From the rough, Tiger Woods took one of his signature whacks, contorting his finish to produce a fade. He pulled the shot off with Tiger-like flair, freeing himself from trouble.
For an instant it felt like the Tiger Woods of old. No one swings as hard when encountering trouble. It was encouraging to see Woods with no hesitation, pivoting on his bum left leg and in his new Nike golf shoes, then bouncing down the fairway without a limp.
Is Tiger back?
It’s too early to tell. But on Thursday in the WBC-Bridgestone Invitational, Woods’ 2-under-par 68 was about as positive as it can get for a man who — as Golf Channel analyst John Feinstein pointed out Thursday morning — hadn’t “made a birdie on the tour since the Masters.”
Woods’ swing showed rust. He hit just five fairways and 12 greens. But he averaged 315 yards a drive, fifth best in the field, and flashed a stellar short game, taking just 27 putts.
