Tiger’s putter killed his momentum

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It was like the good old days; Tiger Woods had the Masters patrons screaming with his first-nine brilliance.

It was like the good old days; Tiger Woods had the Masters patrons screaming with his first-nine brilliance – before his putter went cold on him again and he lost momentum.

The cheering started when the 35-year-old four-time Masters winner birdied the second and third, before he gave a shot back when he three-putted the fourth.

However, with his iron play and distance control superb, he birdied six and seven before a sublime 278-yard fairway-wood to eight feet at the eighth set up an eagle which earned him a share of the lead.

But his momentum suffered after the turn when he missed from inside two feet to bogey the 11th after his putter had again began to misfire.

He was to pick up only one further shot coming home, carding a 67 to finish on 10 under and claim a share of fourth for the second year running, but he was unhappy that his charge stalled after the turn.

“I should have been three or four more under par on the back nine,” said Woods, still without a win anywhere in the world since November 2009.

“I got off to a nice start there and posted 31 and then on the back nine could have capitalised some more. But I hit it good all day. I’m happy about that.

“I still stayed patient. It was just shot for shot. You can get aggressive. You can lose it. This course baits you into doing that.”

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