Rose withdraws from Bahamas with back injury

A voice behind the ropes who has watched Woods play a lot of golf said in a most complimentary way, “That’s old stuff there”.

“To not drop a shot, to not lose the momentum that was a biggie”, said Woods, host of the unofficial PGA Tour event. “Then I’ll shut it down, I’ll work on my short game in the backyard, chip and putt, and then we’ll have another training camp a week or two later”. “I was shaping it both ways and I really had nice control of my (trajectory)”. “Mistakes I don’t normally make, but I haven’t played in a while”. I didn’t play the par 5s very well in the middle part of the round and consequently, got it going the wrong way.

The club twirls were back, the swagger evident. Pretty much all around solid day. Putted well, hit my irons well and my driver well. I’m still learning the golf ball. As Chris Solomon noted on Twitter, it matters that he knows (and we know) that those shots still exist within him.

“I hit it in three bushes and had a water ball”, Woods said later. “I couldn’t hit it any better than that one”. I’m still learning my fairway woods. And if he’s unburdened of that mental hiccup, Woods also looked lighter in the upper body than he did during his muscle-bound peak – a positive to critics who have suggested his weight-room-induced top-heaviness created unnecessary strain on his joints. Circular arguments and such. “But there are other things I can learn from that”.

Woods might be just as likely to tweak his back with a sudden move, picking up one of his kids or reaching awkwardly. I care about what didn’t happen with Woods.

He has finished in the top seven of three major tournaments since the start of 2015, but missing the cut at the U.S. Open and British Open past year were setbacks.

“Well, I don’t necessarily think the course is made for me”.

Woods had to take a penalty shot for an unplayable lie and made bogey. “That was a big one”. But this was vintage Tiger, remember? It was all working and against all expectations after a long layoff, Tiger looked back.

After a birdie putt on 10 lipped out, an unperturbed Woods posted gains on four of the next five holes, and the surest sign of his blossoming confidence came at the 16th.

You can tell he’s enjoying the feel of Old Faithful, too.

Birdies at the first, sixth and ninth got Woods going, indeed he almost stuffed the wedge approach on the ninth in the hole for an eagle three, but it was the middle of the back nine where he made his move.

That will be the new normal for Woods and why it is so important to keep in mind that this is not just about the scores he shoots on the course.

It’s perhaps telling Woods used Funk – a solid golfer, but victor of 14 fewer major trophies than Woods – as a reference point.

“Through 15, I didn’t really miss a shot”, Woods said.

And that should delight Tiger’s throng of fans more than anything else he does this week.