Woods has Seve regret ahead of latest comeback

TIGER WOODS wishes he could have taken on Seve Ballesteros in his prime, but he did at least get to play with him.

Returning to golf this week for the first time since The Masters — knee and Achilles problems prevented him hitting a single shot for almost a month — Woods has recalled the practice round he had with Ballesteros at Augusta some years ago.

“Just to hear him explain how to hit shots around there — it was just artful,” said the former world number one of the Spaniard, whose funeral took place yesterday.

“Just how much spin you need to put it here and where you need to land it, where it needs to kick and the way he explained it.

“And what he needs to do with the body to do that with the hands. He looked like he didn’t try and do anything mechanical — he just understood it.

“He would have been so much fun to watch and compete against.”

With 14 major titles Woods has nine more than Ballesteros achieved in his career, but the talk now is of a barren run in all tournaments that stretches back 18 months.

Woods began hitting balls again only on Monday and expectations do not appear to be too high for this week’s Players Championship — the same one he pulled out of on the Sunday last year with a neck injury.

“The knee is better, no doubt. The Achilles is better as well, so I’m here playing,” he commented.

During his lay-off Woods clearly noted the fact that Bubba Watson, one of the rising American stars, had commented on his work with coach Sean Foley since last August.

Watson said he thought Woods was “going the wrong way” and was “so mental right now with his swing”.

Asked about that, Woods said: “That was interesting. We’ll talk.”

For Graeme McDowell the week represents a chance to start building confidence again ahead of his US Open title defence.

Following the best 10 months of his life Ireland’s world number five has missed three of his last four halfway cuts, including The Masters, and finished 61st on his other start.

“It’s been a pretty rough couple of months,” he admitted. “I feel like I’m turning the corner. I look at this time last year and I hadn’t done much either.”