Monday, January 30, 2012
Associated Press
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates
Tiger Woods talked all week about his improved ball control — then it let him down when he needed it most.
Woods resembled the Tiger of old over the first three rounds at the Abu Dhabi Championship, stringing together a trio of rounds below par before shooting an even 72 in Sunday’s finale to finish in a tie for third place behind winner Robert Rock and U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy.
The 117th-ranked Rock shot 70 for an overall 275 to beat McIlroy (69) by a shot.
Woods was a further shot back with Thomas Bjorn (68) and Graeme McDowell (68). The 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero (69) and George Coetzee (70) of South Africa were another shot back.
“Today I just didn’t give myself enough looks at it,” Woods said. “Most of my putts were lag putts. I didn’t drive the ball in as many fairways as I should have ... It was a day I was just a touch off the tee and consequently I couldn’t get the ball close enough.”
It marked the second straight time Woods hasn’t won with at least a share of the lead after 54 holes. He failed to win the Chevron World Challenge in 2010 after going into the final round with a four-shot lead over McDowell.
The 14-time major winner appears to have recovered from a two-year victory drought in which he was sidelined by injuries and personal turmoil. But Woods must now face the fact that, at age 36, there are plenty of players — known and unknown — who can potentially beat him.
Woods, though, was looking for the silver lining out of his third-place finish. He insisted he has been steadily improving — hitting a high percentage of fairways and greens until Sunday and putting much better.
“There’s plenty of big events to go, but I’m pleased at the progress I’ve made so far,” said Woods, who won the Chevron World Challenge last month to end his drought. “I just need to keep building, keep getting more consistent, and today was a day where I putted beautifully. Just didn’t give myself enough looks.”
Coming into Sunday, Woods was tied for the lead with the unheralded Rock and was the clear favorite to win. Rock had only one victory under his belt compared to 83 for Woods worldwide, but it was Rock — battling his nerves over playing alongside one of his golfing idols — who held it together down the stretch.