Tiger scrambles to third-round 71, getting ‘feels’ back at Hero

NASSAU, Bahamas – There is a recognizable ebb and flow to Tiger Woods’ most recent comeback.

Having spent the second half of his career recovering from myriad injuries and surgeries, Woods knew how this week’s Hero World Challenge would play out following months of rehab and recovery from ankle surgery in April. He also knows the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place.

“Normally it’s short game, the touch and feels,” Woods said Saturday at Albany following a 1-under 71. “As far as my feels, generally as the week progresses my feel for pin high gets better and better each and every day. I think that’s an indication this week, I know the score doesn’t indicate what I think I could have shot today, but it was definitely clearer than it was yesterday.”

Following back-to-back rounds marred by late miscues, it was a bogey-bogey start to his round that had Woods scrambling on Day 3. It was apropos that his scrambling was what kept his round together.

Woods ranks seventh in strokes gained: around the green this week and picked up 1.47 shots around the greens on Saturday. The highlight of his day were scrambling pars at Nos. 12, 15 and 16.

Despite being well off the pace set by Scottie Scheffler, Woods took solace in how his body has responded to his first competitive golf since the Masters.

“I’m very excited at how I have felt physically,” he said. “To be able to knock off some of the rust as I have this week and showed myself that I can recover each and every day, that was kind of an unknown as far as I’ve walked this far, I’ve done all my training, but add in playing and concentration and adrenaline and all those other factors that speed up everything, I’m very excited how the week’s turned out.”