MELBOURNE: Tiger Woods has just next month’s Chevron World Challenge left to end his tormented year of win-less tournaments, after finishing fourth in the Australian Masters in Melbourne.
The former world number one, the winner of 14 majors among 95 tournament victories, is still without a victory going into his last event of the year, but there were encouraging signs at the Australian Masters on Sunday.
Woods thrilled his fans when he peeled off two eagles and two birdies in his closing six holes to finish three shots behind the tournament winner Stuart Appleby of Australia.
Woods had rounds of 69-72-71-65 to finish at seven-under 277. The former world number one struggled with his game all week and was 10 shots off the lead heading into Sunday’s final 18 holes, only to recapture some of his trademark golf in the back nine holes.
Woods is looking to the Chevron tournament at Thousand Oaks, California, early next month to finally break his frustrating run.
“I have two weeks off and then play the Chevron so I am pretty excited about it,” Woods said before leaving Melbourne for home with his three million dollar appearance fee.
It has been a tumultuous year for Woods, 34, whose last win came at the Australian Masters here in November 2009 before a spectacular fall from grace in the wake of a sex scandal that engulfed his personal and professional life.
