By JOSH HALLORAN
Before his 12:59 p.m. tee time at the 2013 World Golf Championship-Cadillac Championship at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, FL, Tiger Woods received a brief putting lesson from friend and fellow competitor, Steve Stricker.
“Even though were competitors, we’re friends. Steve is one of the nicest guys out here and one of the best putters that has ever lived. Anything he says about putting I’m going to listen too,” Woods said in an interview with ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi.
After the third round, Woods birded more holes throughout the week then he had not birded.
Woods led the momentum he possessed during the previous rounds, all the way to a $1.5 million paycheck along with his 76th PGA tour victory.
“No. I don’t think Tiger is back to his old self because he just isn’t there mentally and doesn’t seem fully focused yet. Although I do think he will come back because you don’t just lose talent like that,” senior Thomas Green-Seall said.
And to think it was the one year anniversary on Sunday of which Woods withdrew after 11 holes in the final round of Doral, due to tightness in his left Achilles tendon; the exact type of injury that lead him to sit out most of the previous summer.
Woods has earned five wins in the past year, the most of anyone in the world.
With Bay Hill (March 18-24) right around the corner, Woods can return to his No. 1 World Golf Ranking if he can secure a win in his hometown.
“I feel that if Tiger can win next week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill then he should deserve to be No. 1 in the world again,” sophomore Corey Orlando said.
Stricker felt the regret after ending the day on Sunday and might want to claim a share in the trophy. In which, he lost to Woods by two shots and finished in second.
The current No. 1 player in the world, Rory McIlroy, showed a strong finish at Doral after a rough start to the season. He shot a 65 on Sunday and finished in a tie for eighth.
Graeme McDowell (72), Phil Mickelson (71), Sergio Garcia (69) and Adam Scott (64) also tied for third.