Share

Tiger back up to world No 2

Lytham St Annes - Tiger Woods crawled his way up to the second place in world rankings on Monday but the American, fresh from his joint third finish at the British Open, is unlikely to make a song and dance about that.

For a man who has spent 623 weeks at the summit, a greater craving would be to add to his already impressive list of 14 majors.

There was no hint of impatience in his voice after the famously focused American had a final round to forget at a sunny Lytham, carding his first triple bogey at a major since the 2003 Open.

"It's part of golf. We all go through these phases. (For) some people it lasts entire careers. (For) others ... a little bit shorter," he said when asked how it felt not to have won a major since the 2008 US Open.

Woods kept his composure remarkably well given the setback at the sixth hole on Sunday and still came tied third after a three-over-par 73 to end four shots behind winner Ernie Els.

He now sits just one place behind world No 1 Luke Donald after a failed attempt to land a fourth Claret Jug.

"I finally feel like I'm really healthy. And I've got my pop back in my swing. So I'm hitting the ball distances I know I can," Woods told reporters.

The 36-year-old has changed the face of golf with his prodigious hitting and is still the main attraction for heaving galleries having won 14 majors in 11 years from his first in 1997.

At the Open, however, the crowd hoping to catch a glimpse of Woods bludgeoning a driver well over 300 yards down the fairway was left disappointed as the former world No 1 used iron after iron from the tee for position.

For his last Open triumph at Hoylake in 2006, Woods used the driver just once but his precision off the tee left spectators in awe.

At Lytham, fans sighed regularly when the iconic Tiger driver cover remained untouched, some impatiently calling him 'boring.'

Woods is not in a hurry as he seeks to first land another major title and then perhaps dream of catching compatriot Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 majors.

"Even the greatest players to ever play have all gone through little stretches like this. When your playing careers last 40 and 50 years, you're going to have stretches like this," was his response.

His next opportunity is at Kiawah Island for the August 9-12 US PGA Championship and while most eyes would be on London Olympics, Woods would hope to divert attention on Sunday with a long-awaited 15th major.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE