It would be his ninth time on the podium at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and his 80th victory on the PGA Tour: Tiger Woods returns to the field today, at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Florida to capture a title after almost 5 years of fasting and four surgeries in the back. It seems difficult to imagine that a player, in these conditions, at the age of 42, could aspire to the top of the standings, yet Tiger, last weekend, proved to be back in perfect shape. In the Valspar Open he finished second behind Paul Casey and only narrowly missed the play-off.
Despite the numerous ailments, Tiger is still very long, very fast, master of himself and of the scene. A real lifesaver for the golf world, which he can't do without his favorite hero. Thanks to the few tournaments played, the champion has already risen in the merit ranking, where he moved from position 656 at the end of 2017 to 149. It is still too little to guarantee access to the match play world championship next week, but if he goes ahead this step Woods won't be long in returning to the top 50 in the world. At the home of his friend Arnold, who passed away in 2016, he won 8 times out of 17 games and hopefully he will be able to reach a good position again this year.
The spotlights are on him, because everyone is crazy about Tiger, even if the champion holds back: “Winning here? Having done it eight times already doesn't mean I'll get to nine on Sunday. I have to keep doing a lot of work. In Valspar I was one step away from the title, but in the final lap I didn't 'feel' the shoes and it was crucial. My performance has revealed that I continue to improve, that I have more and more control of my body, that I understand better how to move in the right way. My past problems were mainly in the short game, because I had trouble bending over and had excruciating pain in my back.
I'm excited to see how well the work done is progressing. The important thing is this. I enjoy the moment, I have fun and I don't make plans. I train differently, taking into account that age increases. Above all, I'm concerned about feeling good the next day too, and I'm working so that the horizon, in this sense, broadens to a week, a month and a season”. Finally, his real goal: “The event in which I would like to win again? Definitely at the Masters. For me it has a special charm and remains in my heart for indelible memories".
In Orlando the field is of the highest level and includes, among others, the blue Francesco Molinari. The Australian Marc Leishman defends the title, who will have to contend with players of the caliber of Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Danny Willett, Henrik Stenson, Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama; Louis Oosthuizen. The prize pool is $8,9 million.
The Bay Hill Club & Lodge course is a 72-foot par-6700 with plenty of water. Palmer, before buying it, called it "the best course in Florida." The key holes are the 14th, a particularly tricky par three and the 16th hole, a par 5 that bombers can reach in two strokes, but taking on the risk of ending up in the water.
Finally, a very last one regarding Woods. Tiger has been named captain of the USA team for the 2019 President's Cup in Melbourne, Australia. The captain of the International Team is instead Ernie Els. Both will hold the position for the first time and both served as vice presidents in 2017. Woods is the youngest US captain in the history of the event and could decide to play the player as well.
