Dubai: Tiger Woods vowed to improve his putting after another lacklustre showing at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday extended the world number one`s troubled start to 2014.
The 14-times major winner birdied the last three holes for a one-under-par final round of 71 on the Majlis course, giving him an aggregate six-under 282.
But such a score left Woods an also-ran at a tournament where he vied for top billing with Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy.
"My iron game wasn`t as sharp as I`d like, I had seven lip-outs today," Woods told reporters.
"I`m definitely going to work on my putting. My light putting needs to be better than it has been... I`m hitting my lines, I just don`t have the speed right."
Woods began brightly in Dubai, racing to four-under after nine holes of Thursday`s first round, seemingly showing few ill effects from a dire showing at California`s Torrey Pines a few days earlier where he carded 79, the second-worst round of his professional career.
Yet wayward driving and then inconsistent putting saw the American make 10 birdies and eight bogeys over Dubai`s final 63 holes as he slipped out of contention.
"I made a quick easy fix to my grip the other day and from then on I drove great," said Woods, who will now fly to Delhi for an exhibition event, his first visit to India, before returning the United States.
"I throttled back a little bit to try to get my ball back in play and just didn`t hit it as far. I`m able now to start letting it go - a couple of carries out there were in the 310-315 (yards) range. That`s back to where I should be."
Woods also wants to improve with the wedge.
"I still need to do a bit of work chipping out of this rye grass, because I`ve been chipping out Bermuda and it`s a little different technique," he added.
Reuters
First Published: Sunday, February 2, 2014, 20:59
