Tiger Woods produces rusty final round but happy to be over ‘scary time’

"It's great to be back playing against the best players in the world."

Tiger Woods produces rusty final round but happy to be over ‘scary time’

Tiger Woods admitted there had been "some pretty dire times" during his 15-month injury absence after a closing 76 saw him finish 15th at the Hero World Challenge, 14 shots behind winner Hideki Matsuyama.

The 14-time Major winner, who came through 72 holes unscathed in the 18-man event in the Bahamas, had three double bogeys, three bogeys and five birdies as he finished with his worst round of the week.

However, the 40-year-old insisted he was delighted to be competing again after two back operations.

"There were some pretty dire times when I couldn't move," Woods told Sky Sports News. "You just lay there and you can't move - those are scary times.

"It's great to be back playing against the best players in the world, but unfortunately I made a lot of mistakes this week. I made some poor decisions.

"Getting my lights back and my body back and focusing for a long period of time - these are things I've missed for a year and a half.

"I made some birdies this week, which is nice. I always want to be aggressive, but I made some bad mistakes - you can't make two sevens.

"The pain and issues I've had... it was just rough."

A sparkling 65 on Friday had briefly thrust Woods into contention but there were signs of rust in the final round, with the American thinning a wedge over the back of the sixth green en route to his first double bogey of the day.

A hat-trick of birdies from the seventh got him to the turn in level par, but Woods then dropped four shots in three holes, with his short game letting him down on the 11th with two poor chips.

Back-to-back gains on the 14th and 15th took Woods birdie count to 24 - the highest in the field this week - as he finished on four under par.

Japan's Matsuyama carded a closing 73 to take the title on 18 under, two clear of Open champion Henrik Stenson.

more courts articles

Stephen Bear ordered to pay back profits from sharing private sex tape Stephen Bear ordered to pay back profits from sharing private sex tape
Gary Glitter victim seeking six-figure sum in damages, court told Gary Glitter victim seeking six-figure sum in damages, court told
Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother

More in this section

West will be a test despite slew of absentees West will be a test despite slew of absentees
OFX Irish Legends Media Day McGinley defends tour boss Pelley against 'false narratives'
Mexico Open at Vidanta - Final Round Padraig Harrington still explains the mental game of golf like few others can
Sport Push Notifications

By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser.

Sign Up

Ireland's Top 10 Hidden Gems

Ten of the best golf courses in Ireland that too few people know about.

Read Here
Sport
Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited