PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tiger Woods finished his Players Championship final round more than three hours before the leaders would finish the tournament Sunday, closing the week at 6-under, and he pronounced himself ready for next month’s Masters.
Woods, who shot a 3-under 69 Sunday, his lowest round of the week, said he feels like his game entering the Masters is “right on track.”
“I feel like I’m able to shape the golf ball both ways, which I’m going to need there,” he said. “I just need a few more putts to go in, but that’s about it. I was close to getting over the hurdle and getting things rolling, and unfortunately I made a 7-over at 17 [on Friday].
“I missed a few putts that I could have very easily gotten the momentum going that could have gotten me on a run. I was close. I mean, I know that the score doesn’t really indicate that. All in all, it was a solid week.
“My score didn’t really indicate that going into the final day, but I was hitting the golf ball well, and I’m frustrated at lipping more putts out than I think I have in a very long time,” Woods went on. “It was just one of those weeks where just nothing really got rolling enough to get me going.”
Woods is scheduled to play one more tournament before going to Augusta, the WGC Match Play in two weeks in Austin, Texas. He’ll be guaranteed of at least three rounds at the Match Play and could play as many as seven rounds. After a week off, he’ll go to Augusta.
Woods hit 12-of-14 fairways Sunday, the most he’s hit in this tournament since 2005, and was 38-of-56 for the week. He hit 52-of-72 greens and took 117 putts, with his 26 on Sunday his fewest of the four rounds.
“I’m excited the way I drove it,” Woods said. “I drove the ball well this week. I drove it not quite as long on the weekend with a little bit cooler temperatures, but I was driving it pretty straight and I was able to shape the golf ball both ways with all three of my woods, which was good to see.”
This week, Woods, said was important for him after he was forced to pull out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week because of a neck strain. Woods this week showed no ill effects from his neck issue.
“I needed to get that organized,” Woods said of resting his neck. “I think that it was the right decision to make considering that I have April right around the corner.”