Tiger Woods says he hasn't felt so good in years as he reclaims world number one spot
With the first major of the season just around the corner, Tiger Woods chose yesterday as the time to remind the golf world of his talents.
Back on top: Woods of the U.S. holds
the trophy after he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA golf
tournament and reclaimed the number one spot Photo: REUTERS
8:08AM GMT 26 Mar 2013
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Once a permanent presence at the top of the game's rankings, the 37-year-old
had not looked down on the rest since October 2010, with a myriad of reasons
veering him off course.
But victory in the rain-delayed fourth round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational
yesterday – his eighth win there – pushed him above Rory McIlroy and back
into the number one spot.
The next week will be his 624th as the top dog and he says there is no secret
as to why he is back at the summit.
"It's a by-product of hard work, patience and getting back to winning
golf tournaments," he said.
Woods
won the event by two shots from Justin Rose – the Englishman is up to a
career-best third – and will now head to the Masters looking to end a
five-year major drought.
He remains on 14 but is not entertaining the critics who say he has to make it
15 before he can be considered 'back'.
"It's up to them. It's their opinion, I'm very pleased with the way I'm playing," he added.
"It's been a few years since I've felt this good.
"I've turned some of the weaknesses that I had last year into strengths. I'm really excited about the rest of this year.
"The very beginning of the year I was excited because of how the end of last year turned. My short game came around, I thought my swing was getting better my short irons got better, lo and behold, I won a few tournaments this year."
During his well-reported slump, Woods dropped as low as number 58 in the world, but this was his third success of the year and his sixth dating back to another victory at Bay Hill a year ago.
As his nearest challenger come the end, Rose was well placed to comment on how well he was playing.
"He plays every shot like he plays them on Sunday," Rose said.
"His intensity is the same on Thursday often as it is on Sunday, and that makes Sunday a lot less different for him.
"He plays in that kind of atmosphere far more regularly than a lot of guys do, and it's an adjustment for most of us. It's a known for him."------ The Telegraph
"It's up to them. It's their opinion, I'm very pleased with the way I'm playing," he added.
"It's been a few years since I've felt this good.
"I've turned some of the weaknesses that I had last year into strengths. I'm really excited about the rest of this year.
"The very beginning of the year I was excited because of how the end of last year turned. My short game came around, I thought my swing was getting better my short irons got better, lo and behold, I won a few tournaments this year."
During his well-reported slump, Woods dropped as low as number 58 in the world, but this was his third success of the year and his sixth dating back to another victory at Bay Hill a year ago.
As his nearest challenger come the end, Rose was well placed to comment on how well he was playing.
"He plays every shot like he plays them on Sunday," Rose said.
"His intensity is the same on Thursday often as it is on Sunday, and that makes Sunday a lot less different for him.
"He plays in that kind of atmosphere far more regularly than a lot of guys do, and it's an adjustment for most of us. It's a known for him."------ The Telegraph
