Teak-tough Tiger claws through the pain barrier

NOT everybody likes Tiger Woods. He can be sullen and uncommunicative, evasive and defensive, but nobody can question his commitment on the golf course.

Nobody grinds it out harder, whether he's battling a wayward game or a debilitating injury.

Even though he had to take all kinds of precautions to avoid further damaging his back, he somehow got around Mount Juliet yesterday with a four under par 68 to keep his hopes of a third successive American Express World Championship alive.