The United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will reward golfer&nbsp;Tiger Woods with&nbsp;country's highest civilian honour.&nbsp;

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States.

In the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards.&nbsp;

Woods capped his remarkable comeback from injuries and personal problems with a victory at the Masters. He captured the green jacket by one stroke for his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tiger-woods-wins-15th-major-title-with-spectacular-masters-victory-210438">15th major title</a> -- but the first since 2008.&nbsp;

Woods had not won at Augusta National since 2005.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Trump himself is a lifelong golfer and owner of golf resorts, wrote on his Twitter handle, "Spoke to @TigerWoods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s @TheMasters."

"Because of his incredible Success &amp; Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!" Trump said.&nbsp;

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Spoke to <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMasters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheMasters</a>, &amp; to inform him that because of his incredible Success &amp; Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1117843954437767168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump is an especially close watcher of the game, being the owner of Trump-brand golf courses and something of a student of the game himself -- although there have been multiple reports, including from established golfers, that he cheats when competing.

The United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will reward golfer Tiger Woods with country's highest civilian honour. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States.

The United States President Donald Trump has announced that he will reward golfer Tiger Woods with country's highest civilian honour. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States. In the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the highest civilian awards. Woods capped his remarkable comeback from injuries and personal problems with a victory at the Masters. He captured the green jacket by one stroke for his 15th major title -- but the first since 2008. Woods had not won at Augusta National since 2005. Trump himself is a lifelong golfer and owner of golf resorts, wrote on his Twitter handle, "Spoke to @TigerWoods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s @TheMasters." "Because of his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM!" Trump said. Spoke to @TigerWoods to congratulate him on the great victory he had in yesterday’s @TheMasters, & to inform him that because of his incredible Success & Comeback in Sports (Golf) and, more importantly, LIFE, I will be presenting him with the PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019 × Trump is an especially close watcher of the game, being the owner of Trump-brand golf courses and something of a student of the game himself -- although there have been multiple reports, including from established golfers, that he cheats when competing.

Donald Trump to give 'incredible' Tiger Woods Presidential Medal of Freedom

Tiger Woods won the 83rd Masters on Sunday, capturing his 15th major title to cement an epic return from scandal and injuries that once threatened his career.

Ending an 11-year major drought, the 43-year-old American superstar -- who underwent spinal fusion in 2017 fearing chronic back pain would deny him life's simple joys much less golf wins -- seized his first major title since the 2008 US Open.

Woods fired a final-round two-under par 70 to finish on 13-under 275 for a one-shot victory to capture a $2.07 million (1.82 million euros) top prize and the green jacket symbolizing Masters supremacy.

An all-American trio of three-time major winner Brooks Koepka, world number two Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele shared second on 276.

"I don't know if there are words -- I'm sure he's ecstatic about it," Koepka said. "To have the injuries and come back and do what he has done, it has been tremendous to watch."

It was the fifth Masters title for Woods, his first since 2005, and it moved him three shy of the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus.

"A big well done from me to Tiger," Nicklaus told telecaster CBS. "I'm so happy for him and for the game of golf this is so fantastic."

The triumph was the first major victory for Woods when he did not lead after 54 holes, having started the day two adrift of reigning British Open champion Francesco Molinari.

Woods served notice he had returned to form by contending last year at the British Open and PGA before snapping a five-year title drought by capturing the Tour Championship.

Racing to finish before an oncoming thunderstorm, players created their own electric atmosphere, spectators roaring repeatedly for sensational shotmaking on one of golf's iconic stages at Augusta National, where Woods won his first major title in 1997.

Fans chant Tiger's name

Woods then drove the green in two at the par-5 15th and tapped in for birdie to seize the lead alone at 13-under par then sank a four-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th to stretch his advantage to two shots with two holes remaining.

Woods parred 17 and walked up to the 18th green to crowds 20-people deep applauding&nbsp;with delight, but he kept a stoic visage until the job was complete, a tap-in for bogey followed by a fist pump and a scream of joy in celebration of a fairytale fightback like few others in sporting history.

Just off the 18th green, Woods hugged his mother as he had his late father Earl in 1997 and held his children, his back more than up to the task as the crowd chanted his name, a rare tribute, and rivals congratulated him as he entered the clubhouse.

Woods, one shy of matching Nicklaus for the most career Masters wins, won his 81st career US PGA victory, one shy of the all-time record held by Sam Snead.

He also set a record for the longest gap between Masters triumphs, the 14-year spread one year longer than the old mark set by South African Gary Player from 1961 to 1974.

It completes a fairytale comeback to the pinnacle of golf for Woods, whose career imploded after a 2009 sex scandal before unraveling amid injuries and personal problems.

Logjam of late leaders

After battling to overhaul 54-hole leader Francesco Molinari of Italy, Woods&nbsp;birdied the par-5 13th to join a lead pack of five at 12-under.

Woods, Molinari, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Kopeka and Dustin Johnson -- with Australian Jason Day in the clubhouse on 11-under and Patrick Cantlay, who also hit 12-under, foiled by bogeys at 16 and 17.

Woods and Molinari, in the last trio, each birdied the par-5 13th to reach 12-under while Johnson reeled off three consecutive birdies, the last on an 11-foot putt at 17, to make 12-under.

Schauffele got there on birdies at 14 and 15 and Koepka by answering a double bogey at the par-3 12th with an eagle at 13 and birdie at 15.

None could go lower except Woods, with Molinari undone at the par-5 15th when his approach struck a tree limb and his chip barely clung to the side of a damp slope on the way to a double-bogey disaster.

Augusta National moved the final round to Sunday morning due to storms expected to arrive in the afternoon, when leaders would typically be battling for the title.

The Masters, which has not had a Monday conclusion since 1983, decided to cancel its green jacket ceremony at the 18th green in order to hurry spectators to the exits faster.

Tiger Woods won the 83rd Masters on Sunday, capturing his 15th major title to cement an epic return from scandal and injuries that once threatened his career. Ending an 11-year major drought, the 43-year-old American superstar -- who underwent spinal fusion in 2017 fearing chronic back pain would deny him life's simple joys much less golf wins -- seized his first major title since the 2008 US Open.

Tiger Woods won the 83rd Masters on Sunday, capturing his 15th major title to cement an epic return from scandal and injuries that once threatened his career. Ending an 11-year major drought, the 43-year-old American superstar -- who underwent spinal fusion in 2017 fearing chronic back pain would deny him life's simple joys much less golf wins -- seized his first major title since the 2008 US Open. Woods fired a final-round two-under par 70 to finish on 13-under 275 for a one-shot victory to capture a $2.07 million (1.82 million euros) top prize and the green jacket symbolizing Masters supremacy. An all-American trio of three-time major winner Brooks Koepka, world number two Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele shared second on 276. "I don't know if there are words -- I'm sure he's ecstatic about it," Koepka said. "To have the injuries and come back and do what he has done, it has been tremendous to watch." It was the fifth Masters title for Woods, his first since 2005, and it moved him three shy of the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus. "A big well done from me to Tiger," Nicklaus told telecaster CBS. "I'm so happy for him and for the game of golf this is so fantastic." The triumph was the first major victory for Woods when he did not lead after 54 holes, having started the day two adrift of reigning British Open champion Francesco Molinari. Woods served notice he had returned to form by contending last year at the British Open and PGA before snapping a five-year title drought by capturing the Tour Championship. Racing to finish before an oncoming thunderstorm, players created their own electric atmosphere, spectators roaring repeatedly for sensational shotmaking on one of golf's iconic stages at Augusta National, where Woods won his first major title in 1997. Fans chant Tiger's name Woods then drove the green in two at the par-5 15th and tapped in for birdie to seize the lead alone at 13-under par then sank a four-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th to stretch his advantage to two shots with two holes remaining. Woods parred 17 and walked up to the 18th green to crowds 20-people deep applauding with delight, but he kept a stoic visage until the job was complete, a tap-in for bogey followed by a fist pump and a scream of joy in celebration of a fairytale fightback like few others in sporting history. Just off the 18th green, Woods hugged his mother as he had his late father Earl in 1997 and held his children, his back more than up to the task as the crowd chanted his name, a rare tribute, and rivals congratulated him as he entered the clubhouse. Woods, one shy of matching Nicklaus for the most career Masters wins, won his 81st career US PGA victory, one shy of the all-time record held by Sam Snead. He also set a record for the longest gap between Masters triumphs, the 14-year spread one year longer than the old mark set by South African Gary Player from 1961 to 1974. It completes a fairytale comeback to the pinnacle of golf for Woods, whose career imploded after a 2009 sex scandal before unraveling amid injuries and personal problems. Logjam of late leaders After battling to overhaul 54-hole leader Francesco Molinari of Italy, Woods birdied the par-5 13th to join a lead pack of five at 12-under. Woods, Molinari, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Kopeka and Dustin Johnson -- with Australian Jason Day in the clubhouse on 11-under and Patrick Cantlay, who also hit 12-under, foiled by bogeys at 16 and 17. Woods and Molinari, in the last trio, each birdied the par-5 13th to reach 12-under while Johnson reeled off three consecutive birdies, the last on an 11-foot putt at 17, to make 12-under. Schauffele got there on birdies at 14 and 15 and Koepka by answering a double bogey at the par-3 12th with an eagle at 13 and birdie at 15. None could go lower except Woods, with Molinari undone at the par-5 15th when his approach struck a tree limb and his chip barely clung to the side of a damp slope on the way to a double-bogey disaster. Augusta National moved the final round to Sunday morning due to storms expected to arrive in the afternoon, when leaders would typically be battling for the title. The Masters, which has not had a Monday conclusion since 1983, decided to cancel its green jacket ceremony at the 18th green in order to hurry spectators to the exits faster.

Tiger Woods wins 15th major title with spectacular Masters victory

Former world number one and Spain's tennis star Rafael Nadal said that golfer Tiger Woods is his favourite sportsperson. Rafa admires the hard work that Tiger Woods put in to return to the top of golf by winning the 2019 Masters on Sunday.&nbsp;

Woods capped his remarkable comeback from injuries and personal problems with a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tiger-woods-wins-15th-major-title-with-spectacular-masters-victory-210438">victory at the Masters</a>. He captured the green jacket by one stroke for his 15th major title -- but the first since 2008.&nbsp;

Woods had not won at Augusta National since 2005.

He underwent spinal fusion in 2017 fearing chronic back pain would deny him life's simple joys but it simply came out wrong when he fired a final-round two-under par 70 to finish on 13-under 275 for a one-shot victory.&nbsp;

On Woods' terrific victory, Nadal said, "He's probably my favourite sportsman in the world since a long time ago. I am a big fan of his."

Nadal further added, "There have been some tough years for him and you know I can't be more happy about the victory of yesterday."

"If you imagine all the processes and hard work he had to do to be back on a golf course. It's so difficult - all the things that he did. And finally win a grand slam again, in Augusta, probably his favourite one, means everything."&nbsp;

Rafael Nadal looked ahead to the Monte Carlo Masters and the defending champion said every tournament was like a comeback at the moment, as a result of his troublesome injury history.&nbsp;

Former world number one and Spain's tennis star Rafael Nadal said that golfer Tiger Woods is his favourite sportsperson. Rafa admires the hard work that Tiger Woods put in to return to the top of golf by winning the 2019 Masters on Sunday.

Former world number one and Spain's tennis star Rafael Nadal said that golfer Tiger Woods is his favourite sportsperson. Rafa admires the hard work that Tiger Woods put in to return to the top of golf by winning the 2019 Masters on Sunday. Woods capped his remarkable comeback from injuries and personal problems with a victory at the Masters. He captured the green jacket by one stroke for his 15th major title -- but the first since 2008. Woods had not won at Augusta National since 2005. He underwent spinal fusion in 2017 fearing chronic back pain would deny him life's simple joys but it simply came out wrong when he fired a final-round two-under par 70 to finish on 13-under 275 for a one-shot victory. On Woods' terrific victory, Nadal said, "He's probably my favourite sportsman in the world since a long time ago. I am a big fan of his." Nadal further added, "There have been some tough years for him and you know I can't be more happy about the victory of yesterday." "If you imagine all the processes and hard work he had to do to be back on a golf course. It's so difficult - all the things that he did. And finally win a grand slam again, in Augusta, probably his favourite one, means everything." Rafael Nadal looked ahead to the Monte Carlo Masters and the defending champion said every tournament was like a comeback at the moment, as a result of his troublesome injury history.

'Tiger is my favourite sportsman,' says tennis star Rafael Nadal

Greatest comebacks in sports

Woods says Masters win is "something I'll never, ever forget." Watch complete video to know more.

Woods says Masters win is 'something I'll never, ever forget'

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has called on his players to take inspiration from golf icon Tiger Woods' sensational comeback story as he tries to defy the odds and keep the Welsh club in the Premier League.

Woods completed one of the greatest sporting comebacks on Sunday when he claimed his fifth Masters title, 11 years after winning his last major championship.

A final round resurgence earned Woods another Green Jacket and Warnock said Cardiff also needed to rediscover their spark with five games remaining in the season.

"We've just got to look at the golf, and look at what he's done, Tiger, which was amazing and nobody had given him a chance either," Warnock told reporters ahead of Tuesday's relegation 'six-pointer' against Brighton &amp; Hove Albion.

"It's an opportunity for us to give ourselves a chance until the end of the season. We have to grab that."

Cardiff travel to the Amex Stadium five points adrift of the safety zone and relegation rivals Brighton, who have a game in hand and sit one place above the Welsh side in 17th.

"We've had that many kicks in the teeth in the last four months (and) we keep bouncing back really," Warnock added.

"And obviously over the last few weeks we have felt sorry for ourselves a few times and we haven't got time to do that now. We have to give it our best shot and if it's not good enough we'll accept it."

Defeat at Brighton would leave Cardiff seemingly doomed to an immediate return to the Championship, with their season run-in including daunting fixtures against league leaders Liverpool and fifth-placed Manchester United.

Cardiff have come out on the wrong side of refereeing decisions in recent weeks.

They had a penalty appeal turned down in a 2-0 loss at Burnley on Saturday, two weeks after conceding an equaliser against Chelsea which was widely viewed as offside.

The FA charged Warnock for his post-match comments about the officials after the 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea.

The 70-year-old confirmed that he is appealing against three breaches of FA Rule E3 for bringing the game into disrepute.

"I've pleaded not guilty to the charges and I expect to have a hearing sometime this week, I hope," Warnock said.

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has called on his players to take inspiration from golf icon Tiger Woods' sensational comeback story as he tries to defy the odds and keep the Welsh club in the Premier League.

Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock has called on his players to take inspiration from golf icon Tiger Woods' sensational comeback story as he tries to defy the odds and keep the Welsh club in the Premier League. Woods completed one of the greatest sporting comebacks on Sunday when he claimed his fifth Masters title, 11 years after winning his last major championship. A final round resurgence earned Woods another Green Jacket and Warnock said Cardiff also needed to rediscover their spark with five games remaining in the season. "We've just got to look at the golf, and look at what he's done, Tiger, which was amazing and nobody had given him a chance either," Warnock told reporters ahead of Tuesday's relegation 'six-pointer' against Brighton & Hove Albion. "It's an opportunity for us to give ourselves a chance until the end of the season. We have to grab that." Cardiff travel to the Amex Stadium five points adrift of the safety zone and relegation rivals Brighton, who have a game in hand and sit one place above the Welsh side in 17th. "We've had that many kicks in the teeth in the last four months (and) we keep bouncing back really," Warnock added. "And obviously over the last few weeks we have felt sorry for ourselves a few times and we haven't got time to do that now. We have to give it our best shot and if it's not good enough we'll accept it." Defeat at Brighton would leave Cardiff seemingly doomed to an immediate return to the Championship, with their season run-in including daunting fixtures against league leaders Liverpool and fifth-placed Manchester United. Cardiff have come out on the wrong side of refereeing decisions in recent weeks. They had a penalty appeal turned down in a 2-0 loss at Burnley on Saturday, two weeks after conceding an equaliser against Chelsea which was widely viewed as offside. The FA charged Warnock for his post-match comments about the officials after the 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea. The 70-year-old confirmed that he is appealing against three breaches of FA Rule E3 for bringing the game into disrepute. "I've pleaded not guilty to the charges and I expect to have a hearing sometime this week, I hope," Warnock said.

Tiger Woods heroics can inspire Cardiff's survival bid, says Neil Warnock

Major winners Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day and Adam Scott shared top spot at the Masters on Friday at the end of the second round, but it was Tiger Woods who commanded the spotlight once again at Augusta National.

Woods brought the roars back to the famed venue with a brilliant four-under-par 68, putting himself on track for a fifth Green Jacket. At six-under-par 138, the American is just one shot off the leaders heading into 'moving day'.

After an ordinary outward nine featuring three birdies offset by a pair of bogeys, Woods embarked on one of his trademark charges, carding three birdies after the turn to shoot up the leaderboard.

"I feel like I played my own way back into the tournament," said Woods. "I was just very patient today, felt very good to be out there doing what I was doing.

"This is now three straight majors that I've been in the mix and so it's good stuff."

The stage is now set for an extraordinary weekend as Woods attempts to slip into his first Green Jacket since 2005 and claim his first major since 2008.

Woods has made huge strides since returning from back fusion surgery nearly two years ago, collecting his 80th career PGA Tour title at last season's ending Tour Championships.

However, nothing less than a 15th major victory will quell talk of an unfulfilled comeback.

It would also reignite his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's record haul of 18 majors.

On Friday, it was like old times as the 43-year-old turned up the buzz with each shot, the roars echoing across Augusta National when Woods rolled in a long birdie putt at 15 and continued until he walked off the 18th where his birdie putt clung to the lip leaving him a tap-in par.

The Woods show overshadowed everything else.

Any other time, a hobbled Day might have been the story after getting up off the deck to shoot five-under 67.

Barely able to walk after throwing out his back bending over to kiss his daughter on the practice range on Thursday, the battling Australian somehow turned in a near flawless scorecard, with six birdies and a single bogey.

"Pain is a funny thing, it goes up and down, and everybody's pain threshold is different," said Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner.

"Someone that is in a lot of pain might feel something totally different compared to me, so it's hard.

"Every day I feel like I wake up with some sort of aches, you know, and I think you just kind of learn to live with it and you just go along the way."

Italian Molinari carded an error-free 67 for his best round in eight Masters that put the British Open champion in contention for a Green Jacket to go along with the Claret Jug he hoisted last year.

Koepka, who had shared a one-shot overnight lead, also deserved applause, staging a back nine recovery after a stumbling start to the second round.

After a flawless opening round, Koepka had two bogeys and a double in his first six holes on Friday but the twice U.S. Open champion was able to regain his composure, steadying himself with six straight pars from the ninth.

He followed that with birdies at 15 and 18 to salvage a 71 and join the leaders at seven-under 137.

It also looked like old times for Australian Scott, the 2013 champion, who moved up the leaderboard with a four-under 68.

British Open winner Oosthuizen also joined the party with a 68, while world number two Dustin Johnson returned a two-under 70 who to join Woods at six-under.

There was drama up and down the leaderboard.

Patrick Reed kept his Green Jacket defence alive, making the cut with a two-under 70 but Spain's Sergio Garcia, the 2017 champion, made an early exit for the second straight year after returning a 73.

World number one Justin Rose also headed for the exit after he bogeyed the final two holes to miss the cut by one shot.

Major winners Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day and Adam Scott shared top spot at the Masters on Friday at the end of the second round, but it was Tiger Woods who commanded the spotlight once again at Augusta National.

Major winners Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day and Adam Scott shared top spot at the Masters on Friday at the end of the second round, but it was Tiger Woods who commanded the spotlight once again at Augusta National. Woods brought the roars back to the famed venue with a brilliant four-under-par 68, putting himself on track for a fifth Green Jacket. At six-under-par 138, the American is just one shot off the leaders heading into 'moving day'. After an ordinary outward nine featuring three birdies offset by a pair of bogeys, Woods embarked on one of his trademark charges, carding three birdies after the turn to shoot up the leaderboard. "I feel like I played my own way back into the tournament," said Woods. "I was just very patient today, felt very good to be out there doing what I was doing. "This is now three straight majors that I've been in the mix and so it's good stuff." The stage is now set for an extraordinary weekend as Woods attempts to slip into his first Green Jacket since 2005 and claim his first major since 2008. Woods has made huge strides since returning from back fusion surgery nearly two years ago, collecting his 80th career PGA Tour title at last season's ending Tour Championships. However, nothing less than a 15th major victory will quell talk of an unfulfilled comeback. It would also reignite his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus's record haul of 18 majors. On Friday, it was like old times as the 43-year-old turned up the buzz with each shot, the roars echoing across Augusta National when Woods rolled in a long birdie putt at 15 and continued until he walked off the 18th where his birdie putt clung to the lip leaving him a tap-in par. The Woods show overshadowed everything else. Any other time, a hobbled Day might have been the story after getting up off the deck to shoot five-under 67. Barely able to walk after throwing out his back bending over to kiss his daughter on the practice range on Thursday, the battling Australian somehow turned in a near flawless scorecard, with six birdies and a single bogey. "Pain is a funny thing, it goes up and down, and everybody's pain threshold is different," said Day, the 2015 PGA Championship winner. "Someone that is in a lot of pain might feel something totally different compared to me, so it's hard. "Every day I feel like I wake up with some sort of aches, you know, and I think you just kind of learn to live with it and you just go along the way." Italian Molinari carded an error-free 67 for his best round in eight Masters that put the British Open champion in contention for a Green Jacket to go along with the Claret Jug he hoisted last year. Koepka, who had shared a one-shot overnight lead, also deserved applause, staging a back nine recovery after a stumbling start to the second round. After a flawless opening round, Koepka had two bogeys and a double in his first six holes on Friday but the twice U.S. Open champion was able to regain his composure, steadying himself with six straight pars from the ninth. He followed that with birdies at 15 and 18 to salvage a 71 and join the leaders at seven-under 137. It also looked like old times for Australian Scott, the 2013 champion, who moved up the leaderboard with a four-under 68. British Open winner Oosthuizen also joined the party with a 68, while world number two Dustin Johnson returned a two-under 70 who to join Woods at six-under. There was drama up and down the leaderboard. Patrick Reed kept his Green Jacket defence alive, making the cut with a two-under 70 but Spain's Sergio Garcia, the 2017 champion, made an early exit for the second straight year after returning a 73. World number one Justin Rose also headed for the exit after he bogeyed the final two holes to miss the cut by one shot.

Roars return as Tiger Woods takes the Masters spotlight

Rory McIlroy is in fearsome form as he arrives at Augusta National chasing a rare career Grand Slam, but a renewed Tiger Woods could have something to say about the Northern Ireland star's bid for a breakthrough Masters win.

"I don't think I've ever started a season this well in terms of finishes, and even stats&nbsp;wise, looking at all my stats, they are right up there with some of the best years that I've had," said McIlroy, whose seven top-10 finishes in seven starts this year include a victory at the US PGA Tour's prestigious Players Championship in March.

He owns top-10 Masters finishes the past four years, including a tie for fifth behind American Patrick Reed last year, and with more than a decade of experience on a course where local know-how is key, says there's no reason he can't become the sixth man to win all four of golf's major professional titles.

"I've shot enough good scores around here over the years that if I can put my best effort forward, I'm going to have a good chance to do well here," McIlroy said.

Plenty of his peers agree.

"Rory is playing unbelievable golf," said Spain's Jon Rahm. "I mean, he's playing the best golf he has played in a long time ... Really good golf and it seems like his putting has been lot better. If Rory is hitting the ball the way he is, and he putts good, he's tough to beat."

Hard to handicap

Soaking rain on Monday and Tuesday could heighten long-hitting McIlroy's chances, making the course play longer. The diminished practice time could also play in favor of experienced Masters campaigners.

Rahm noted the difficulty of handicapping the first major championship of the year.

Each of the last four winners -- and seven of the last eight -- have been first-time major winners, a trend Rahm certainly hopes to continue.

But with experience at a premium, multiple winners including Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson must always be judged a threat.

World number one Justin Rose and second-ranked Dustin Johnson will be aiming to bulk up resumes highlighted by one US Open win apiece and fourth-ranked Brooks Koepka, the reigning US Open and PGA Champion, has a chance to become the third golfer of the modern era to capture three of four consecutive majors.

"There's so many different ways to do it and there's so many different things that you can do right," Rahm said. "It's one of those weeks where anybody can win at any given point."

And this year, that emphatically includes Woods, who carries not just the hope he had last year -- in his first Masters since spinal fusion surgery -- but real belief that he can claim a fifth green jacket.

"I just feel like I've improved a lot over the past 12, 14 months," said Woods, whose injury return was in its embryonic stages when he teed it up last year.&nbsp;

From a tie for 32nd, he would go on to contend in two majors and win the US PGA Tour championship and says he's "proven to myself that I can play at this level again".

Woods, 43, admits he would never have foreseen the major drought that has followed his 14th major victory at the 2008 US Open.

"After I won my 14th, I felt like I still had plenty more major championships that I could win, but unfortunately I just didn't do it," he said. "I put myself there with chances on the back nine on various Sundays and just haven't done it.

"Hopefully this year, I put myself there again and, hopefully, I'll get it done."

Rory McIlroy is in fearsome form as he arrives at Augusta National chasing a rare career Grand Slam, but a renewed Tiger Woods could have something to say about the Northern Ireland star's bid for a breakthrough Masters win.

Rory McIlroy is in fearsome form as he arrives at Augusta National chasing a rare career Grand Slam, but a renewed Tiger Woods could have something to say about the Northern Ireland star's bid for a breakthrough Masters win. "I don't think I've ever started a season this well in terms of finishes, and even stats wise, looking at all my stats, they are right up there with some of the best years that I've had," said McIlroy, whose seven top-10 finishes in seven starts this year include a victory at the US PGA Tour's prestigious Players Championship in March. He owns top-10 Masters finishes the past four years, including a tie for fifth behind American Patrick Reed last year, and with more than a decade of experience on a course where local know-how is key, says there's no reason he can't become the sixth man to win all four of golf's major professional titles. "I've shot enough good scores around here over the years that if I can put my best effort forward, I'm going to have a good chance to do well here," McIlroy said. Plenty of his peers agree. "Rory is playing unbelievable golf," said Spain's Jon Rahm. "I mean, he's playing the best golf he has played in a long time ... Really good golf and it seems like his putting has been lot better. If Rory is hitting the ball the way he is, and he putts good, he's tough to beat." Hard to handicap Soaking rain on Monday and Tuesday could heighten long-hitting McIlroy's chances, making the course play longer. The diminished practice time could also play in favor of experienced Masters campaigners. Rahm noted the difficulty of handicapping the first major championship of the year. Each of the last four winners -- and seven of the last eight -- have been first-time major winners, a trend Rahm certainly hopes to continue. But with experience at a premium, multiple winners including Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson must always be judged a threat. World number one Justin Rose and second-ranked Dustin Johnson will be aiming to bulk up resumes highlighted by one US Open win apiece and fourth-ranked Brooks Koepka, the reigning US Open and PGA Champion, has a chance to become the third golfer of the modern era to capture three of four consecutive majors. "There's so many different ways to do it and there's so many different things that you can do right," Rahm said. "It's one of those weeks where anybody can win at any given point." And this year, that emphatically includes Woods, who carries not just the hope he had last year -- in his first Masters since spinal fusion surgery -- but real belief that he can claim a fifth green jacket. "I just feel like I've improved a lot over the past 12, 14 months," said Woods, whose injury return was in its embryonic stages when he teed it up last year. From a tie for 32nd, he would go on to contend in two majors and win the US PGA Tour championship and says he's "proven to myself that I can play at this level again". Woods, 43, admits he would never have foreseen the major drought that has followed his 14th major victory at the 2008 US Open. "After I won my 14th, I felt like I still had plenty more major championships that I could win, but unfortunately I just didn't do it," he said. "I put myself there with chances on the back nine on various Sundays and just haven't done it. "Hopefully this year, I put myself there again and, hopefully, I'll get it done."

Rory McIlroy powers into Masters with Tiger Woods among many poised to pounce

Tiger Woods seemingly dispelled doubts about his participation in this week's Players Championship in Florida when he arrived on Monday and declared he was in fine fettle.

Woods pulled out of last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational citing a neck strain, which raised the possibility that he might also miss the PGA Tour's flagship event.

But it seems his decision to skip a tournament he has won eight times was more precautionary than the result of a serious problem.

"I feel good," the 14-times major champion told Golfweek as he left his vehicle at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, three days before the first round.

"I needed last week off... I didn't want to push it."

Woods has won the Players Championship twice, most recently in 2013.

A spinal fusion nearly two years ago resurrected a career that had been in danger of coming to a premature end.

Woods last played at the WGC-Mexico Championship, where he finished equal 10th on Feb. 24.

Jason Day and Phil Mickelson were also on-site at TPC Sawgrass on Monday, indicating that the big names will all participate in the event.

Australian Day pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational during the first round last Thursday, citing back pain and reporting that an MRI had revealed a tear in a disc.

"My back feels a lot better," Day told Golf Digest after playing 18 holes.

Mickelson, unlike Woods and Day, is not under an injury cloud but had said he would not play if the rough was too thick.

However, after missing the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Mickelson was an early arrival at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, and was at the course again on Monday.

He tweeted that the course had "very little rough".

Two players withdrew on Monday -- American world number 86 Pat Perez and South Korean world number 175 Whee Kim.

Perez revealed on Instagram that he had injured an Achilles tendon. No reason was announced for Kim's withdrawal.

Tiger Woods seemingly dispelled doubts about his participation in this week's Players Championship in Florida when he arrived on Monday and declared he was in fine fettle.

Tiger Woods seemingly dispelled doubts about his participation in this week's Players Championship in Florida when he arrived on Monday and declared he was in fine fettle. Woods pulled out of last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational citing a neck strain, which raised the possibility that he might also miss the PGA Tour's flagship event. But it seems his decision to skip a tournament he has won eight times was more precautionary than the result of a serious problem. "I feel good," the 14-times major champion told Golfweek as he left his vehicle at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, three days before the first round. "I needed last week off... I didn't want to push it." Woods has won the Players Championship twice, most recently in 2013. A spinal fusion nearly two years ago resurrected a career that had been in danger of coming to a premature end. Woods last played at the WGC-Mexico Championship, where he finished equal 10th on Feb. 24. Jason Day and Phil Mickelson were also on-site at TPC Sawgrass on Monday, indicating that the big names will all participate in the event. Australian Day pulled out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational during the first round last Thursday, citing back pain and reporting that an MRI had revealed a tear in a disc. "My back feels a lot better," Day told Golf Digest after playing 18 holes. Mickelson, unlike Woods and Day, is not under an injury cloud but had said he would not play if the rough was too thick. However, after missing the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Mickelson was an early arrival at TPC Sawgrass on Sunday, and was at the course again on Monday. He tweeted that the course had "very little rough". Two players withdrew on Monday -- American world number 86 Pat Perez and South Korean world number 175 Whee Kim. Perez revealed on Instagram that he had injured an Achilles tendon. No reason was announced for Kim's withdrawal.

Tiger Woods says he feels good on arrival at Players Championship

Tiger Woods has won more major championships than anyone other than Jack Nicklaus but his putting went badly awry during the third round of the WGC-Mexico Championship on Saturday.

The American, in his first competitive appearance south of the border, sent murmurs of disbelief through the packed gallery when he four-putted at the 15th hole at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City.

It took him three attempts to get the ball into the hole on the 16th green and the PGA Tour confirmed that it was the first time he had put together such a poor display of putting on consecutive holes.

Woods had played 22,640 holes on the PGA Tour when he approached the 15th, where everything looked in order as he coaxed a birdie putt up to inside four feet.

His par putt lipped out, however, and trickled two feet away from the cup. Without marking his ball, Woods stroked his third putt, which also lipped out, and he walked off with a double-bogey.

His three-putt at the next, where he missed a five-footer, was not quite as dramatic but hardly less disappointing for one of the greatest talents to have played the game.

Despite the putting problems, the 14-times major champion shot a respectable one-under-par 70 to trail leader Dustin Johnson by 10 strokes heading into Sunday's final round.

Woods declined to speak to the media afterwards, something he has done only a handful of times over his career.

Tiger Woods has won more major championships than anyone other than Jack Nicklaus but his putting went badly awry during the third round of the WGC-Mexico Championship on Saturday.

Tiger Woods has won more major championships than anyone other than Jack Nicklaus but his putting went badly awry during the third round of the WGC-Mexico Championship on Saturday. The American, in his first competitive appearance south of the border, sent murmurs of disbelief through the packed gallery when he four-putted at the 15th hole at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City. It took him three attempts to get the ball into the hole on the 16th green and the PGA Tour confirmed that it was the first time he had put together such a poor display of putting on consecutive holes. Woods had played 22,640 holes on the PGA Tour when he approached the 15th, where everything looked in order as he coaxed a birdie putt up to inside four feet. His par putt lipped out, however, and trickled two feet away from the cup. Without marking his ball, Woods stroked his third putt, which also lipped out, and he walked off with a double-bogey. His three-putt at the next, where he missed a five-footer, was not quite as dramatic but hardly less disappointing for one of the greatest talents to have played the game. Despite the putting problems, the 14-times major champion shot a respectable one-under-par 70 to trail leader Dustin Johnson by 10 strokes heading into Sunday's final round. Woods declined to speak to the media afterwards, something he has done only a handful of times over his career.

Tiger Woods hits career low with putting woes on consecutive holes in Mexico

2019 Laureus World Sports Awards: List of winners

Two months after beating Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup, Jon Rahm won his hero's tournament on Sunday (December 2), surging to a four-stroke win at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Rahm started the final round tied with Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson but turned it into a one-horse race with a seven-birdie seven-under-par 65 at Albany on the island of New Providence.

He finished at 20-under 268, while American Finau (69) birdied the last to claim second place on 16 under.

Englishman Justin Rose (65) was another shot back in third.

Swede Stenson faded with a 71 to finish six shots back in fourth place in the elite 18-man field.

Finau hung within striking distance of Rahm until a poor tee shot at the 14th led to a double bogey and pretty much sealed the deal for the Spaniard.

Rahm's victory is unofficial on the PGA Tour, though the tournament awarded world ranking points.

Tournament host Woods finished second-last, a distant 19 strokes behind Rahm.

Two months after beating Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup, Jon Rahm won his hero's tournament on Sunday (December 2), surging to a four-stroke win at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Two months after beating Tiger Woods at the Ryder Cup, Jon Rahm won his hero's tournament on Sunday (December 2), surging to a four-stroke win at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Rahm started the final round tied with Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson but turned it into a one-horse race with a seven-birdie seven-under-par 65 at Albany on the island of New Providence. He finished at 20-under 268, while American Finau (69) birdied the last to claim second place on 16 under. Englishman Justin Rose (65) was another shot back in third. Swede Stenson faded with a 71 to finish six shots back in fourth place in the elite 18-man field. Finau hung within striking distance of Rahm until a poor tee shot at the 14th led to a double bogey and pretty much sealed the deal for the Spaniard. Rahm's victory is unofficial on the PGA Tour, though the tournament awarded world ranking points. Tournament host Woods finished second-last, a distant 19 strokes behind Rahm.

Jon Rahm wins Hero World Challenge

Phil Mickelson has played in&nbsp;Tiger&nbsp;Woods' shadow for much of his career but got some semblance of revenge on Friday by winning their $9 million matchplay exhibition under the floodlights in Las Vegas.

With the match all square through regulation, Mickelson sealed the win at the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff when he drained a four-foot birdie putt on a makeshift 93-yard hole after the duo had teed off from a practice green.

Mickelson, whose tally of five major championships is well shy of the 14 held by&nbsp;Woods, savoured the win over a player he had a white-hot rivalry with more than a decade ago and whom he described as the best to ever play the game.

"A day like today is not going to take anything away from his greatness. He's the greatest of all time," Mickelson said after "The Match" at Shadow Creek Golf Club.

"But to be able to have just a little bit of smack talk for the coming years means a lot to me because I don't really have much on him. He always drops the big picture and it's the trump card."

Golf's first venture into pay-per-view was hyped like a Las Vegas prizefight but proved more of a pillow fight with both golfers in jovial mood, playing for a purse that was put up by sponsors and will go to a charity of Mickelson's choice.

While the event lacked the tension provided by a Sunday back nine at the Masters,&nbsp;Woods&nbsp;set up a dramatic finish when his bump-and-run from beside the 17th green, with the match on the line, found the cup and brought the match to all square.

"I just did not want the match to end on that hole," said&nbsp;Woods, who grabbed his only lead at the day with a birdie at 12 but gave it right back at the 13th.

Woods' shot at 17 pumped some much-needed life into the match as the players headed to the 18th where Mickelson had a 32-foot putt for the win but failed to convert.

Nothing was settled when the players returned to the 18th tee for the first extra hole and so they descended on the 93-yard hole where they had to wait as the grounds crew re-cut a hole on the 18th green.

"To have a day like today, I just never thought we'd go to this extra hole," said Mickelson. "My heart just can't take much more of it."

After the two most popular golfers of their era hit their opening tee shots at Shadow Creek, they set off for what proved to be an underwhelming round in which both failed to deliver the highlight reel-type shots that have defined their careers.

Instead, Mickelson and&nbsp;Woods&nbsp;shared stories, complimented each other, laughed like long-lost friends and made side bets for eye-popping sums.

While the pay-per-view event was priced at $19.99, promoters decided to offer it free online at some point during play because of what they described as technical issues that impacted user access. It is not yet known if viewers who paid for the event would be credited.

Woods&nbsp;and Mickelson, who are among the world's highest-paid athletes, put up their own money for the side bets, including a whopping $1 million wager if either made eagle at the ninth hole. Neither golfer was able to cash in.

Mickelson also earned $600,000 for winning three closest-to-the-pin side bets after losing $200,000 for failing to make a birdie at the opening hole. Money from side bets will also be donated to charity.

Phil Mickelson has played in Tiger Woods' shadow for much of his career but got some semblance of revenge on Friday by winning their $9 million matchplay exhibition under the floodlights in Las Vegas.

Phil Mickelson has played in Tiger Woods' shadow for much of his career but got some semblance of revenge on Friday by winning their $9 million matchplay exhibition under the floodlights in Las Vegas. With the match all square through regulation, Mickelson sealed the win at the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff when he drained a four-foot birdie putt on a makeshift 93-yard hole after the duo had teed off from a practice green. Mickelson, whose tally of five major championships is well shy of the 14 held by Woods, savoured the win over a player he had a white-hot rivalry with more than a decade ago and whom he described as the best to ever play the game. "A day like today is not going to take anything away from his greatness. He's the greatest of all time," Mickelson said after "The Match" at Shadow Creek Golf Club. "But to be able to have just a little bit of smack talk for the coming years means a lot to me because I don't really have much on him. He always drops the big picture and it's the trump card." Golf's first venture into pay-per-view was hyped like a Las Vegas prizefight but proved more of a pillow fight with both golfers in jovial mood, playing for a purse that was put up by sponsors and will go to a charity of Mickelson's choice. While the event lacked the tension provided by a Sunday back nine at the Masters, Woods set up a dramatic finish when his bump-and-run from beside the 17th green, with the match on the line, found the cup and brought the match to all square. "I just did not want the match to end on that hole," said Woods, who grabbed his only lead at the day with a birdie at 12 but gave it right back at the 13th. Woods' shot at 17 pumped some much-needed life into the match as the players headed to the 18th where Mickelson had a 32-foot putt for the win but failed to convert. Nothing was settled when the players returned to the 18th tee for the first extra hole and so they descended on the 93-yard hole where they had to wait as the grounds crew re-cut a hole on the 18th green. "To have a day like today, I just never thought we'd go to this extra hole," said Mickelson. "My heart just can't take much more of it." After the two most popular golfers of their era hit their opening tee shots at Shadow Creek, they set off for what proved to be an underwhelming round in which both failed to deliver the highlight reel-type shots that have defined their careers. Instead, Mickelson and Woods shared stories, complimented each other, laughed like long-lost friends and made side bets for eye-popping sums. While the pay-per-view event was priced at $19.99, promoters decided to offer it free online at some point during play because of what they described as technical issues that impacted user access. It is not yet known if viewers who paid for the event would be credited. Woods and Mickelson, who are among the world's highest-paid athletes, put up their own money for the side bets, including a whopping $1 million wager if either made eagle at the ninth hole. Neither golfer was able to cash in. Mickelson also earned $600,000 for winning three closest-to-the-pin side bets after losing $200,000 for failing to make a birdie at the opening hole. Money from side bets will also be donated to charity.

Phil Mickelson beats Woods in $9 million winner-take-all match

Bragging rights will be worth more than the $9 million prize money to&nbsp;Phil&nbsp;Mickelson&nbsp;when he takes on Tiger Woods in an 18-hole winner-takes-all pay-per-view showdown in Las Vegas.

For two of the world's richest athletes, the prospect of pocketing millions for playing an afternoon round at Shadow Creek Golf Club on Friday may not set the heart racing.

But for&nbsp;Mickelson,&nbsp;the thought of forever being able to wave that cheque in Woods' face was something priceless that left him giddy with excitement ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday clash.

"It's great to win the $9 million but I just don't want to lose to him and give him the satisfaction because the bragging rights are what is going to be even worse than the money," Mickelson&nbsp;said at a news conference on Tuesday to drum up interest in "The Match".

"Every time I see you I want to be able to rub it in. I want to sit in the Champions locker room at Augusta and talk smack. I want that."

That was about as close as Woods and&nbsp;Mickelson, two of the most fascinating and successful golfers of their generation, came to trading shots as they attempted to help sell the pay-per-view duel which can be seen for a modest $19.99.

Despite their best efforts the obligatory trash talk around the golfing cage match has been forced and limp.

Fifteen years ago the dislike was real and palatable, the jabs they took at each other stung.

But that once frosty relationship has thawed to the point that they play practice rounds together.

LOVE-IN

Anyone expecting the sort of foul mouth baiting that is part of boxing and UFC promotions were left sadly disappointed as the news conference turned into a love-in.

The 42-year-old Woods and&nbsp;Mickelson, 48, spent so much time lavishing praise on each other that it was hard to remember there was time when they actually disliked each other.

Even an attempt to end the news conference with a traditional boxing nose-to-nose stare down ended in farce with neither man able to keep a straight face for more than a few seconds before breaking into laughs and a hug.

"He's one of the greatest players to ever pick up a golf club," said Woods, the winner of 14 major titles.

"Greatest of all time," replied&nbsp;Mickelson, who has five majors in his trophy case.

One aspect of the event not manufactured is the competitiveness Woods and&nbsp;Mickelson&nbsp;bring to the golf course.

The showdown will be highlighted by several side bets and&nbsp;Mickelson&nbsp;wasted no time throwing down the gauntlet by betting Woods $100,000 that he would birdie the first hole.

Woods took the bait but not before upping the ante, telling&nbsp;Mickelson, "Why not $200,000".

"So you think you can make birdie on the first hole," said Woods smiling. "Double it."

The biggest bet being put down, however, is the one made by WarnerMedia and Turner Sports who are gambling there is enough interest to make the unique pay-per-view event a success.

"This is me versus him, this is winner take all and it has a unique special feel golf doesn't have all the time or rarely has ever had if ever," said&nbsp;Mickelson.

"I am hopeful that this is received well, I am hopeful we provide a glimpse into the future of what sport-watching is all about."

Bragging rights will be worth more than the $9 million prize money to Phil Mickelson when he takes on Tiger Woods in an 18-hole winner-takes-all pay-per-view showdown in Las Vegas.

Bragging rights will be worth more than the $9 million prize money to Phil Mickelson when he takes on Tiger Woods in an 18-hole winner-takes-all pay-per-view showdown in Las Vegas. For two of the world's richest athletes, the prospect of pocketing millions for playing an afternoon round at Shadow Creek Golf Club on Friday may not set the heart racing. But for Mickelson, the thought of forever being able to wave that cheque in Woods' face was something priceless that left him giddy with excitement ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday clash. "It's great to win the $9 million but I just don't want to lose to him and give him the satisfaction because the bragging rights are what is going to be even worse than the money," Mickelson said at a news conference on Tuesday to drum up interest in "The Match". "Every time I see you I want to be able to rub it in. I want to sit in the Champions locker room at Augusta and talk smack. I want that." That was about as close as Woods and Mickelson, two of the most fascinating and successful golfers of their generation, came to trading shots as they attempted to help sell the pay-per-view duel which can be seen for a modest $19.99. Despite their best efforts the obligatory trash talk around the golfing cage match has been forced and limp. Fifteen years ago the dislike was real and palatable, the jabs they took at each other stung. But that once frosty relationship has thawed to the point that they play practice rounds together. LOVE-IN Anyone expecting the sort of foul mouth baiting that is part of boxing and UFC promotions were left sadly disappointed as the news conference turned into a love-in. The 42-year-old Woods and Mickelson, 48, spent so much time lavishing praise on each other that it was hard to remember there was time when they actually disliked each other. Even an attempt to end the news conference with a traditional boxing nose-to-nose stare down ended in farce with neither man able to keep a straight face for more than a few seconds before breaking into laughs and a hug. "He's one of the greatest players to ever pick up a golf club," said Woods, the winner of 14 major titles. "Greatest of all time," replied Mickelson, who has five majors in his trophy case. One aspect of the event not manufactured is the competitiveness Woods and Mickelson bring to the golf course. The showdown will be highlighted by several side bets and Mickelson wasted no time throwing down the gauntlet by betting Woods $100,000 that he would birdie the first hole. Woods took the bait but not before upping the ante, telling Mickelson, "Why not $200,000". "So you think you can make birdie on the first hole," said Woods smiling. "Double it." The biggest bet being put down, however, is the one made by WarnerMedia and Turner Sports who are gambling there is enough interest to make the unique pay-per-view event a success. "This is me versus him, this is winner take all and it has a unique special feel golf doesn't have all the time or rarely has ever had if ever," said Mickelson. "I am hopeful that this is received well, I am hopeful we provide a glimpse into the future of what sport-watching is all about."

Golf: Win over Tiger Woods worth more than $9 million, says Mickelson

Five key moments in the 2018 Ryder Cup

A despondent Tiger Woods admitted that he "was a contributing factor" as to why the United States surrendered the Ryder Cup to Europe, after losing all four of his matches at Le Golf National.

The 14-time major champion suffered only his second singles defeat in the match-play showdown with a 2 and 1 loss to Jon Rahm as Europe charged to victory.

His miserable Ryder Cup record now stands at 13 wins, 21 losses and three halves.

"It's disappointing because I went 0-4, and that's four points to the European team," admitted Woods.

"I'm one of the contributing factors to why we lost the Cup, and it's not a lot of fun.

"It's frustrating because we came here, I thought we were all playing pretty well, and I just didn't perform at the level that I had been playing, and just got behind early in the matches and never got back."

The former world number one headed to Paris in high spirits after capping a magnificent comeback season from injury with his first title since 2013 at the Tour Championship last week.

But it all went badly wrong, losing twice in the fourballs alongside Patrick Reed and once in the foursomes with Bryson DeChambeau -- all defeats coming at the hands of Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari.

A despondent Tiger Woods admitted that he "was a contributing factor" as to why the United States surrendered the Ryder Cup to Europe, after losing all four of his matches at Le Golf National.

A despondent Tiger Woods admitted that he "was a contributing factor" as to why the United States surrendered the Ryder Cup to Europe, after losing all four of his matches at Le Golf National. The 14-time major champion suffered only his second singles defeat in the match-play showdown with a 2 and 1 loss to Jon Rahm as Europe charged to victory. His miserable Ryder Cup record now stands at 13 wins, 21 losses and three halves. "It's disappointing because I went 0-4, and that's four points to the European team," admitted Woods. "I'm one of the contributing factors to why we lost the Cup, and it's not a lot of fun. "It's frustrating because we came here, I thought we were all playing pretty well, and I just didn't perform at the level that I had been playing, and just got behind early in the matches and never got back." The former world number one headed to Paris in high spirits after capping a magnificent comeback season from injury with his first title since 2013 at the Tour Championship last week. But it all went badly wrong, losing twice in the fourballs alongside Patrick Reed and once in the foursomes with Bryson DeChambeau -- all defeats coming at the hands of Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari.

I'm one of the reasons we lost Ryder Cup, says Tiger Woods

Francesco Molinari fittingly took the glory as Europe regained the&nbsp;Ryder&nbsp;Cup in dominant style on Sunday, the Italian beating Phil Mickelson on the 16th to post the point needed to reach the magic tally of 14.5.

Mickelson conceded the hole after firing his tee shot into the water with Molinari on the green to leave the Italian as the first European to win all five matches in a week -- having not won any of his previous six.

Europe were effectively already assured of victory when he teed off as the Italian, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia were all dormie and guaranteed at least half a point from their games - with Europe at that stage needing one.

They had started the day 10-6 up, needing to secure four and a half of the 12 points available to win back the trophy and extend their stranglehold on home soil that dates back to 1993.

Only twice before had a team come from four down going into the singles to win -- the US doing so at Brookline in 1999 and Europe in 2012 in the 'Miracle of Medinah', but another stunning comeback never really looked on the cards.

Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson and Tony Finau gave Jim Furyk's team a glimmer of hope with early wins but then the European points started pouring in from all over the course.

Thorbjorn Olesen hammered Jordan Spieth and fellow rookie Jon Rahm beat Tiger Woods -- leaving the 14-times major champion with a stunning four defeats out of four.

Ian Poulter, "Mr&nbsp;Ryder&nbsp;Cup", then produced probably the loudest cheer of the week when world number one Dustin Johnson conceded on the 18th green to leave Europe on the verge.

It was then just a question of which match out on the course would finish next and it proved to be Molinari's - sparking amazing scenes of celebration watched by the biggest galleries in the event's history.

Francesco Molinari fittingly took the glory as Europe regained the Ryder Cup in dominant style on Sunday, the Italian beating Phil Mickelson on the 16th to post the point needed to reach the magic tally of 14.

Francesco Molinari fittingly took the glory as Europe regained the Ryder Cup in dominant style on Sunday, the Italian beating Phil Mickelson on the 16th to post the point needed to reach the magic tally of 14.5. Mickelson conceded the hole after firing his tee shot into the water with Molinari on the green to leave the Italian as the first European to win all five matches in a week -- having not won any of his previous six. Europe were effectively already assured of victory when he teed off as the Italian, Henrik Stenson and Sergio Garcia were all dormie and guaranteed at least half a point from their games - with Europe at that stage needing one. They had started the day 10-6 up, needing to secure four and a half of the 12 points available to win back the trophy and extend their stranglehold on home soil that dates back to 1993. Only twice before had a team come from four down going into the singles to win -- the US doing so at Brookline in 1999 and Europe in 2012 in the 'Miracle of Medinah', but another stunning comeback never really looked on the cards. Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson and Tony Finau gave Jim Furyk's team a glimmer of hope with early wins but then the European points started pouring in from all over the course. Thorbjorn Olesen hammered Jordan Spieth and fellow rookie Jon Rahm beat Tiger Woods -- leaving the 14-times major champion with a stunning four defeats out of four. Ian Poulter, "Mr Ryder Cup", then produced probably the loudest cheer of the week when world number one Dustin Johnson conceded on the 18th green to leave Europe on the verge. It was then just a question of which match out on the course would finish next and it proved to be Molinari's - sparking amazing scenes of celebration watched by the biggest galleries in the event's history.

Europe regain Ryder Cup with dominant singles display

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

The United States made a strong start to the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on Friday as Jim Furyk's men claimed a 3-1 lead after the opening session despite a defeat for Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed.

The US team are bidding to win the trophy for the first time on European soil since 1993, and made an excellent start.

Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau stunned Jon Rahm and Justin Rose 1-up in the opening match, taking the lead for the first time at the final hole.

Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler then raised hopes of a repeat of the 2016 first-morning whitewash for the holders by swatting aside Rory McIlroy and Thorbjorn Olesen 4 and 2.

But after Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas edged out Tyrrell Hatton and Paul Casey in a thrilling match 1-up, British Open champion Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood produced a late surge to down a misfiring Woods and Reed 3 and 1.

The former world number one, playing in his first Ryder Cup since 2012, and the Masters champion were then left out by Furyk for the afternoon foursomes.

It is the Americans' largest first-session lead in Europe since 1989.

Johnson and Fowler won the first point, easing past an out-of-sorts McIlroy and European rookie Olesen.

Denmark's Olesen struck his first Ryder Cup tee shot into the water, but spent much of the match carrying four-time major winner McIlroy, who failed to make a single birdie or win a hole.

McIlroy and Olesen both missed lengthy birdie tries on the 16th hole to end a one-sided match with a whimper.

Beginner's luck

Europe led for the majority of the opening match, but collapsed late on as the US edged in front for the first time at the final hole.

Rose and Rahm took a 2-up lead after some sparkling play around the turn, but lost the momentum as Koepka and Finau drew level with two holes to play.

Rookie Finau, a captain's pick by Furyk, saw his tee shot at the par-three 16th hit the wooden boards separating the green from the water, before spinning into the air and coming to rest three feet from the hole for a simple birdie.

"I like pulling those out when it really matters," he smiled. "Sometimes you get a good kick. Sometimes you don't."

Spaniard Rahm bogeyed the 18th and FedEx Cup winner Rose found water to gift the Americans victory.

The visitors secured a third point as Spieth and Thomas held off a thrilling comeback from Casey and Hatton in a high-quality clash.

Spieth and Thomas, good friends off the course, raced into a 3-up advantage as the former poured in five birdies in the opening seven holes.

The 25-year-old Thomas maintained that lead with birdies at the ninth and 10th holes, but Casey made four straight birdies before a pinpoint Hatton approach made it all-square with five to play.

The Americans edged back ahead, though, and Hatton missed a 15-foot attempt to salvage half a point on the last green.

"It was great. We had a great start, too. Playing Ryder Cups over here are extremely fun," said three-time major winner Spieth. "We were able to feed off each other."

The home side started a possible fightback, though, with the heroics of Fleetwood sending the crowd into delirium with magnificent birdie putts on the 15th and 16th to grab a 2-up lead on Woods and Reed, having been 2-down after 10.

The big-name American pairing were off the pace throughout despite a strong start by Woods.

But the 14-time major champion lost his way on the back nine, with him and Reed both finding water and missing several fairways, leaving Molinari with a simple two-putt to get Europe on the board.

The Italian did even better than that, draining his birdie try to secure his first-ever full Ryder Cup point on his third appearance in style.

"There is nothing like it," said Fleetwood after his first Ryder Cup match.

"And that's just my first morning experience. Guys have done this ten times. There is nothing like it, and I can't wait to get out and do it again."

The United States made a strong start to the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on Friday as Jim Furyk's men claimed a 3-1 lead after the opening session despite a defeat for Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed.

The United States made a strong start to the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National on Friday as Jim Furyk's men claimed a 3-1 lead after the opening session despite a defeat for Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed. The US team are bidding to win the trophy for the first time on European soil since 1993, and made an excellent start. Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau stunned Jon Rahm and Justin Rose 1-up in the opening match, taking the lead for the first time at the final hole. Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler then raised hopes of a repeat of the 2016 first-morning whitewash for the holders by swatting aside Rory McIlroy and Thorbjorn Olesen 4 and 2. But after Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas edged out Tyrrell Hatton and Paul Casey in a thrilling match 1-up, British Open champion Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood produced a late surge to down a misfiring Woods and Reed 3 and 1. The former world number one, playing in his first Ryder Cup since 2012, and the Masters champion were then left out by Furyk for the afternoon foursomes. It is the Americans' largest first-session lead in Europe since 1989. Johnson and Fowler won the first point, easing past an out-of-sorts McIlroy and European rookie Olesen. Denmark's Olesen struck his first Ryder Cup tee shot into the water, but spent much of the match carrying four-time major winner McIlroy, who failed to make a single birdie or win a hole. McIlroy and Olesen both missed lengthy birdie tries on the 16th hole to end a one-sided match with a whimper. Beginner's luck Europe led for the majority of the opening match, but collapsed late on as the US edged in front for the first time at the final hole. Rose and Rahm took a 2-up lead after some sparkling play around the turn, but lost the momentum as Koepka and Finau drew level with two holes to play. Rookie Finau, a captain's pick by Furyk, saw his tee shot at the par-three 16th hit the wooden boards separating the green from the water, before spinning into the air and coming to rest three feet from the hole for a simple birdie. "I like pulling those out when it really matters," he smiled. "Sometimes you get a good kick. Sometimes you don't." Spaniard Rahm bogeyed the 18th and FedEx Cup winner Rose found water to gift the Americans victory. The visitors secured a third point as Spieth and Thomas held off a thrilling comeback from Casey and Hatton in a high-quality clash. Spieth and Thomas, good friends off the course, raced into a 3-up advantage as the former poured in five birdies in the opening seven holes. The 25-year-old Thomas maintained that lead with birdies at the ninth and 10th holes, but Casey made four straight birdies before a pinpoint Hatton approach made it all-square with five to play. The Americans edged back ahead, though, and Hatton missed a 15-foot attempt to salvage half a point on the last green. "It was great. We had a great start, too. Playing Ryder Cups over here are extremely fun," said three-time major winner Spieth. "We were able to feed off each other." The home side started a possible fightback, though, with the heroics of Fleetwood sending the crowd into delirium with magnificent birdie putts on the 15th and 16th to grab a 2-up lead on Woods and Reed, having been 2-down after 10. The big-name American pairing were off the pace throughout despite a strong start by Woods. But the 14-time major champion lost his way on the back nine, with him and Reed both finding water and missing several fairways, leaving Molinari with a simple two-putt to get Europe on the board. The Italian did even better than that, draining his birdie try to secure his first-ever full Ryder Cup point on his third appearance in style. "There is nothing like it," said Fleetwood after his first Ryder Cup match. "And that's just my first morning experience. Guys have done this ten times. There is nothing like it, and I can't wait to get out and do it again."

US power into early Ryder Cup lead despite Woods defeat 

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

"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

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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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

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

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

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

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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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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

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