Just like old times: Woods wins in return
golf
Eight months later, Tiger Woods looked as if he had never been away. Woods made a triumphant return to golf yesterday in the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., with a start that showed golf what it had been missing in the 253 days since he limped his way to an epic U.S. Open title. Just past high noon in the desert, Woods fired an 8-iron 5 feet from the pin for birdie. Then came a gentle fist pump when his approach to the par-5 second settled 4 feet from the cup for eagle. He closed out Brendan Jones of Australia with a 3-foot par on the 16th hole for a 3-and-2 victory. "I told Stevie I felt like we haven't been away," Woods said, referring to caddie Steve Williams. "It was business as usual." But this was no ordinary day. Before thousands of fans who scurried through the high desert, eager to see every shot from the world's No. 1 player, Woods never showed any indication that he had reconstructive surgery on his left knee a week after winning the U.S. Open. "It held up," he said. "It felt good." Woods won the first two holes before some rust settled in. He made three bogeys over his next five holes and was leading 1-up until he birdied the par-5 eighth with a 6-foot putt. Jones never got any closer. Woods seized control of the match when Jones couldn't save par behind the green on the par-3 12th, and then Woods struck another familiar pose by raising his putter above his head as his 20-foot eagle putt dropped on the 13th. Stewart Cink won his match against Richard Sterne, one of six that required overtime. Phil Mickelson was 4-up on Angel Cabrera with five holes to play until the Argentine caught him, but Lefty birdied the 19th hole. Sergio Garcia, the No. 2 seed, lost to Charl Schwartzel on the 18th hole, and third seed Padraig Harrington lost to Pat Perez on the 18th hole.
