Strong field at Transitions


Associated Press

PALM HARBOR, Fla.

Kenny Perry is following the same road to the Masters, playing three straight tournaments on the Florida swing before taking a week off and heading to Augusta National.

He usually needs time to find his game, especially before facing a test that demands so much.

And that’s what he finds surprising about Tiger Woods, who is taking a road less traveled to the Masters.

Woods will have been out of the game for five months when he returns to play the first major of the year. Woods did not indicate whether he would go to Augusta National for practice.

“He’s had long stretches off in the past and he’s come back and won the first week out. I don’t see how people do that,” Perry said. “I really don’t understand that. I cannot process that in my head. I think he needs to get competitiveness somewhere.”

The Florida swing serves a dual purpose for so many — a chance to win a PGA Tour event (and get into the Masters for those not already eligible) and a time to take stock on what part of the game needs work.

No course can match Augusta National, although the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook — site of this week’s Transitions Championship — presents a strong test.

It is different from most Florida courses, starting with its surprising change in elevation.

What makes this the toughest scoring course in the Florida swing is its emphasis on position, and greens that typically are firm and fast. It doesn’t have a lot of water because it doesn’t need it to be tough.

The Transitions has one of its strongest fields ever, with four of the top 10 in the world ranking.

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