Tiger gives health thumbs-up on eve of return to PGA Tour

LA JOLLA, California - A relaxed and happy Tiger Woods gave his body a thumbs-up on Wednesday and said he wanted to play a full schedule leading up to the U.S. Masters in April.

Speaking on the eve of his first official tournament in almost a year, the 14-times major champion said he has not "felt this good in years".

Woods acknowledged that his apparently successful spinal fusion last April had been a last-ditch attempt to end his crushing pain after he had exhausted every other treatment option.

"My quality of life is infinitely better than it was last year at this point," he told reporters. "I have no more pain in my back.

"It feels good not to have a burning sensation going down my leg into my foot, or collapse when I'm walking, things of that nature."

He beamed his trademark smile multiple times as he spoke to the media for 23 minutes at Torrey Pines, a day before the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open, a tournament he almost owns with seven victories.

The former world number one had just played a pre-tournament pro-am at which he delighted a large gallery of fans by finishing eagle, birdie for a final score of two-under 70.

Woods addressed in detail questions about his swing and spoke at length about the thought process that went into the back surgery he underwent after three failed microdiscectomies.

As usual, he said little about his personal life, other than to say his two children were well. He did not address last year's arrest after he was found asleep at the wheel of his car with multiple prescription drugs in his system.

But when it came to his health in general and golf in particular, the 42-year-old could hardly contain his enthusiasm at being pain-free.

"It's been so bad for so long, but turning it around and having my back fused, I haven't felt this good in years, so I'm excited about it," he said.

TEST RUN 

Woods has played one tournament since his surgery, the unofficial Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December, where he finished ninth of 18 players in a good test run for 2018, when he hopes to play a full schedule for the first time since 2013.

"I went through every single procedure that is non-surgical and it just didn't get better," he said of his back and his make or break decision to have two vertebrae in his lower spine fused.

"The surgery and the fusion was the only step I had left. I was lucky."

Of all Woods' victories, perhaps his greatest came here at the 2008 U.S. Open. He won despite having, in his own words, "no ACL" (anterior cruciate ligament) and a "broken leg" (two stress fractures in his lower left leg).

But that was 10 years ago and he has not won a major championship since.

"My expectations have tempered a little bit because I haven't played," he said. "I just want to start playing and getting into a rhythm of playing a schedule again.

"I haven't done that in such a long time, so I don't know what to expect. I'm going to grind, give it everything I possibly have."

This week will be merely the first step in his build-up for the Masters at Augusta National.

"I'm looking forward to playing a full schedule and getting ready for the Masters and I haven't done that in a very long time," he said.

"From '96 on it's been that way and there's no reason to change."

(Reporting by Andrew Both, editing by Ed Osmond)

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Golf: Garcia finally proves his majors mettle with Masters triumph

AUGUSTA, Georgia -- Sergio Garcia had long been his harshest critic, once saying he was not good enough to win a major, but on Sunday he buried decades of heartbreak and meltdowns by clinching a stirring win at the U.S. Masters.

The Spaniard stamped himself as one of the game's greats in remarkable fashion by overcoming some final round, back-nine adversity to claim his maiden major title in a playoff with friend and European Ryder Cup team mate Justin Rose.

"It's been such a long time coming," said Garcia, who missed a five-foot putt for the win at the end of regulation before rolling in a 12-foot birdie to claim victory on the first extra hole. "I felt today the calmest I ever felt on a major Sunday.

"Even after making a couple bogeys I was still very positive and I still believed. I am so happy."


Positive, happy and calm were not attributes one would normally have used to describe the 37-year-old Garcia on the golf course prior to this week.

Throughout his career, Garcia struggled to live up to lofty expectations laid upon his 19-year-old shoulders when he turned professional in 1999.

Considered by many to likely become the primary rival of Tiger Woods, Garcia developed a reputation for struggling in the biggest moments.

One of the most heartbreaking disappointments came in 2007 when his eight-foot par putt to win the British Open spun out of the cup and left him bent over in disbelief.

And while Garcia possessed the talent to put himself in the mix at golf's premier events -- as his 22 top-10 finishes coming into this week attests -- his mental toughness was questioned.

After falling out of contention in the third round of the 2012 Masters, Garcia famously delivered a brutal self assessment in which he said did not have what it takes to win a major.

"I don't have the thing I need to have," Garcia said at the time. "I've come to the conclusion that I need to play for second or third place ... in any major."

But the eve of this year's first major, Garcia received an inspirational message from compatriot and boyhood idol Jose Maria Olazabal, a twice Masters winner, saying he believed in him, stay calm and do not get rattled like in the past.

Garcia clearly took those words to heart, most notably in the final round when on several occasions it looked like the wheels were about to fall off and another major title was about to slip through his grasp.

He stood at the sixth tee with a three-shot edge over Rose but three holes later was tied atop the leaderboard after the Englishman made three consecutive birdies.

After bogeys at 10 and 11, Garcia's tee shot at the par-five 13th landed under an azalea bush and was unplayable, forcing him to take a drop and possibly end his title bid.

But Garcia scrambled for a tournament-saving par and then made birdie at 14 and eagle at the par-five 15th after nearly holing out from the fairway to set up an epic finish.

"I knew I needed to make that putt to stay in it," Garcia said of his par-save at 13. "That putt really kind of got me even more confident and then I was able to make two great holes."

When he missed his putt at 18 it was hard not to recall the missed putt in 2007 at Carnoustie, where Garcia ultimately lost in a playoff.

But not this year. Not for a revived Garcia who said he had come to terms with the fact that a major title might never come.

"Because of where my head was at, sometimes I did think about whether I am ever going to win one. I've had so many good chances and either I lost them or someone has done something extraordinary to beat me," said Garcia.

"So it did cross my mind but lately I have been getting some good help and I've been thinking a little different, a little bit more positive and kind of accepting that if for whatever reason it didn't happen, my life is still going to go on.

"But it's happened," Garcia added with a laugh.

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Day smiling again, focuses on Masters after difficult time

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Augusta National is a happy place for many elite golfers and the smell of Azaleas and Georgia pines had a smile back on Jason Day's face on Tuesday as the Australian wrapped up a U.S. Masters practice round.

While it was the type of sun-kissed morning that had everyone from Augusta groundskeepers to Green Jacketed members grinning from ear-to-ear, Day had much more to smile about as he reported his mother Dening was winning her battle with lung cancer and might even make it to the Masters to cheer on her son.

It was a far different Day facing the world's media on Tuesday from the emotionally shattered young man who announced he was pulling out of the WGC-Dell Match Play after a handful of holes last month as tears of despair dripped down his face while he explained he had to go be with his mother.

Certainly it has not been the ideal buildup to the year's first major for Day, dealing with his mother's illness, a sore back and a stalled campaign that has produced just one top-10 finish.

The world number three will consider himself a big winner this week no matter what the result.


"As everyone knows, my mum, she went through a successful surgery on her left lung and she was told by the doctor, don't have to do chemo," a beaming Day told reporters. "I feel kind of a lot lighter in a sense that my mind is not weighing very much heavily on the situation that my mum was going through.

"So to be able to have that happen and then be able to come here and get my mind off things, is quite nice."

A return to the Masters has been a form of therapy for Day who has gained comfort from sharing his pain and insecurities with his wider golfing family.

"I feel like everyone is my family now because I've been hurt in front of you guys, I've cried in front of you guys now, practically everything," said Day. "The only thing I haven't done is showered in front of you guys yet.

"I'm in a really good situation being able to sit up here in front of you guys and be able to talk about the situations that I'm going through and to be able to tell you honestly and truthfully from what's coming inside my heart."

Not all Masters memories are happy ones.

Day has had his share of heartache at Augusta National finishing runner-up in 2011 and letting a two-shot lead with three holes to play slip away in 2013 and watching compatriot Adam Scott become the first Australian to don the Green Jacket.

But after recent events a reflective and philosophical Day was better able to put his career and life into perspective. "We're very selfish in our ways," said Day. "You just forget that maybe you should have spent a little bit more time with your family and spending more time with them and just enjoying your life.

"We're all going to go at some point and we have to enjoy ourselves while we're here."

(Editing by Andrew Both)

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Spieth wants Rory back soon as he bids for No. 1

SILVIS -- Reigning US Open and Masters champion Jordan Spieth said Tuesday he wants injured world number one Rory McIlroy healthy and playing as soon as possible while trying to overtake him.

The 21-year-old American, playing at this week's US PGA John Deere Classic, would become the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win the US and British Opens and the Masters in the same year if he can add the Claret Jug to his collection of major prizes next week at St. Andrews.

His task might have gotten easier after McIlroy, the reigning PGA Championship and British Open champion, announced Monday that he had ruptured a left ankle ligament playing football with his pals last Saturday and was unlikely to defend his crown next week in Scotland.

"I don't change much in my life other than a couple things you obviously are a little more cautious of," Spieth said of mixing fun with avoiding injury. "But I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It's just sometimes there are fluke accidents.

"And as far as with Rory, it's just -- we want him back. Everybody does. It's unlucky, it's unfortunate and I'm sure he's taking it harder on himself than anybody else. But I don't think he did anything wrong. It just was an unfortunate situation and hopefully he rebounds quickly and gets back right to where he was."

- 'Never closer' to top spot -

While the injury appears to have delayed a showdown of Spieth and McIlroy in top form, world number two Spieth wants McIlroy at his best as he tries to move past him into the top of the rankings heap -- one event at a time.

"The more you look at the big picture of things, the more weight there is on it," Spieth said. "I think if I just focus on how can I try and win the golf tournament this week, I'm going to inch my way closer to that ultimate goal. I didn't think at the beginning of the year I would have a chance to get there this year and there certainly is an opportunity now. I've never been closer.

"If Rory hadn't played the way he has played over the last couple years, I think I would have been number one. I've certainly played solid enough to be No. 1 in the world a lot of different years. It's just it's a tough position this year given how successful Rory is and I just need to keep working as hard as I have been and focus on this week and next week and a strong finish for the season."

Spieth is wary of injuries, but has no plans to curtail anything he does off the course for fun in the wake of McIlroy's mishap.

"It is a little bit tricky, I guess. I don't hold back. Everybody needs to have a life, too," Spieth said. "I do think every day you could get hurt. Sometimes there's accidents that happen. I wouldn't change anything I'm doing based on anything that's happened."

- Open adjustment no worry -
Some have criticized Spieth for playing so far from Scotland this week but Spieth is at the event which he won in 2013 to seal his spot on the US PGA Tour and he sees no major problems in getting across the Atlantic Ocean as well as some major benefits from playing the John Deere Classic.

"I'm here because I believe I can win this week. It's advantageous for me to try and win this week and to get any kind of momentum I can into the Open Championship."

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Spectacular Spieth walks away with Australian Open

SYDNEY - Rising American talent Jordan Spieth shot the round of his life for an eight-under-par 63 as his rivals laboured in the Sydney wind to claim his second professional title by six strokes at the Australian Open on Sunday.

The Texan, who shared second place on his U.S. Masters debut in April, fired eight birdies in a flawless final round to secure the Stonehaven Cup at 13-under 271 for the tournament at The Australian Golf Club.

The A$1.25 million ($1.06 million) tournament had been billed as a duel between world number one Rory McIlroy and number three Adam Scott but 21-year-old Spieth stole the show with his stunning final round.

The world number 14 was the youngest Australian Open champion since Aaron Baddeley won his second title as a teenager in 2000 and the first American since Brad Faxon in 1993, when Spieth was just a few months old.

"I didn't think the round was out there but the putts just kept going in," Spieth said in the greenside presentation. "It's the best round I've ever played, the best win I've ever had, it's pretty awesome."

Spieth's final round score was a record on the newly-reconfigured course but a better indication of its quality was that only seven other players finished under par for the tournament.

Australian Rod Pampling hit a 68 for second place, a shot better than compatriot Brad Rumford (70) in third with another local Greg Chalmers (71) in fourth on five-under. All three secured berths at next year's British Open at St Andrews.

Scott (71) was fifth on four under, while defending champion McIlroy, whose victory at the Royal Sydney last year provided a springboard for his stellar 2014, finished 15 shots off the pace in a share of 15th after a 72.

Starting the day in a three-way tie for the lead at five-under, Spieth quickly eased ahead of his rivals with his first birdie at the third.

After parring the fourth, he really put his foot on the gas and drained birdie putts of 10, five and 15 feet on the next three holes to open up a gap of four shots over the field.

There were no more birdies -- but crucially in the difficult conditions no bogeys -- until the 14th but that started another strong run and he picked up three more shots on the run-in.

($1 = A$1.1762) (Editing by John O'Brien)

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