smith</a>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/kagiso%20rabada%20and%20steve%20smith-20180310095018.jpg" />
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Kagiso Rabada walking towards Steve Smith. (Twitter)
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&nbsp;

<big>Golf</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/golf-englands-matt-wallace-claims-indian-open-title-35432">Golf: England&#39;s Matt Wallace claims Indian Open title</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/wgc-mexico-championship-mickelson-wins-indias-shubnakar-sharma-ties-at-9-34700">After leading WGC Mexico Championship, India&#39;s Shubnakar Sharma ties at 9th</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Tennis</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/taro-daniel-outplays-novak-djokovic-in-indian-wells-35446">Taro Daniel outplays Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/welcome-back-lady-serena-marks-winning-return-at-wta-indian-wells-35199">Serena Williams marks winning comeback at WTA Indian Wells</a>

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Serena Williams celebrates after winning. (Twitter)
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-serenas-comeback-her-greatest-challenge-says-coach-mouratoglou-34764">Serena&#39;s comeback her greatest challenge, says coach Mouratoglou</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-halep-pliskova-advance-muguruza-suffers-shock-defeat-35311">Halep, Pliskova advance, Muguruza suffers shock defeat</a>

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Simona Halep of Romania celebrates her win over Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic during the BNP Paribas Open. (AFP)
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&nbsp;

<big>Shooting</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-shooter-anjum-moudgil-wins-silver-35278">ISSF World Cup: Shooter Anjum Moudgil wins silver</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cbse-reschedules-10th-exams-dates-for-shooter-anish-bhanwala-35288">CBSE reschedules board exams dates for shooter Anish Bhanwala</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Winter Paralympics</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/winter-paralympics-two-koreas-wont-march-together-at-opening-ceremony-35191">Winter Paralympics: Two Koreas won&#39;t march together at </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/winter-paralympics-two-koreas-wont-march-together-at-opening-ceremony-35191">opening</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/winter-paralympics-two-koreas-wont-march-together-at-opening-ceremony-35191"> ceremony</a>

&nbsp;

<big>Others</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/new-badminton-serve-rule-a-tall-order-champs-say-35405">New badminton serve rule a tall order, say champs</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-legend-kobe-bryant-wins-oscar-for-best-animated-short-34818">NBA legend Kobe Bryant wins Oscar for best animated short</a>

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Kobe Bryant posing with the Oscar trophy. (AFP)
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Weekly compilation of sports and other related news (March 5 to March 11)

WION'S PICK OF THE WEEK Never let people limit your achievement because you are a woman: Mary Kom to WION Watch: Bill Gates teams up with Roger Federer for tennis match Roger Federer and Bill Gates during the practice session. (Twitter) × Opinion: 3 reasons why Sachin Tendulkar cannot be compared to Virat Kohli Watch: Jacob Moore accuses Larry Nassar of sexual abuse A Michigan gymnast became the first man to accuse Larry Nassar of sexual abuse on Monday (5 March). (AP) × Unusual celebrations by cricketers from the Indian subcontinent Remembering Vijay Hazare: The 'Bread-man and Bradman' of Indian cricket A file photo of Vijay Hazare. (Twitter) × Throwback to first and most remembered century in IPL history Watch: Brendon McCullum scored 158 off 73 balls in the inaugural match and registered the first century in IPL history#ipl https://t.co/4WYp3yTw50 — WION (@WIONews) March 11, 2018 × From Dhoni to Kohli, here's a list of all the leading run-scorers in IPL. Number 1 rank might surprise you (Zee News Network) × Football Griezmann, Angel, Vitolo shine as Atletico Madrid stroll past Celta Tottenham Hotspur beat Bournemouth to climb third place Sergio Aguero suffers injury, out for 2 weeks Rashford shines as Man United sink Liverpool Suarez, Coutinho inspire Barca to win against Malaga Chelsea register vital victory ahead of Barca clash Conte lauds Willian as Chelsea set sights on Barcelona Messi out of Barca squad to welcome baby 'Ciro' FC Barcelona striker shared a beautiful photo on social networking sites quoting, "Welcome Ciro!!''https://t.co/Ob8RMH6xm2 — WION (@WIONews) March 10, 2018 × Ronaldo strikes twice to defeat Eibar Barcelona set to buy Brazilian midfielder Arthur Real Madrid on song as PSG falter again in Champions League Messi just one in the world: FCB coach Ernesto Valverde Sanchez transferred to Manchester United at 'wrong' time: Jose Mourinho Arsenal beat AC Milan to register much-awaited victory Cricket England registers easy win against New Zealand, clinches series Watch: Mushfiqur Rahim performs 'Naagin dance' to celebrate victory over Sri Lanka Warner, De Kock fined for 'bringing the game into disrepute' A leaked CCTV footage of the incident happened between Australian batsman David Warner and South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock. (Twitter) × Nidahas T20I Trophy: India beat Bangladesh by six wickets 'Selecting Kohli in 2008 ended my career as selector', claims former captain Vengsarkar Mohammed Shami loses BCCI's player contract after wife alleges domestic abuse Mohammed Shami and his wife Hasin Jahan. (Photo courtesy: Instagram) (Zee News Network) × BCCI announces new pay contracts; MS Dhoni not in top group, Mohammed Shami gets nothing IPL: Gautam Gambhir appointed Delhi Daredevils captain Nidahas Trophy: Kusal, Thisara power Sri Lanka to 5-wicket victory in 1st T20 against India Cricket: Australia calls ''Bull'' on Warner tantrum Australian bowler Nathan Lyon fined for 'disrespecting' AB de Villiers Kagiso Rabada faces suspension for disrespecting Steve Smith Kagiso Rabada walking towards Steve Smith. (Twitter) × Golf Golf: England's Matt Wallace claims Indian Open title After leading WGC Mexico Championship, India's Shubnakar Sharma ties at 9th Tennis Taro Daniel outplays Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells Serena Williams marks winning comeback at WTA Indian Wells Serena Williams celebrates after winning. (Twitter) × Serena's comeback her greatest challenge, says coach Mouratoglou Halep, Pliskova advance, Muguruza suffers shock defeat Simona Halep of Romania celebrates her win over Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic during the BNP Paribas Open. (AFP) × Shooting ISSF World Cup: Shooter Anjum Moudgil wins silver CBSE reschedules board exams dates for shooter Anish Bhanwala Winter Paralympics Winter Paralympics: Two Koreas won't march together at opening ceremony Others New badminton serve rule a tall order, say champs NBA legend Kobe Bryant wins Oscar for best animated short Kobe Bryant posing with the Oscar trophy. (AFP) ×

England&#39;s Matt Wallace carded a four-under 68 to win the Indian Open golf Sunday after local favourite Shubhankar Sharma floundered in the final round to squander his joint overnight lead.

Wallace pipped compatriot Andrew Johnston in a playoff after tying on 11-under 277 at the end of the regulation 72 holes at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon.

&quot;I feel amazing. It was a hard week and a hard golf course but you can&#39;t be off your game,&quot; said Wallace after bagging his second European Tour title.

&quot;I think I played great, I didn&#39;t miss too many shots. It&#39;s satisfying to master the course.&quot;

Sharma, riding high after winning two European Tour titles in the last three months, slipped down the leaderboard to finish joint seventh after a three-over 75 in the last round.

&quot;I am disappointed obviously... these things happen and it&#39;s not an easy course,&quot; said the 21-year-old Sharma.

&quot;I was just trying to keep up with Matt (Wallace). He was playing so well. I made a bad swing on the fifth hole which put me out of contention.

&quot;I was trying to come back but I made another bad swing on the seventh. You can&#39;t really drop too many shots on this course and I dropped nine.&quot;

Despite his lacklustre show, Sharma continues to lead the European Tour Race to Dubai and the Asian Order of Merit.

Sharma&#39;s next big-ticket event will be the US Masters in April where he will be rubbing shoulders with the game&#39;s elite.

Sharma was invited for the Masters earlier this month, becoming just the fourth Indian ever to make it to the top-flight tournament.

&nbsp;

Matt Wallace carded a four-under 68 to win the Indian Open golf Sunday after local favourite Shubhankar Sharma floundered in the final round to squander his joint overnight lead

England's Matt Wallace carded a four-under 68 to win the Indian Open golf Sunday after local favourite Shubhankar Sharma floundered in the final round to squander his joint overnight lead. Wallace pipped compatriot Andrew Johnston in a playoff after tying on 11-under 277 at the end of the regulation 72 holes at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon. "I feel amazing. It was a hard week and a hard golf course but you can't be off your game," said Wallace after bagging his second European Tour title. "I think I played great, I didn't miss too many shots. It's satisfying to master the course." Sharma, riding high after winning two European Tour titles in the last three months, slipped down the leaderboard to finish joint seventh after a three-over 75 in the last round. "I am disappointed obviously... these things happen and it's not an easy course," said the 21-year-old Sharma. "I was just trying to keep up with Matt (Wallace). He was playing so well. I made a bad swing on the fifth hole which put me out of contention. "I was trying to come back but I made another bad swing on the seventh. You can't really drop too many shots on this course and I dropped nine." Despite his lacklustre show, Sharma continues to lead the European Tour Race to Dubai and the Asian Order of Merit. Sharma's next big-ticket event will be the US Masters in April where he will be rubbing shoulders with the game's elite. Sharma was invited for the Masters earlier this month, becoming just the fourth Indian ever to make it to the top-flight tournament.

Golf: England's Matt Wallace claims Indian Open title

Tiger Woods took the bite out of the &quot;Snake Pit&quot; in his Valspar Championship debut to sit three shots behind clubhouse leader Corey Conners of Canada in first round action at Palm Harbor, Florida on Thursday.

Woods, who two weeks ago at the Honda Classic enjoyed the most encouraging result of his latest comeback from injury, mixed five birdies with four bogeys for a one-under-par 70 at Innisbrook Resort&#39;s Copperhead course.

That left the former world number one, who had spinal-fusion surgery last April and only returned to the PGA Tour this year, ahead of some other high-profile players competing this week, including world number four Jordan Spieth (76), four-times major winner Rory McIlroy (74) and Swede Henrik Stenson (74).

Woods arrived at the 16th, which is the start of a daunting three-hole closing stretch dubbed the &quot;Snake Pit&quot;, with an eye on getting back into red figures and closing the gap on rookie Conners.

After scrambling for a par four, Woods then made birdie at the penultimate hole before a closing par left him in a share of eighth place with a handful of golfers still on the course.

For Woods, who was grouped with Spieth and Stenson, this week marks what is likely to be his penultimate event before the April 5-8 U.S. Masters.

The 14-times major champion got off to an ideal start with a tap-in birdie at the par-five first hole after nearly draining his flop shot from beside the green.

At even-par through nine holes, the 42-year-old Woods then made consecutive birdies to start the back nine but followed that immediately with a pair of bogeys.

Connors, who failed to qualify for the Valspar earlier this week and only made the field as an alternate, mixed five birdies with a closing bogey for the early lead.

Spieth began his round with a birdie but that was the only highlight of the day for the three-time major champion, who made five bogeys during a brutal seven-hole stretch starting at the par-four third.

Masters champion Sergio Garcia (70), who started on the back nine, reached three-under par through 12 holes but bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes took the shine off his round.

McIlroy, seeking his first PGA Tour win in 18 months, also started on the back nine and opened with 10 consecutive pars before a roller-coaster finish that included a double-bogey, two bogeys and a birdie.

Defending champion Adam Hadwin of Canada carded an even-par 71.

Tiger Woods mixed five birdies with four bogeys for a one-under-par 70 at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead course

Tiger Woods took the bite out of the "Snake Pit" in his Valspar Championship debut to sit three shots behind clubhouse leader Corey Conners of Canada in first round action at Palm Harbor, Florida on Thursday. Woods, who two weeks ago at the Honda Classic enjoyed the most encouraging result of his latest comeback from injury, mixed five birdies with four bogeys for a one-under-par 70 at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead course. That left the former world number one, who had spinal-fusion surgery last April and only returned to the PGA Tour this year, ahead of some other high-profile players competing this week, including world number four Jordan Spieth (76), four-times major winner Rory McIlroy (74) and Swede Henrik Stenson (74). Woods arrived at the 16th, which is the start of a daunting three-hole closing stretch dubbed the "Snake Pit", with an eye on getting back into red figures and closing the gap on rookie Conners. After scrambling for a par four, Woods then made birdie at the penultimate hole before a closing par left him in a share of eighth place with a handful of golfers still on the course. For Woods, who was grouped with Spieth and Stenson, this week marks what is likely to be his penultimate event before the April 5-8 U.S. Masters. The 14-times major champion got off to an ideal start with a tap-in birdie at the par-five first hole after nearly draining his flop shot from beside the green. At even-par through nine holes, the 42-year-old Woods then made consecutive birdies to start the back nine but followed that immediately with a pair of bogeys. Connors, who failed to qualify for the Valspar earlier this week and only made the field as an alternate, mixed five birdies with a closing bogey for the early lead. Spieth began his round with a birdie but that was the only highlight of the day for the three-time major champion, who made five bogeys during a brutal seven-hole stretch starting at the par-four third. Masters champion Sergio Garcia (70), who started on the back nine, reached three-under par through 12 holes but bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes took the shine off his round. McIlroy, seeking his first PGA Tour win in 18 months, also started on the back nine and opened with 10 consecutive pars before a roller-coaster finish that included a double-bogey, two bogeys and a birdie. Defending champion Adam Hadwin of Canada carded an even-par 71.

Golf: Tiger in the mix at Valspar, Spieth and McIlroy struggle

The 21-year-old golfing sensation from India, Shubhankar Sharma has made the nation proud. Shubhankar Sharma, who had shot to 75th in the world with two European Tour wins this season finished the WGC Mexico Championship on ninth position sharing it with Canada&#39;s Adam Hadwin and USA&#39;s Bubba Watson.

Until a day before round four, Shubhankar was leading with two-shot over four players, two of whom are legends - Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson, but Phil fought back and edged Justin Thomas in a playoff to win the WGC Mexico Championship, marking his first title in nearly five years.

Shubhankar, who was born five years after Mickelson turned pro, had finished the 2016 season ranked 517th in the world. He started his foreign tours at a tender age of 16. He has won European Tour twice that sent a warning to the golf world and registered his arrival.

He was ranked 75th when the Mexico Championship started as&nbsp;he leapfrogged Ariban Lahiri, the highest-ranked player from India.

Son of an army officer, Shubhankar&nbsp;has won European Tour twice hit the headlines in the&nbsp;golf world.

Earlier, Shubhankar&#39;s father, an ex-Colonel in the Indian Army said to a golf-based media firm, &quot;He started at seven and hasn&rsquo;t put the club down after that, he got hooked and married to the game, his temperament is in sync, he&rsquo;s calm, composed, humble and down to earth, and thinks golf is bigger than him, therefore he is always improving.&quot;

&quot;He will be world No-1 one day,&quot; he further added.

Watch here the highlights of&nbsp;round 4:

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Nearly ???? years in the making. 
 
???? Round 4 highlights from an amazing <a href="https://twitter.com/WGCMexico?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WGCMexico</a>. ???? <a href="https://t.co/IiBvZxN8EZ">pic.twitter.com/IiBvZxN8EZ</a>
&mdash; PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/970496811424038912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Until a day before the finals, Shubhankar was leading the game with two-shot over four players

The 21-year-old golfing sensation from India, Shubhankar Sharma has made the nation proud. Shubhankar Sharma, who had shot to 75th in the world with two European Tour wins this season finished the WGC Mexico Championship on ninth position sharing it with Canada's Adam Hadwin and USA's Bubba Watson. Until a day before round four, Shubhankar was leading with two-shot over four players, two of whom are legends - Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson, but Phil fought back and edged Justin Thomas in a playoff to win the WGC Mexico Championship, marking his first title in nearly five years. Shubhankar, who was born five years after Mickelson turned pro, had finished the 2016 season ranked 517th in the world. He started his foreign tours at a tender age of 16. He has won European Tour twice that sent a warning to the golf world and registered his arrival. He was ranked 75th when the Mexico Championship started as he leapfrogged Ariban Lahiri, the highest-ranked player from India. Son of an army officer, Shubhankar has won European Tour twice hit the headlines in the golf world. Earlier, Shubhankar's father, an ex-Colonel in the Indian Army said to a golf-based media firm, "He started at seven and hasn’t put the club down after that, he got hooked and married to the game, his temperament is in sync, he’s calm, composed, humble and down to earth, and thinks golf is bigger than him, therefore he is always improving." "He will be world No-1 one day," he further added. Watch here the highlights of round 4: Nearly ???? years in the making. ???? Round 4 highlights from an amazing @WGCMexico. ???? pic.twitter.com/IiBvZxN8EZ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 5, 2018 ×

After leading WGC Mexico Championship, India's Shubnakar Sharma ties at 9th

<big>WION&#39;S pick of the week</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-todays-virat-kohli-bears-resemblance-of-sachin-during-1998-33950">Opinion: Today&#39;s Virat Kohli bears </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-todays-virat-kohli-bears-resemblance-of-sachin-during-1998-33950">resemblance</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-todays-virat-kohli-bears-resemblance-of-sachin-during-1998-33950"> </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-todays-virat-kohli-bears-resemblance-of-sachin-during-1998-33950">of</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-todays-virat-kohli-bears-resemblance-of-sachin-during-1998-33950"> Sachin during 1998</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-why-ipl-franchises-are-adamant-about-hiring-foreign-rather-than-indian-coaches-34310">Opinion: Why IPL franchises are adamant about hiring foreign rather than Indian coaches</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-pak-boys-yorkers-impresses-wasim-akram-video-goes-viral-34502">Watch: &#39;Who is this boy,&#39; asks Wasim Akram, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-pak-boys-yorkers-impresses-wasim-akram-video-goes-viral-34502">video</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-pak-boys-yorkers-impresses-wasim-akram-video-goes-viral-34502"> goes viral</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/forget-sachin-stats-say-current-rate-virat-kohli-will-slam-more-than-130-tons-707">Forget Sachin, stats say @ current rate Virat Kohli will slam more than 130 tons</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/usain-bolt-to-clash-robbie-williams-at-old-trafford-for-football-match-34215">Now, Usain Bolt to clash against Robbie Williams in football</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/17-year-old-sensational-footballing-talent-from-brazil-8887">17-year-old sensational footballing talent from Brazil</a>

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Watch out for the young footballing diamond from Brazil soccer mines, 17-year-old Vinicius Junior (Twitter)
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&nbsp;

<big>HIGHLIGHTS</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/south-korea-brings-curtain-down-on-peace-games-34040">South Korea brings </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/south-korea-brings-curtain-down-on-peace-games-34040">curtain</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/south-korea-brings-curtain-down-on-peace-games-34040"> down on &#39;Peace Games&#39;</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pyeongchang-olympics-2018-highlights-of-closing-ceremony-8642">Pyeongchang Olympics 2018: Highlights of </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pyeongchang-olympics-2018-highlights-of-closing-ceremony-8642">closin</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/pyeongchang-olympics-2018-highlights-of-closing-ceremony-8642">g&nbsp;ceremony</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/pyeongchang-winter-olympics-2018-marks-glitzy-and-glorious-ending-34110">Watch: Pyeongchang Winter Olympics ends with fireworks; Norway, Germany finish on top</a>

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South Korea brought the curtain down on its &quot;Peace Games&quot; on Sunday (February 25), with winter sports athletes dancing and singing together at a vibrant closing ceremony. (AP,Reuters)
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&nbsp;

<big>RIP LEGENDS</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/british-athletics-great-roger-bannister-dies-aged-88-34637">Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, dies at 88</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fiorentina-captain-astori-dies-suddenly-club-says-34631">Davide Astori: Fiorentina captain and Italy international dies at the age of 31</a>

&nbsp;

<big>FOOTBALL</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/aguero-kompany-silva-inspire-city-to-win-first-trophy-of-guardiola-era-34056">Aguero, Kompany, Silva inspire City to win </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/aguero-kompany-silva-inspire-city-to-win-first-trophy-of-guardiola-era-34056">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/aguero-kompany-silva-inspire-city-to-win-first-trophy-of-guardiola-era-34056"> trophy of Guardiola era</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/messi-makes-difference-again-to-beat-atletico-madrid-34655">Messi makes difference again to beat Atletico Madrid</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/no-more-use-of-var-in-champions-league-aleksander-ceferin-34209">Champions League to drop </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/no-more-use-of-var-in-champions-league-aleksander-ceferin-34209">use</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/no-more-use-of-var-in-champions-league-aleksander-ceferin-34209"> of Video Assistant Referee</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/psg-striker-neymar-jr-suffers-metatarsal-fracture-34158">PSG&#39;s Neymar suffers </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/psg-striker-neymar-jr-suffers-metatarsal-fracture-34158">metatarsal</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/psg-striker-neymar-jr-suffers-metatarsal-fracture-34158"> fracture</a>

&nbsp;

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Metatarsal fractures tend to heal within six to eight weeks and the chances of Neymar&#39;s return in the second leg of Champions League is very slim (Twitter,Instagram)
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&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/croatian-footballer-luka-modric-charged-with-false-testimony-34523">Croatian footballer Luka Modric charged with false testimony</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/neymar-operation-of-injured-foot-ankle-went-perfectly-says-brazil-confederation-34583">Neymar&#39;s operation of injured foot &amp; ankle went perfectly, says Brazil confederation</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-born-carlos-cordeiro-appointed-president-of-us-soccer-federation-34086">Mumbai-born Carlos Cordeiro is </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-born-carlos-cordeiro-appointed-president-of-us-soccer-federation-34086">new</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mumbai-born-carlos-cordeiro-appointed-president-of-us-soccer-federation-34086"> chief of US Soccer Federation</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/video-assistant-referee-set-for-fifa-world-cup-2018-approval-34531">Video Assistant Referee set for FIFA World Cup approval</a>

&nbsp;

<big>CRICKET</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/morne-morkel-announces-retirement-from-all-forms-of-cricket-after-australia-series-34126">Morne Morkel announces retirement from all forms of cricket after Australia series</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-r-ashwin-announced-captain-of-kings-xi-punjab-34123">IPL 2018: R Ashwin announced captain of Kings XI Punjab</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/venkatesh-prasad-appointed-as-bowling-coach-of-kings-xi-punjab-34605">Venkatesh Prasad appointed as bowling coach of Kings XI Punjab</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/dinesh-karthik-to-lead-kolkata-knight-riders-in-ipl-2018-34601">Dinesh Karthik to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2018</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-diego-schwartzman-wins-rio-open-34054">Tennis: Diego Schwartzman wins Rio Open</a> 
 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/pv-sindhu-sakshi-malik-prefer-saree-over-trousers-at-commonwealth-games-ceremony-34188">PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik prefer saree over trousers at Commonwealth Games ceremony</a>

 
<big>TENNIS</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/roger-federer-sweeps-top-honours-at-laureus-awards-34316">Roger Federer sweeps top honours at Laureus Awards</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/del-potro-foils-anderson-to-claim-mexican-open-34607">Del Potro foils Anderson to claim Mexican Open</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/golf-phil-mickelson-wins-wgc-mexico-34663">Golf: Phil Mickelson wins WGC Mexico</a>

&nbsp;

<big>SHOOTING</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-16-year-old-manu-bhaker-grabs-gold-for-india-34676">ISSF World Cup: 16-year-old Manu Bhaker grabs gold for India</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-shooter-shahzar-rizvi-grabs-maiden-gold-jitu-rai-and-mehuli-ghosh-settle-for-bronze-34578">ISSF World Cup: Shooter Shahzar Rizvi grabs maiden gold, Jitu Rai and Mehuli Ghosh settle for bronze</a>

&nbsp;

<big>OTHERS</big>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ioc-has-lifted-olympic-ban-claims-russia-34360">IOC has lifted </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ioc-has-lifted-olympic-ban-claims-russia-34360">Olympic</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ioc-has-lifted-olympic-ban-claims-russia-34360"> ban, claims Russia</a>

 
&nbsp;

Weekly compilation of sports and other related news (February 26 to March 4)

WION'S pick of the week Opinion: Today's Virat Kohli bears resemblance of Sachin during 1998 Opinion: Why IPL franchises are adamant about hiring foreign rather than Indian coaches Watch: 'Who is this boy,' asks Wasim Akram, video goes viral Forget Sachin, stats say @ current rate Virat Kohli will slam more than 130 tons Now, Usain Bolt to clash against Robbie Williams in football 17-year-old sensational footballing talent from Brazil Watch out for the young footballing diamond from Brazil soccer mines, 17-year-old Vinicius Junior (Twitter) × HIGHLIGHTS South Korea brings curtain down on 'Peace Games' Pyeongchang Olympics 2018: Highlights of closing ceremony Watch: Pyeongchang Winter Olympics ends with fireworks; Norway, Germany finish on top South Korea brought the curtain down on its "Peace Games" on Sunday (February 25), with winter sports athletes dancing and singing together at a vibrant closing ceremony. (AP,Reuters) × RIP LEGENDS Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, dies at 88 Davide Astori: Fiorentina captain and Italy international dies at the age of 31 FOOTBALL Aguero, Kompany, Silva inspire City to win first trophy of Guardiola era Messi makes difference again to beat Atletico Madrid Champions League to drop use of Video Assistant Referee PSG's Neymar suffers metatarsal fracture Metatarsal fractures tend to heal within six to eight weeks and the chances of Neymar's return in the second leg of Champions League is very slim (Twitter,Instagram) × Croatian footballer Luka Modric charged with false testimony Neymar's operation of injured foot & ankle went perfectly, says Brazil confederation Mumbai-born Carlos Cordeiro is new chief of US Soccer Federation Video Assistant Referee set for FIFA World Cup approval CRICKET Morne Morkel announces retirement from all forms of cricket after Australia series IPL 2018: R Ashwin announced captain of Kings XI Punjab Venkatesh Prasad appointed as bowling coach of Kings XI Punjab Dinesh Karthik to lead Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2018 Tennis: Diego Schwartzman wins Rio Open PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik prefer saree over trousers at Commonwealth Games ceremony TENNIS Roger Federer sweeps top honours at Laureus Awards Del Potro foils Anderson to claim Mexican OpenGolf: Phil Mickelson wins WGC Mexico SHOOTING ISSF World Cup: 16-year-old Manu Bhaker grabs gold for India ISSF World Cup: Shooter Shahzar Rizvi grabs maiden gold, Jitu Rai and Mehuli Ghosh settle for bronze OTHERS IOC has lifted Olympic ban, claims Russia

Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson seized his first title in nearly five years on Sunday as he edged Justin Thomas in a playoff to win the WGC Mexico Championship.

Mickelson, who hadn&#39;t won since his victory at the Open Championship at Muirfield in 2013, parred the first playoff hole, the par-three 17th at Club de Golf Chapultepec, where Thomas missed the green and was unable to get up and down for par.

&quot;It&#39;s been a tough go the last four years, not playing my best,&quot; Mickelson said. &quot;But to have the belief that I was going to get there and finally break through and do it feels incredible.

&quot;I feel that more is to come,&quot; added the 47-year-old. &quot;I`m starting play some of my best golf.&quot;

The 24-year-old Thomas, one of the hottest young stars in golf and the reigning US PGA Tour Player of the Year, was coming off a victory at the Honda Classic last week.

He made six birdies and holed out from the fairway for an eagle at the 18th for a closing seven-under 64 that put him atop the leaderboard on 16-under 268.

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Your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WGCMexico?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WGCMexico</a> champ speaks to the media <a href="https://t.co/mQJQ8zf6un">https://t.co/mQJQ8zf6un</a>
&mdash; Mexico Championship (@WGCMexico) <a href="https://twitter.com/WGCMexico/status/970449184120811520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;PHIL PHIL PHIL!&quot; 
 
Phil Mickelson claims his first ???? in almost five years! Congrats on the <a href="https://twitter.com/WGCMexico?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WGCMexico</a> victory. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QuickHits?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QuickHits</a> <a href="https://t.co/Np8p59IqPc">pic.twitter.com/Np8p59IqPc</a>
&mdash; PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/970439036186722306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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With Thomas in the clubhouse with a two-stroke lead, Mickelson birdied 15 and 16 to reach 16-under and parred the last two holes to cap a 66 and force the decider.

England&#39;s Tyrrell Hatton was 16-under through 17 holes but bogeyed the last to miss the playoff.

His 67 left him tied for third on 269 with Spain`s Rafa Cabrera Bello (67).

Mickelson, whose drought stretched over 101 worldwide starts, had sounded a confident note when he finished the third round two shots off the 54-hole lead of India&#39;s Shubhankar Sharma.

He opened with back-to-back birdies, and after a three-putt bogey at the third birdied the fourth and sixth, adding another birdie at the 10th to hold sole possession of the lead on 15-under.

He gave a stroke back at the 11th, however, where his second shot ended up in the undergrowth between ivy-covered trees.When Thomas produced his finishing eagle it looked like, once again, Mickelson would miss out on a trip to the winner`s circle.

But a birdie at the par-five 15th and a birdie at 16 -- where he rolled in a 19-foot putt -- kept his chances alive.

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WOW. 
 
Phil Mickelson gets his first win in 5 years. Here&#39;s your 2018 Mexico Championship winner ???????? <a href="https://t.co/XLNP2cS3iO">pic.twitter.com/XLNP2cS3iO</a>
&mdash; Mexico Championship (@WGCMexico) <a href="https://twitter.com/WGCMexico/status/970441085314125824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;It just validates the hard work I&#39;ve put in and the struggle for the last few years to finally get my game back,&quot; Mickelson said.

He admitted he was nervous teeing off in the last group -- but said he welcomed the butterflies.

&quot;The thing about it is, I love the challenge,&quot; Mickelson said. &quot;To have something like this today makes it all worthwhile.&quot;

Although he won last week, Thomas got off to a rocky start at Chapultepec and was even through two rounds.

He roared up the leaderboard with a course-record 62 on Saturday.

&quot;If you would have told me I would have been in a playoff after two rounds, I would have told you were lying,&quot; said Thomas, whose five wins last season included his first major title at the PGA Championship.

&quot;But I played unbelievable golf these last two days. I&#39;m probably more proud of myself than I&#39;ve ever been. It takes a lot of patience and calmness to stay in it as much as I did.&quot;

Mickelson was also impressed with Thomas&#39;s weekend.

&quot;If you look at what Justin Thomas did this weekend, shooting 16-under on this golf course over two days -- just incredible,&quot; Mickelson said.

&quot;I know and respect and admire how great these young players are, and yet I welcome and cherish the opportunity to compete against them.&quot;

The unexpected youngster who dominated the headlines on Friday and Saturday, Sharma, just couldn&#39;t maintain his momentum on Sunday.

The 21-year-old who had shot to 75th in the world with two European Tour wins this season was trying to win in his first World Golf Championships start.

But he closed with a three-over 74 that included five bogeys and just two birdies and left him tied for ninth, six shots adrift. 
 
 
&nbsp;

India's Shubhankar Sharma, who had shot to 75th in the world with two European Tour wins this season is the runner-up

Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson seized his first title in nearly five years on Sunday as he edged Justin Thomas in a playoff to win the WGC Mexico Championship. Mickelson, who hadn't won since his victory at the Open Championship at Muirfield in 2013, parred the first playoff hole, the par-three 17th at Club de Golf Chapultepec, where Thomas missed the green and was unable to get up and down for par. "It's been a tough go the last four years, not playing my best," Mickelson said. "But to have the belief that I was going to get there and finally break through and do it feels incredible. "I feel that more is to come," added the 47-year-old. "I`m starting play some of my best golf." The 24-year-old Thomas, one of the hottest young stars in golf and the reigning US PGA Tour Player of the Year, was coming off a victory at the Honda Classic last week. He made six birdies and holed out from the fairway for an eagle at the 18th for a closing seven-under 64 that put him atop the leaderboard on 16-under 268. Your #WGCMexico champ speaks to the media https://t.co/mQJQ8zf6un — Mexico Championship (@WGCMexico) March 5, 2018 × "PHIL PHIL PHIL!" Phil Mickelson claims his first ???? in almost five years! Congrats on the @WGCMexico victory. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/Np8p59IqPc — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 4, 2018 × With Thomas in the clubhouse with a two-stroke lead, Mickelson birdied 15 and 16 to reach 16-under and parred the last two holes to cap a 66 and force the decider. England's Tyrrell Hatton was 16-under through 17 holes but bogeyed the last to miss the playoff. His 67 left him tied for third on 269 with Spain`s Rafa Cabrera Bello (67). Mickelson, whose drought stretched over 101 worldwide starts, had sounded a confident note when he finished the third round two shots off the 54-hole lead of India's Shubhankar Sharma. He opened with back-to-back birdies, and after a three-putt bogey at the third birdied the fourth and sixth, adding another birdie at the 10th to hold sole possession of the lead on 15-under. He gave a stroke back at the 11th, however, where his second shot ended up in the undergrowth between ivy-covered trees.When Thomas produced his finishing eagle it looked like, once again, Mickelson would miss out on a trip to the winner`s circle. But a birdie at the par-five 15th and a birdie at 16 -- where he rolled in a 19-foot putt -- kept his chances alive. WOW. Phil Mickelson gets his first win in 5 years. Here's your 2018 Mexico Championship winner ???????? pic.twitter.com/XLNP2cS3iO — Mexico Championship (@WGCMexico) March 4, 2018 × "It just validates the hard work I've put in and the struggle for the last few years to finally get my game back," Mickelson said. He admitted he was nervous teeing off in the last group -- but said he welcomed the butterflies. "The thing about it is, I love the challenge," Mickelson said. "To have something like this today makes it all worthwhile." Although he won last week, Thomas got off to a rocky start at Chapultepec and was even through two rounds. He roared up the leaderboard with a course-record 62 on Saturday. "If you would have told me I would have been in a playoff after two rounds, I would have told you were lying," said Thomas, whose five wins last season included his first major title at the PGA Championship. "But I played unbelievable golf these last two days. I'm probably more proud of myself than I've ever been. It takes a lot of patience and calmness to stay in it as much as I did." Mickelson was also impressed with Thomas's weekend. "If you look at what Justin Thomas did this weekend, shooting 16-under on this golf course over two days -- just incredible," Mickelson said. "I know and respect and admire how great these young players are, and yet I welcome and cherish the opportunity to compete against them." The unexpected youngster who dominated the headlines on Friday and Saturday, Sharma, just couldn't maintain his momentum on Sunday. The 21-year-old who had shot to 75th in the world with two European Tour wins this season was trying to win in his first World Golf Championships start. But he closed with a three-over 74 that included five bogeys and just two birdies and left him tied for ninth, six shots adrift.

Golf: Phil Mickelson wins WGC Mexico

India&#39;s Shubhankar Sharma survived some shaky moments to maintain his two-shot lead at the WGC Mexico Championship after the third round on Saturday.

Sharma, the 21-year-old Asian Tour Order of Merit leader whose European Tour wins this season at Johannesburg and the Maybank Championship have propelled him to number 75 in the world, is making his first start in an elite World Golf Championships event.

He&#39;s vying to break into the top 50 in time to earn a Masters berth. With a win on Sunday he would become the youngest player to win a WGC event, eclipsing the mark of Patrick Reed who won the 2014 WGC Mexico Championship at 23 years old.

&quot;I don&#39;t really want to think about it,&quot; Sharma said. &quot;That would put too much pressure on me. I just want to go ahead and enjoy myself.

&quot;Tomorrow will be a lot of fun with a lot of good players in the mix.&quot;

Sharma hit 11 of 14 fairways &ndash; his highest total of the week &ndash; and 10 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round.

He had five birdies and three bogeys in his two-under par 69 at Club de Golf Chapultepec near Mexico City, where his 13-under par total of 200 put him two clear of five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, reigning Masters champion Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton and Rafa Cabrera Bello.

World number one and defending champion Dustin Johnson headed a group on 203 that also included 2017 US PGA Tour rookie of the year Xander Schauffele, Pat Perez and Brian Harman.

Mickelson poised to strike

Sharma, leading by two to start the day, made a quick start with three birdies in his first six holes. He bounced back from a bogey at the eighth with a birdie at 11, but surrendered a shot at 13.

He rolled in a 16-foot birdie putt at 14 to reclaim sole possession of the lead, and he was two clear even after his bogey at 16.

He closed with a tremendous par save at the last, calmly rolling in a 15-foot putt to maintain his cushion as he tries to become the first player since Jim Benepe at the 1988 Western Open to win a first US PGA Tour title in his tour debut.

&quot;I got off to a great start,&quot; Sharma said. &quot;Made a few mistakes coming in, but I&#39;ve done a fairly good job of the distances and the yardages.&quot;

Sharma will tee off on Sunday alongside Hatton and Mickelson. Hatton carded a 64 to join the group sharing second while the 43-year-old Mickelson posted a bogey-free 65.

Mickelson, chasing his first title wince the 2013 British Open, arrived in Mexico buoyed by three straight top-10 finishes.

&quot;It&#39;s been a long time since my game&#39;s been back to this point,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#39;m back playing some of my best golf again.&quot;

Mickelson said he wouldn&#39;t get too concerned about whether that translates to a victory on Sunday.

&quot;If it doesn&#39;t, it&#39;s going to happen soon because I&#39;m playing too well for it not to,&quot; he said.

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Sharma, the 21-year-old Asian Tour Order of Merit leader is making his first start in an elite World Golf Championships event

India's Shubhankar Sharma survived some shaky moments to maintain his two-shot lead at the WGC Mexico Championship after the third round on Saturday. Sharma, the 21-year-old Asian Tour Order of Merit leader whose European Tour wins this season at Johannesburg and the Maybank Championship have propelled him to number 75 in the world, is making his first start in an elite World Golf Championships event. He's vying to break into the top 50 in time to earn a Masters berth. With a win on Sunday he would become the youngest player to win a WGC event, eclipsing the mark of Patrick Reed who won the 2014 WGC Mexico Championship at 23 years old. "I don't really want to think about it," Sharma said. "That would put too much pressure on me. I just want to go ahead and enjoy myself. "Tomorrow will be a lot of fun with a lot of good players in the mix." Sharma hit 11 of 14 fairways – his highest total of the week – and 10 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round. He had five birdies and three bogeys in his two-under par 69 at Club de Golf Chapultepec near Mexico City, where his 13-under par total of 200 put him two clear of five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, reigning Masters champion Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton and Rafa Cabrera Bello. World number one and defending champion Dustin Johnson headed a group on 203 that also included 2017 US PGA Tour rookie of the year Xander Schauffele, Pat Perez and Brian Harman. Mickelson poised to strike Sharma, leading by two to start the day, made a quick start with three birdies in his first six holes. He bounced back from a bogey at the eighth with a birdie at 11, but surrendered a shot at 13. He rolled in a 16-foot birdie putt at 14 to reclaim sole possession of the lead, and he was two clear even after his bogey at 16. He closed with a tremendous par save at the last, calmly rolling in a 15-foot putt to maintain his cushion as he tries to become the first player since Jim Benepe at the 1988 Western Open to win a first US PGA Tour title in his tour debut. "I got off to a great start," Sharma said. "Made a few mistakes coming in, but I've done a fairly good job of the distances and the yardages." Sharma will tee off on Sunday alongside Hatton and Mickelson. Hatton carded a 64 to join the group sharing second while the 43-year-old Mickelson posted a bogey-free 65. Mickelson, chasing his first title wince the 2013 British Open, arrived in Mexico buoyed by three straight top-10 finishes. "It's been a long time since my game's been back to this point," he said. "I'm back playing some of my best golf again." Mickelson said he wouldn't get too concerned about whether that translates to a victory on Sunday. "If it doesn't, it's going to happen soon because I'm playing too well for it not to," he said.

Golf: Shubhankar Sharma maintains WGC Mexico lead

Tiger Woods has committed to playing consecutive weeks at the next two PGA Tour events in what will likely be his final tournaments ahead of next month&#39;s U.S. Masters, the former world number one said on Friday.

Woods, who has played three official events since returning this year after spinal fusion surgery 10 months ago, said on Twitter that he will be at next week&#39;s Valspar Championship followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

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After a good recovery week I&rsquo;m committing to play in the <a href="https://twitter.com/ValsparChamp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ValsparChamp</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/APinv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@APinv</a> next two weeks.
&mdash; Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/969596926919397376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The commitment to Valspar, which is held in Palm Harbor, Florida, is somewhat surprising given that Woods, 42, has never played the event before.

He was, however, widely expected to be at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he is an eight-time winner. It will be Woods&#39; first start in the event since 2013.

Woods had the most encouraging result of his comeback at last week&#39;s Honda Classic where he earned a share of 12th place. It marked his best PGA Tour result since a tie for 10th at the 2015 Wyndham Championship.

Woods, who is ranked 389th in the world rankings, has said he needs more &quot;tournament reps&quot; to be ready for the Masters but eligibility issues will limit the number of events he can play between now and April.

The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play event is held the week following the Arnold Palmer Invitational but Woods is not eligible as it consists of the world&#39;s top 64 players as of March 11.

The following week is the Houston Open, which is the final Masters tuneup, but Woods has never played the event or the week before the year&#39;s first major, which will be played at Augusta National from April 5-8.

Tiger Woods has played three official events since returning this year after spinal fusion surgery 10 months ago

Tiger Woods has committed to playing consecutive weeks at the next two PGA Tour events in what will likely be his final tournaments ahead of next month's U.S. Masters, the former world number one said on Friday. Woods, who has played three official events since returning this year after spinal fusion surgery 10 months ago, said on Twitter that he will be at next week's Valspar Championship followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational. After a good recovery week I’m committing to play in the @ValsparChamp and @APinv next two weeks. — Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 2, 2018 × The commitment to Valspar, which is held in Palm Harbor, Florida, is somewhat surprising given that Woods, 42, has never played the event before. He was, however, widely expected to be at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he is an eight-time winner. It will be Woods' first start in the event since 2013. Woods had the most encouraging result of his comeback at last week's Honda Classic where he earned a share of 12th place. It marked his best PGA Tour result since a tie for 10th at the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Woods, who is ranked 389th in the world rankings, has said he needs more "tournament reps" to be ready for the Masters but eligibility issues will limit the number of events he can play between now and April. The World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play event is held the week following the Arnold Palmer Invitational but Woods is not eligible as it consists of the world's top 64 players as of March 11. The following week is the Houston Open, which is the final Masters tuneup, but Woods has never played the event or the week before the year's first major, which will be played at Augusta National from April 5-8.

Tiger Woods commits to two more events before Masters

Tiger Woods capped an encouraging return to US PGA Tour action with an even-par 72 on Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open.

The former world number one was tied for 27th when he walked off his final green, the par-five ninth, on a Torrey Pines South Course where Woods&#39;s eight victories include his 14th and most recent major title at the 2008 US Open.

&quot;Today I played a lot better,&quot; said Woods, who had four birdies and four bogeys in a round that gave him a three-under-par total of 285.

&quot;It was tough conditions out there,&quot; he added of the gusting winds. &quot;It was tough scoring.&quot;

Woods was playing his first US tour event since missing the cut at Torrey Pines last year.

He had missed all of 2016 with back trouble, and his comeback bid last year was cut short by recurring pain and spinal fusion surgery in April.

Woods hit just 17 of 56 greens all week, but he displayed a deft touch around the greens and solid putting to bring it in under par.

Most importantly, there was no sign of any back trouble as he looks ahead to his next scheduled start at Riviera in Los Angeles February 15-18.

Solid four days

&quot;Very pleased,&quot; said Woods, who hadn&#39;t made the cut in a PGA Tour event since his tie for 10th at the Wyndham Championship in August of 2015.

&quot;After not playing for a couple of years to come out here on the Tour and really play a solid four days -- I fought hard for these scores.&quot;

Woods said before the tournament that his expectations were &quot;tempered.&quot;

But after rounds of 72-71-70, he said he went out Sunday -- clad in his traditional final-round red and black -- with an ambitious number in mind.

&quot;I wanted to shoot something around 65 -- thought that would be a playoff number,&quot; Woods said.

For the first time all week, Woods put his opening tee shot in the fairway en route to a par at the 10th.

Although he again hit just three of 14 fairways, Woods&#39;s misses weren&#39;t as wild as those of Friday and Saturday.

A birdie chance at 13 went begging when an over-eager fan in the immense gallery following Woods yelled as he stroked his 10-footer.

But Woods, clearly angry, shook it off to roll in a 12-footer for birdie at 14.

That launched a sequence of birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie, with Woods rolling in a five-footer at the 18th.

He reached five-under for the tournament -- and broke into the top 20 on the leaderboard -- with a birdie at the second before two bogeys coming home.

&quot;I&#39;m excited to get this one under my belt,&quot; said Woods, adding that until his next start he&#39;ll be working on &quot;everything.&quot;

As Woods wrapped up his round, Sweden&#39;s Alex Noren was clinging to the lead on 12-under par through 11 holes, with former world number one Jason Day, Ryan Palmer and J.B. Holmes all at 11-under on the back nine.

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He had missed all of 2016 with back trouble, and his comeback bid last year was cut short by recurring pain and spinal fusion surgery in April

Tiger Woods capped an encouraging return to US PGA Tour action with an even-par 72 on Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open. The former world number one was tied for 27th when he walked off his final green, the par-five ninth, on a Torrey Pines South Course where Woods's eight victories include his 14th and most recent major title at the 2008 US Open. "Today I played a lot better," said Woods, who had four birdies and four bogeys in a round that gave him a three-under-par total of 285. "It was tough conditions out there," he added of the gusting winds. "It was tough scoring." Woods was playing his first US tour event since missing the cut at Torrey Pines last year. He had missed all of 2016 with back trouble, and his comeback bid last year was cut short by recurring pain and spinal fusion surgery in April. Woods hit just 17 of 56 greens all week, but he displayed a deft touch around the greens and solid putting to bring it in under par. Most importantly, there was no sign of any back trouble as he looks ahead to his next scheduled start at Riviera in Los Angeles February 15-18. Solid four days "Very pleased," said Woods, who hadn't made the cut in a PGA Tour event since his tie for 10th at the Wyndham Championship in August of 2015. "After not playing for a couple of years to come out here on the Tour and really play a solid four days -- I fought hard for these scores." Woods said before the tournament that his expectations were "tempered." But after rounds of 72-71-70, he said he went out Sunday -- clad in his traditional final-round red and black -- with an ambitious number in mind. "I wanted to shoot something around 65 -- thought that would be a playoff number," Woods said. For the first time all week, Woods put his opening tee shot in the fairway en route to a par at the 10th. Although he again hit just three of 14 fairways, Woods's misses weren't as wild as those of Friday and Saturday. A birdie chance at 13 went begging when an over-eager fan in the immense gallery following Woods yelled as he stroked his 10-footer. But Woods, clearly angry, shook it off to roll in a 12-footer for birdie at 14. That launched a sequence of birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie, with Woods rolling in a five-footer at the 18th. He reached five-under for the tournament -- and broke into the top 20 on the leaderboard -- with a birdie at the second before two bogeys coming home. "I'm excited to get this one under my belt," said Woods, adding that until his next start he'll be working on "everything." As Woods wrapped up his round, Sweden's Alex Noren was clinging to the lead on 12-under par through 11 holes, with former world number one Jason Day, Ryan Palmer and J.B. Holmes all at 11-under on the back nine.

Golf: 'Pleased' Woods seals return with even par 72

Shubhankar Sharma became the first Indian golfer to clinch the Joburg Open today, his maiden European Tour title that also earned him a ticket to the prestigious British Open next year.

The 21-year-old closed with a three-under 69 and was bogey-free in the final 54 holes as he ended his first tournament in South Africa with an impressive winning total of 23-under 264 at the Randpark Golf Club.

Sharma defeated home favourite Erik van Rooyen (66) by three shots to claim the trophy, which was sanctioned by the Asian Tour as well.

&quot;It feels fantastic. I&#39;m glad I made the decision to come here after thinking about not coming. It has been absolutely fantastic and the people are very welcoming. I don&#39;t think I will ever forget this week. This is my first win on the Asian Tour and the European Tour so it means a lot to me,&quot; he said.

&quot;Playing in The Open is everyone&#39;s dream. Personally it is my favourite Major championship. I&#39;ve watched it every year on television and to be playing in it next year is absolutely fantastic,&quot; he added.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Shaun Norris (65) of South Africa and Tapio Pulkkanen of Finland settled for third place at the event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour.

Van Rooyen booked a spot at Carnoustie and he will be joined by countryman Norris, who earned his second appearance at The Open after being ranked higher than Pulkkanen on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Sharma, on the ninth hole overnight, returned to strike a birdie before parring his way home for a 69 to become the first Asian and Indian golfer to win the 16.5 million rands (approximately USD 1.2 million) event.

The victory made more special for the talented Indian as he won in the country of his golfing idol Ernie Els, who he met as an 11-year-old boy at the Delhi Golf Club in 2007.

Sharma caught the attention of Els at a golf clinic and after watching him hit a seven iron, the &#39;Big Easy&#39; gave him an autographed business card and said, &quot;Well when you grow up, I&#39;ll be your agent&quot;.

&quot;The only thing I was telling myself was to stay aggressive. I never wanted to be defensive. Even when I was leading I never thought of defending my lead. I actually set a target of 25-under and I only shot a 23-under (laughs),&quot; he said.

&quot;After yesterday&#39;s rain delay I was walking back to the clubhouse and I saw Erik (van Rooyen) had just hit it to two feet so that was a birdie and it would narrow the gap to three shots. In golf, three shots is nothing. We&#39;ve seen people drop shots,&quot; he added.

Sharma said he wants to meet Els again at some stage in his career.

&quot;I would love to play in the South African Open and meet Ernie Els. I met him in Macao two years back. He is such a wonderful guy, not only in South Africa but in world golf. What happened to me in 2007 obviously changed everything for me.

&quot;I was so happy and I framed the card. It just shows that small things from great players like him goes a long way. I was only an 11-year-old boy back then,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Sharma defeated home favourite Erik van Rooyen by three shots to claim the trophy

Shubhankar Sharma became the first Indian golfer to clinch the Joburg Open today, his maiden European Tour title that also earned him a ticket to the prestigious British Open next year. The 21-year-old closed with a three-under 69 and was bogey-free in the final 54 holes as he ended his first tournament in South Africa with an impressive winning total of 23-under 264 at the Randpark Golf Club. Sharma defeated home favourite Erik van Rooyen (66) by three shots to claim the trophy, which was sanctioned by the Asian Tour as well. "It feels fantastic. I'm glad I made the decision to come here after thinking about not coming. It has been absolutely fantastic and the people are very welcoming. I don't think I will ever forget this week. This is my first win on the Asian Tour and the European Tour so it means a lot to me," he said. "Playing in The Open is everyone's dream. Personally it is my favourite Major championship. I've watched it every year on television and to be playing in it next year is absolutely fantastic," he added. Two-time Asian Tour winner Shaun Norris (65) of South Africa and Tapio Pulkkanen of Finland settled for third place at the event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Sunshine Tour. Van Rooyen booked a spot at Carnoustie and he will be joined by countryman Norris, who earned his second appearance at The Open after being ranked higher than Pulkkanen on the Official World Golf Ranking. Sharma, on the ninth hole overnight, returned to strike a birdie before parring his way home for a 69 to become the first Asian and Indian golfer to win the 16.5 million rands (approximately USD 1.2 million) event. The victory made more special for the talented Indian as he won in the country of his golfing idol Ernie Els, who he met as an 11-year-old boy at the Delhi Golf Club in 2007. Sharma caught the attention of Els at a golf clinic and after watching him hit a seven iron, the 'Big Easy' gave him an autographed business card and said, "Well when you grow up, I'll be your agent". "The only thing I was telling myself was to stay aggressive. I never wanted to be defensive. Even when I was leading I never thought of defending my lead. I actually set a target of 25-under and I only shot a 23-under (laughs)," he said. "After yesterday's rain delay I was walking back to the clubhouse and I saw Erik (van Rooyen) had just hit it to two feet so that was a birdie and it would narrow the gap to three shots. In golf, three shots is nothing. We've seen people drop shots," he added. Sharma said he wants to meet Els again at some stage in his career. "I would love to play in the South African Open and meet Ernie Els. I met him in Macao two years back. He is such a wonderful guy, not only in South Africa but in world golf. What happened to me in 2007 obviously changed everything for me. "I was so happy and I framed the card. It just shows that small things from great players like him goes a long way. I was only an 11-year-old boy back then," he added.

India's Shubhankar Sharma wins Joburg Open with total score of 23 under par

Tiger Woods dazzled in his much-anticipated return from injury on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas where the former world number one flashed a fist pump and did not seem bothered by his troublesome back.

Woods, competing for the first time after a near 10-month layoff during which he had spinal fusion surgery, appeared pain-free at the Albany course on the island of New Providence where he mixed five birdies with two bogeys for a three-under-par 69.

That left him in a four-way share of eighth place and three shots behind Britain&#39;s Tommy Fleetwood after the first round of the elite 18-man event featuring eight of the world&#39;s top 10.

&quot;I didn`t know what I could do,&quot; Woods told Golf Channel. &quot;I&#39;ve been playing a lot of holes at home, but it&#39;s a little different when you have to tee it up in a tournament.&quot;

Woods, who two months ago said he was only hitting 60-yard shots, drove mostly well off the tee, made some solid putts and impressive par saves but at times also let out expletives and slammed his club in frustration. 
 
Riding high after a pair of consecutive birdies, Woods was two shots off the lead at the par-five 15th hole when his tee shot sailed far right. He took a drop and went on to two-putt for his second bogey of the day. 
 
From there he went on to close out with a trio of pars to cap a round that showed, perhaps, that the 14-times major champion still has plenty left.

Missed putts

After narrowly missing birdie putts on his opening two holes Woods hit his approach shot at the par-five third to about 40 feet and went on to tap in for birdie. 
 
On the next hole Woods caught his chip heavy and was left with a 15-footer from just off the green from where he coolly rolled his ball into the middle of the cup for par before pumping his right fist to the delight of the cheering gallery.

Woods, who turns 42 on December 30, delivered a more subdued fist pump at the par-three eighth where he rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt after his tee shot settled on the edge of the green. 
Playing alongside friend and FedExCup champion Justin Thomas, Woods, dressed in black with a white hat, showed his first bit of frustration at the par-five ninth when, after failing to reach the green in two, he made a mess of a chip.

Despite being about 30 feet from the cup after two shots Woods settled for his first bogey of the day to reach the turn in one-under 35. 
Woods responded nicely with a birdie from 15 feet at the next hole.

Best chip

After his tee shot at the par-three 12th sailed wide right and into rough, Woods promptly slammed his club to the ground but quickly calmed down and delivered perhaps his best chip of the day to within four feet for a solid up and down.

He carried that momentum to the next hole where he rolled in his fourth birdie of the day, this time from 22 feet. Woods laid up off the tee at the par-four 14th, then delivered a stunning wedge shot from 88 yards that settled about two feet from the cup, leading to his second consecutive birdie. It appeared that Woods was about to make a charge to the top of the leaderboard at this point until his errant tee shot at 15 took the wind out of his sails.

&quot;I felt rusty starting after a month and half (off) so I can&#39;t imagine what it felt like for him,&quot; said Thomas, who also carded a 69.&nbsp;

&quot;He played well. I truly felt like he was going to play well just from when we played and then practice around here.&quot;

A 79-times winner on the PGA Tour who was world number one for a record 683 weeks, Woods lost form in recent years due to injuries and his ranking has plummeted to 1,199th.

This marks the second consecutive season that Woods has made his return to action at the tournament after a lengthy absence. He finished 15th in the 17-man field 12 months ago after a 15-month layoff. Woods then missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January and withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic the following week because of a back spasm.

Woods competed at the Hero World Challengefor the first time after a near 10-month layoff during which he had spinal fusion surgery.

Tiger Woods dazzled in his much-anticipated return from injury on Thursday at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas where the former world number one flashed a fist pump and did not seem bothered by his troublesome back. Woods, competing for the first time after a near 10-month layoff during which he had spinal fusion surgery, appeared pain-free at the Albany course on the island of New Providence where he mixed five birdies with two bogeys for a three-under-par 69. That left him in a four-way share of eighth place and three shots behind Britain's Tommy Fleetwood after the first round of the elite 18-man event featuring eight of the world's top 10. "I didn`t know what I could do," Woods told Golf Channel. "I've been playing a lot of holes at home, but it's a little different when you have to tee it up in a tournament." Woods, who two months ago said he was only hitting 60-yard shots, drove mostly well off the tee, made some solid putts and impressive par saves but at times also let out expletives and slammed his club in frustration. Riding high after a pair of consecutive birdies, Woods was two shots off the lead at the par-five 15th hole when his tee shot sailed far right. He took a drop and went on to two-putt for his second bogey of the day. From there he went on to close out with a trio of pars to cap a round that showed, perhaps, that the 14-times major champion still has plenty left. Missed putts After narrowly missing birdie putts on his opening two holes Woods hit his approach shot at the par-five third to about 40 feet and went on to tap in for birdie. On the next hole Woods caught his chip heavy and was left with a 15-footer from just off the green from where he coolly rolled his ball into the middle of the cup for par before pumping his right fist to the delight of the cheering gallery. Woods, who turns 42 on December 30, delivered a more subdued fist pump at the par-three eighth where he rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt after his tee shot settled on the edge of the green. Playing alongside friend and FedExCup champion Justin Thomas, Woods, dressed in black with a white hat, showed his first bit of frustration at the par-five ninth when, after failing to reach the green in two, he made a mess of a chip. Despite being about 30 feet from the cup after two shots Woods settled for his first bogey of the day to reach the turn in one-under 35. Woods responded nicely with a birdie from 15 feet at the next hole. Best chip After his tee shot at the par-three 12th sailed wide right and into rough, Woods promptly slammed his club to the ground but quickly calmed down and delivered perhaps his best chip of the day to within four feet for a solid up and down. He carried that momentum to the next hole where he rolled in his fourth birdie of the day, this time from 22 feet. Woods laid up off the tee at the par-four 14th, then delivered a stunning wedge shot from 88 yards that settled about two feet from the cup, leading to his second consecutive birdie. It appeared that Woods was about to make a charge to the top of the leaderboard at this point until his errant tee shot at 15 took the wind out of his sails. "I felt rusty starting after a month and half (off) so I can't imagine what it felt like for him," said Thomas, who also carded a 69. "He played well. I truly felt like he was going to play well just from when we played and then practice around here." A 79-times winner on the PGA Tour who was world number one for a record 683 weeks, Woods lost form in recent years due to injuries and his ranking has plummeted to 1,199th. This marks the second consecutive season that Woods has made his return to action at the tournament after a lengthy absence. He finished 15th in the 17-man field 12 months ago after a 15-month layoff. Woods then missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January and withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic the following week because of a back spasm.

Tiger Woods dazzles in long-awaited return from injury

Japan is going all out to welcome US president&nbsp;Donald Trump during his visit to the country next week with top golfer&nbsp;Hideki&nbsp;Matsuyama&nbsp;and&nbsp;Pikotaro, singer behind the 2016 online pop hit,&nbsp;set to&nbsp;entertain the president during his high-profile Asia tour.&nbsp;

Matsuyama, a five-time&nbsp;PGA tour champion, will accompany Trump and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe with a few games of golf in Tokyo.&nbsp;

Trump, Abe and Matsuyama are scheduled to tee off on November&nbsp;5 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe.&nbsp;

Reports said PM&nbsp;Abe had told Trump that he adored the video of Arabella singing the PPAP&nbsp;song during a meeting&nbsp;after Trump won the US presidency.

A video displaying&nbsp;Ivanka Trump&rsquo;s daughter Arabella, singing along to &ldquo;Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen&rdquo; had gone&nbsp;viral in November last year.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM1SSaygBUb/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Apologies in advance&mdash;this may be stuck in your head all day. #PineapplePen ??????</a>

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Trump will visit Japan between November 5 to 7 as part of the first leg of a five-nation Asia tour, his first official trip to the region.

The 12-day trip will also cover&nbsp;South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Trump will visit Japan between Nov 5 to 7 in the first leg of a five-nation Asia tour, his first official trip to the region.

Japan is going all out to welcome US president Donald Trump during his visit to the country next week with top golfer Hideki Matsuyama and Pikotaro, singer behind the 2016 online pop hit, set to entertain the president during his high-profile Asia tour. Matsuyama, a five-time PGA tour champion, will accompany Trump and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe with a few games of golf in Tokyo. Trump, Abe and Matsuyama are scheduled to tee off on November 5 at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe. Reports said PM Abe had told Trump that he adored the video of Arabella singing the PPAP song during a meeting after Trump won the US presidency. A video displaying Ivanka Trump’s daughter Arabella, singing along to “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen” had gone viral in November last year. Apologies in advance—this may be stuck in your head all day. #PineapplePen ?????? A post shared by Ivanka Trump (@ivankatrump) on Nov 15, 2016 at 5:32am PST × Trump will visit Japan between November 5 to 7 as part of the first leg of a five-nation Asia tour, his first official trip to the region. The 12-day trip will also cover South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Singer Pikotaro and Golfer Matsuyama to entertain Trump during Japan visit

United States Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk admitted Tuesday his young team will have &quot;25 years of scars to overcome&quot; when they bid for a first win on European soil since 1993 next year in Paris.

The US are the holders of the Ryder Cup after their victory at Hazeltine last year but have suffered five successive away defeats.

&quot;We have 25 years of scars to overcome,&quot; Furyk told a press conference in the French capital.

&quot;But that being said, I will have a lot of young talent on my team and I&#39;m anxious to see how they handle that challenge.

&quot;And surely, Europe has handled those away matches far better for the last 25 years than we have. So we might have to take a page from their book and try and figure it out.&quot;

Furyk, 47, was part of the American sides for all five of those losses in Europe between 1997-2014, but he hopes the exciting young raft of US golfers can help turn things around.

Americans Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas all won major championships this year, with Koepka the oldest of the three at just 27.

&quot;I&#39;d like to see how those young guys react, and hopefully we&#39;ll react better than we have done in the past,&quot; added Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion.

In contrast to his American counterpart, European skipper Thomas Bjorn only tasted Ryder Cup defeat for the first time last year as vice-captain to Darren Clarke, after three wins from three as a player in 1997, 2002 and 2014.

&quot;I&#39;m a professional athlete; losing always hurts,&quot; said the Dane.

&quot;You&#39;ve got to look at Hazeltine ... there was certainly a transition on the European team and an American team that played unbelievably well, and it became a very difficult task for Darren and the team from earlier on in the week.

&quot;And sometimes, I think we lose track about that there&#39;s two extremely capable sides standing across from each other, and there&#39;s only one that can win.&nbsp;

&quot;And it was the Americans&#39; turn to win. They played better than we did.&quot;

- Home comforts for Europe -

The Albatros course at Le Golf National is well known to many of Bjorn&#39;s key players, who often play the French Open on the European Tour.

&quot;We love this golf course. We love this city,&quot; added Bjorn.

&quot;We&#39;ve come here for many years, and we believe that we are going to bring a team here that can win on that golf course.&nbsp;

&quot;I believe we could win on any golf course in the world, but there is a home advantage in the sense that we know the golf course very well.&quot;

Home advantage has made a big difference in recent Ryder Cups, with the Americans benefiting from generous fairways, low-cut rough and fast greens in Minnesota.

Furyk will ask his players to play the course next summer, but wouldn&#39;t make it a requirement.

&quot;Depending on their schedule, I will put an invite out,&quot; he said.

&quot;I will try to schedule a time... If the players can make the trip and would like to make the trip.&quot;

Furyk also said 14-time major champion Tiger Woods, who has been cleared by doctors to start hitting full practice shots after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a back injury, could play some role in Paris.

&quot;I will say that Tiger Woods is a great resource and would be a welcome to the team, whether that would be as a playing personnel or whether that would be as a vice captain,&quot; he said.

United States Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk admitted his young team will have '25 years of scars to overcome' at a press conference in French Capital

United States Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk admitted Tuesday his young team will have "25 years of scars to overcome" when they bid for a first win on European soil since 1993 next year in Paris. The US are the holders of the Ryder Cup after their victory at Hazeltine last year but have suffered five successive away defeats. "We have 25 years of scars to overcome," Furyk told a press conference in the French capital. "But that being said, I will have a lot of young talent on my team and I'm anxious to see how they handle that challenge. "And surely, Europe has handled those away matches far better for the last 25 years than we have. So we might have to take a page from their book and try and figure it out." Furyk, 47, was part of the American sides for all five of those losses in Europe between 1997-2014, but he hopes the exciting young raft of US golfers can help turn things around. Americans Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas all won major championships this year, with Koepka the oldest of the three at just 27. "I'd like to see how those young guys react, and hopefully we'll react better than we have done in the past," added Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion. In contrast to his American counterpart, European skipper Thomas Bjorn only tasted Ryder Cup defeat for the first time last year as vice-captain to Darren Clarke, after three wins from three as a player in 1997, 2002 and 2014. "I'm a professional athlete; losing always hurts," said the Dane. "You've got to look at Hazeltine ... there was certainly a transition on the European team and an American team that played unbelievably well, and it became a very difficult task for Darren and the team from earlier on in the week. "And sometimes, I think we lose track about that there's two extremely capable sides standing across from each other, and there's only one that can win. "And it was the Americans' turn to win. They played better than we did." - Home comforts for Europe - The Albatros course at Le Golf National is well known to many of Bjorn's key players, who often play the French Open on the European Tour. "We love this golf course. We love this city," added Bjorn. "We've come here for many years, and we believe that we are going to bring a team here that can win on that golf course. "I believe we could win on any golf course in the world, but there is a home advantage in the sense that we know the golf course very well." Home advantage has made a big difference in recent Ryder Cups, with the Americans benefiting from generous fairways, low-cut rough and fast greens in Minnesota. Furyk will ask his players to play the course next summer, but wouldn't make it a requirement. "Depending on their schedule, I will put an invite out," he said. "I will try to schedule a time... If the players can make the trip and would like to make the trip." Furyk also said 14-time major champion Tiger Woods, who has been cleared by doctors to start hitting full practice shots after a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a back injury, could play some role in Paris. "I will say that Tiger Woods is a great resource and would be a welcome to the team, whether that would be as a playing personnel or whether that would be as a vice captain," he said.

'We have 25 years of scars to overcome,'  Furyk on US Ryder Cup hopes

The US PGA Championships calendar may be shifted from May to August, according to media reports even as earlier reports suggested the move would only take place in the Olympic year.

US media reports suggest the PGA is widely expected to shift dates of the event. The change in the PGA calendar would mean the event will come in direct conflict with a key European tour event - the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, England.

&quot;We have no comment on that,&quot; a PGA of America spokesman told Reuters at Quail Hollow, site of the PGA Championship starting on Thursday.

Pete Bevacqua, CEO of PGA of America had earlier told Golf Channel: &quot;We are huge proponents of the Olympics. That&rsquo;s something that, with our peer organisations in the game &ndash; the PGA Tour, the USGA, the R&amp;A, and the European Tour &ndash; everyone has to share in the burden of what the schedule is going to look like in an Olympic year. We are all about the Olympics but we also have to protect the PGA Championship and we can&rsquo;t just bounce the PGA Championship around every four years.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;To truly make it work, to make it succeed and to make sure golf is in the Olympics for the next century, the whole schedule needs to be adjusted,&rdquo; he added. 
&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PGAChamp?src=hash">#PGAChamp</a> is giving up part of its identity by moving to May, but the decision makes sense, <a href="https://twitter.com/RexHoggardGC">@RexHoggardGC</a> writes: <a href="https://t.co/7mzQPP9Ak4">https://t.co/7mzQPP9Ak4</a> <a href="https://t.co/X9RnHbHBy5">pic.twitter.com/X9RnHbHBy5</a>
&mdash; Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) <a href="https://twitter.com/GolfChannel/status/894755156515971072">August 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Last month, on the eve of the British Open at Royal Birkdale, R&amp;A CEO Martin Slumbers told reporters it made no difference to him if the British Open remained the third major of the year or became the fourth and last.

&quot;I don&#39;t think the final decision has been taken yet on that,&quot; Slumbers said at the time. &quot;I think from our perspective I don&#39;t really mind whether we&#39;re the third major or the fourth major. We try to do our very best with The Open Championship to make it as good as we possibly can do.

&quot;I can absolutely understand some of the logic, and if it ends up as resulting in more people watching our game, then that&#39;s a great outcome.&quot;

 
&nbsp;

US media reports suggest the PGA is widely expected to shift dates of the event

The US PGA Championships calendar may be shifted from May to August, according to media reports even as earlier reports suggested the move would only take place in the Olympic year. US media reports suggest the PGA is widely expected to shift dates of the event. The change in the PGA calendar would mean the event will come in direct conflict with a key European tour event - the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, England. "We have no comment on that," a PGA of America spokesman told Reuters at Quail Hollow, site of the PGA Championship starting on Thursday. Pete Bevacqua, CEO of PGA of America had earlier told Golf Channel: "We are huge proponents of the Olympics. That’s something that, with our peer organisations in the game – the PGA Tour, the USGA, the R&A, and the European Tour – everyone has to share in the burden of what the schedule is going to look like in an Olympic year. We are all about the Olympics but we also have to protect the PGA Championship and we can’t just bounce the PGA Championship around every four years." "To truly make it work, to make it succeed and to make sure golf is in the Olympics for the next century, the whole schedule needs to be adjusted,” he added. #PGAChamp is giving up part of its identity by moving to May, but the decision makes sense, @RexHoggardGC writes: https://t.co/7mzQPP9Ak4 pic.twitter.com/X9RnHbHBy5 — Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 8, 2017 × Last month, on the eve of the British Open at Royal Birkdale, R&A CEO Martin Slumbers told reporters it made no difference to him if the British Open remained the third major of the year or became the fourth and last. "I don't think the final decision has been taken yet on that," Slumbers said at the time. "I think from our perspective I don't really mind whether we're the third major or the fourth major. We try to do our very best with The Open Championship to make it as good as we possibly can do. "I can absolutely understand some of the logic, and if it ends up as resulting in more people watching our game, then that's a great outcome."

Golf: PGA Championships calendar set to change

Jordan Spieth survived a roller-coaster final round at the British Open to emerge with his third major title, beating fellow American Matt Kuchar by three strokes in a thrilling duel at Royal Birkdale on Sunday.

Spieth carded a one-under-par round of 69 to finish on 12-under for the tournament but, after three days of consistent golf by the American, it was a remarkable day of highs and lows for the 23-year-old.

The Texan began the day with a three-stroke lead but saw that evaporate on the front nine, where he made four bogeys and a birdie to enter the turn sharing the lead with Kuchar on eight-under.

The drama began when Spieth drove wildly into the dunes on the 13th hole. He was forced to take a penalty stroke after deeming the ball &quot;unplayable&quot;&nbsp;and after some confusion and a lengthy series of deliberations, he played his second shot from the edge of the practice range next to the television trucks.

Spieth scrambled to make a creditable bogey out of the par-four hole but that still handed the lead to Kuchar, who was playing the more solid golf as the wind rose and temperature fell.

However, the sight of his rival alone at the top of the leaderboard appeared to click a switch in Spieth who responded with a birdie on the par-three 14th, where he was close to a hole-in-one.

Spieth then brilliantly sank a 45-yard putt to eagle the par-five 15th and followed that with two more birdies on the 16th and 17th.

Spieth, who won the US Masters and US&nbsp;Open in 2015, has joined Jack Nicklaus to become one of only two players to win three legs of the career grand slam before turning 24. Tiger Woods was 24 when he won his third different major.

Spieth carded a one-under-par round of 69 to finish on 12-under for the tournament, but the final day was a remarkable one of highs and lows

Jordan Spieth survived a roller-coaster final round at the British Open to emerge with his third major title, beating fellow American Matt Kuchar by three strokes in a thrilling duel at Royal Birkdale on Sunday. Spieth carded a one-under-par round of 69 to finish on 12-under for the tournament but, after three days of consistent golf by the American, it was a remarkable day of highs and lows for the 23-year-old. The Texan began the day with a three-stroke lead but saw that evaporate on the front nine, where he made four bogeys and a birdie to enter the turn sharing the lead with Kuchar on eight-under. The drama began when Spieth drove wildly into the dunes on the 13th hole. He was forced to take a penalty stroke after deeming the ball "unplayable" and after some confusion and a lengthy series of deliberations, he played his second shot from the edge of the practice range next to the television trucks. Spieth scrambled to make a creditable bogey out of the par-four hole but that still handed the lead to Kuchar, who was playing the more solid golf as the wind rose and temperature fell. However, the sight of his rival alone at the top of the leaderboard appeared to click a switch in Spieth who responded with a birdie on the par-three 14th, where he was close to a hole-in-one. Spieth then brilliantly sank a 45-yard putt to eagle the par-five 15th and followed that with two more birdies on the 16th and 17th. Spieth, who won the US Masters and US Open in 2015, has joined Jack Nicklaus to become one of only two players to win three legs of the career grand slam before turning 24. Tiger Woods was 24 when he won his third different major.

American Spieth wins British Open after epic duel

Tiger Woods has said that he is getting &quot;professional help&quot; to help manage the medications he is taking for back pain and insomnia.&nbsp;

Woods was arrested for driving while intoxicated last month.

The golfer was found asleep at the wheel in Florida, but tested negative for alcohol.

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By TW <a href="https://t.co/AuX6PEgNQ1">pic.twitter.com/AuX6PEgNQ1</a>
&mdash; Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods/status/876945223506636801">June 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He later released a statement saying he had experienced an unexpected reaction to prescription medicines.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder,&quot; Woods wrote on Twitter on Monday.

&quot;I want to thank everyone for their amazing outpouring of support and understanding especially the fans and players on tour.&quot;

&nbsp;

Woods was arrested for driving while intoxicated last month

Tiger Woods has said that he is getting "professional help" to help manage the medications he is taking for back pain and insomnia. Woods was arrested for driving while intoxicated last month. The golfer was found asleep at the wheel in Florida, but tested negative for alcohol. By TW pic.twitter.com/AuX6PEgNQ1 — Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) June 19, 2017 × He later released a statement saying he had experienced an unexpected reaction to prescription medicines. "I'm currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder," Woods wrote on Twitter on Monday. "I want to thank everyone for their amazing outpouring of support and understanding especially the fans and players on tour."

Tiger Woods says he's getting 'professional help'

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