Woods drug-tested twice, frustrated by poor putting

Source: Agencies  |   2009-5-9  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

TIGER Woods says he has been tested twice for drugs under the US PGA Tour's anti-doping policy, including one time when he wasn't even playing.

The drug testing program began on July 1, a week after Woods had knee surgery that kept him out of golf until late February.

Asked the first time he was tested, Woods said it was in December at the Chevron World Challenge in California, the charity event he hosts at the end of the year. It was his first public appearance at any golf tournament since knee surgery.

Woods laughed at the coincidence of his first test.

The tour reserves the right to test any member out of competition, and Woods was asked at his press conference that day in December whether the tour had ever come to his house for a drug test.

"No," he said.

Asked if he was expecting a visit during his time off, Woods replied, "Yeah, actually."

"Right after I got done telling you guys that, they were waiting for me," he said on Thursday. Woods said he also was chosen for a drug test during the CA Championship at Doral in early March. He was not tested on his return to competition two weeks earlier at the Accenture Match Play Championship. Then again, he was only there for two rounds.

Woods meanwhile is currently facing the problem that afflicts every casual golfer - when the long game gets going, the short game vanishes and vice-versa. As the world No. 1 continues his comeback he is getting a taste of the frustration that plagues more modest players.

Woods shot a 1-under round of 71 on the TPC Sawgrass during the Players Championship, a course he has never taken to, having missed eight birdie putts from about 15 feet as he continued to show the fallibility that was absent from his game prior to his knee operation.

"Unfortunately, I just didn't make enough putts today. I was in position all day to make putts and just didn't do it," Woods said.

"I hit the ball well today, I really did. It's just, unfortunately, I didn't capitalise on my opportunities today. I had quite a few of them," he added.

Woods drove well - he hit 10 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation - but he set the tone for his frustrating day by missing birdie chances on the first four holes and then bogeying the par four 14th.

South Africa's Ernie Els made a 1-over 73.