Woods bounces back for Masters win
BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2009 Australian Masters | Round Four | 15 Nov 2009
Tiger Woods claimed his first event in Australia when he today won the JBWere Australian Masters by two shots over Australian Greg Chalmers.
Perfect conditions again greeted the field for the final round of the JBWere Masters and one of the more anticipated days in Australian golf lay ahead of the 25,000 or so who ventured to Kingston Heath.
Tiger Woods, Greg Chalmers and James Nitties led by two over Cameron Percy and Jason Dufner but if there were to be any mistakes by those mentioned then there was a stack of players lined up within striking distance.
Would Tiger’s rather indifferent play of yesterday be put behind him and would the work he did last night reverse the inconsistent display he produced in his ever par round of 72 on Saturday? That question would be answered almost immediately. Woods opened with a birdie at the first. The swing and demeanour had the air of an almost typical Tiger Woods Sunday and so it would prove.
“I worked in the room last night,” said Woods when asked what he had done to overcome the troubles of yesterday.
“I was working on trying to get my set-up organised my takeaway organised, the plane of my backswing, starting down making sure I was arching it properly, coming through on my release point, all the different things I needed to do.”
Nobody really fully comprehended but it sounded convincing enough and obviously worked.
The leading five players heading into today’s final round, Woods, Chalmers, Nitties, Dufner and Percy all secured the almost compulsory birdie at the first but when Woods completed his third birdie of the day at the 6th he had moved two ahead of Chalmers and three ahead of Nitties and Dufner.
Percy looked unaffected by the task involved in playing with Woods on the final day when he matched strides with his celebrated playing partner over the first few holes. The first chink in Percy’s armour came at the 4th, a hole where many had come to grief earlier in the day.
Percy’s drive found the tee tree and he took double bogey. His solid start was blown but to his credit he fought his way back and when he birdied the 9th he was back here he started at 8 under although now five behind his playing partner. He never really got back into contention but a round of even par in his first experience playing with Tiger Woods was impressive.
Woods birdied three of his fist four six holes and when he made the turn he was at 13 under and two ahead of Chalmers. He holed a putt he later described as being very important when he holed from 8 feet at the 9th to turn.
Woods was edging clear but he was about to assert his superiority with a superb three wood to the par five 13th which finished 12 feet from the hole. Although he was unable to hole that from 12 feet it became clear that the subsequent birdie and the three shot lead it created would be the straw to break the camel’s back. Woods would miss the green right at the next and dropped a shot when he missed a five foot par save but hit a fine shot at the dangerous par three 15th and moved three ahead.
The quality of his iron play was highlighted by a shot that did not yield a birdie but one that characterised the improvement in 24 hours. From just over 196 he hit a high cutting 6 iron to the par four 16th which landed softly, hit the hole and ran 7 feet past. “Let’s put it this way if it had gone in the hole I would have had a smoke,” joked Woods when asked if it was as good as it looked.
Behind, Chalmers was clinging to the heels of the leader and he responded with a birdie of his own at the 15th. “Even though he is Tiger Woods I know Melbourne courses well enough to know that if you stay patient things might happen,” said Chalmers. The mistake he was hoping for from the leader would not come.
Woods hit quality shots over the closing holes and never really looked in danger of dropping the shot that might have given Chalmers a chance.
“Even though I finished second however I am thrilled he came here,” added Chalmers when questioned on the fact that he had beaten everyone but Woods. “It was like a football crowd brought to the golf. That was special and made you play better.”
Nitties stayed in touch for much of the round but bogeys at the 14th and 16th would see his brave challenge extinguished.
Frenchman Francois Delamontagne put together a strong weekend to share third with Jason Dufner, Nitties finished alone in 5th position and Adam Scott and Cameron Percy tied for 6th.
So what of next year when the tournament moves to the Victoria Golf Club? Will Woods return? “I would love to come back,” he said. The sandbelt courses are great. “This course is not a long course but you need to understand where to miss your ball.”
“All the guys raved about this golf course and I now understand why. It brings back shot-making.”
Saying he would love to come back and actually doing it are two different things but Woods will leave Melbourne with good memories of a successful visit. All that could have been done to convince him of a return was done.
Despite the early dissenters of a Woods’ visit that involved taxpayer’s money, it would be hard to imagine that anyone left the Kingston Heath golf course this week feeling that it was money poorly spent.
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