HE'S reluctant to declare it, but a bumper Australian Open crowd yesterday witnessed the rebirth of Tiger Woods.
After the former world No.1 tore apart his opening nine holes on the way to a five-under 67, his odds to break his two-year victory drought were slashed to $2 as he stood atop a star-studded leaderboard at The Lakes.
Woods cashed in on benign early conditions to peel off five birdies in his opening nine holes.
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Then as the wind sprang up and subdued the chasing pack, he mixed glimpses of his imperious best with a couple of bogeys on the way in, finishing at nine under, one clear of Peter O'Malley and two ahead of playing partner and world No.7 Jason Day.
Woods, 35, last won the at the 2009 Masters at Melbourne's Kingston Heath and has since battled personal crises, a string of serious injuries and learning a new swing that limits the strain on his ageing body.But 18,000 people watched in amazement yesterday as the modern game's greatest player wound back the clock.
"There has been no 'ah-ha' moment," he said. "I have been hitting it like this at home, but it hasn't come out in a tournament setting yet.
"That's the best progression. I have been through swing changes before. That's what's happened. It takes a little time but once it starts coming the confidence starts building."
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