Troubled Tiger beginning to see the light again

IT says much about Tiger Woods’ current form that his appearance on the early US PGA Championship leaderboard came as something of a surprise at Whistling Straits last night.

Following the worst 72-hole finish of his professional career last Sunday, a tie for 78th place in an 80-man field at the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio, the 14-time major winner had started the week in such low esteem that one reporter had the temerity to ask him if he had felt like the worst player in the world right now.

It is not quite that bad but Woods teed off yesterday in his first major since 1997 that he has not started favourite, and well aware that he was in danger of losing his world number one ranking with another bad week at the office.

And after finishing at 18 over par at Firestone Country Club, Woods quickly gave short shrift to any suggestions that he was a spent force with birdies at his first two holes from the 10th tee, on the way to a one under par 71.

He buried a putt from 12 feet on the 361-yard par-four 10th, and then followed up with an eight-footer at the 618-yard par-five 11th.

Woods’ well-documented troubles off and on the course had rightly focused on the damaging revelations concerning his private life, and the end of his partnership with swing coach Hank Haney in April.

Yet the first cracks in Woods’ armour had appeared a year ago at the 2009 PGA when the unfancied YE Yang outgunned him down the stretch at Hazeltine National in Minnesota.

Woods was once again paired with the Korean here, as well as Vijay Singh, the 2004 winner when the championship had visited Whistling Straits for the first time.

Woods was back to his scrambling best at the par-three 12th, saving par there and a third birdie in four holes came next, at the 404-yard par-four 13th, the American holing out from seven feet.

The round still had its fair share of trouble, though, and a first bogey of the day came at the 15th but Woods kept his act together and parred his way to the turn at two under, two shots behind Charles Howell III.

There was a second bogey at the par-five second, but his first wild shot of the day came at the par-five fifth, a terrible hook sending his ball into the lake down the left and his club airborne at the end of his follow through — only for Woods to save par after taking a penalty drop.

He finished on one under par, two off the clubhouse lead of Jason Day of Australia, who carded a three-under 69 before American Bubba Watson replaced Day at the top of the leaderboard following his 68.

“It was playing long out there today,” Day said. “The course is a little soft out there, obviously die to the rain.

“I drove the ball really nicely and hit a lot of quality putts. I saved myself a couple of times with a few long par-putts but overall I’m happy with the 69.”

Scotland’s Martin Laird was the leading European in the clubhouse after a 70 while his compatriot Stephen Gallacher lies a further shot back with a fighting 71 having double-bogeyed the third.

“It wasn’t the best of starts, but I’m delighted,” Gallacher said. “I battled and played some good golf. You can’t lose your concentration here. If you do you can take any numbers. But I’m not letting it get to me — I know I am playing well enough to be patient. It’s some course, a complete grind from start to finish.”

American Ryan Moore was the leader out on the course at five under after 15 holes having started from the 10th hole.