A retooled stroke helped Tiger Woods nail short putts like the four-footer at 10 that gave him a 10-shot lead at Cog Hill as he ended his victory drought
Courtesy of ABC
By Jim Suttie
One of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers
WHat was the difference between Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open, in which he finished 20th, and Tiger at the Western Open, which he won in a wire-to-wire landslide? Short putting. I live near Chicago and followed Woods at both events, paying close attention to him on the greens, and I noticed a big difference in his putting technique, primarily within 10 feet of the hole. Last month at Olympia Fields, Woods's left wrist was breaking down and he was decelerating through impact, which is why he ranked 64th in putting out of the 68 players who made the cut. At Cog Hill, Woods said that he had spent the previous weeks practicing his putting, and the work rejuvenated his stroke. Woods, whose 104 putts led the Western and tied a career-low, looked perfectly balanced, with his left shoulder a tad lower than his right to produce a level stroke. His left wrist remained firm and flat -- especially in the impact zone -- while his putter went straight back and straight through. His stroke was also more compact, and he was accelerating through impact. In the final round Woods used his rock-solid stroke at the 10th hole to bury a four-footer for birdie (above) and take his biggest lead of the week, a 10-shot margin over Robert Allenby and Rich Beem.
Jim Suttie teaches at Green Garden Country Club in Frankfort, Ill., and is a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher.
Courtesy of ABC
