Does Tiger Woods Have What It Takes to Win in Australia?
Bleacher Report
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This week, Tiger Woods returns to the site of his last victory as a professional golfer.
The 2011 Emirates Australian Open will be played at the Lakes Golf Club in Sydney and features the strongest field in the history of the event.
Tiger headlines a field including: Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Hunter Mahan, Geoff Ogilvy and many more.
Recently, Tiger made a statement to the golfing community that he is regaining the speed and power that he once had as world No. 1, because he has finally been able to resume the explosive training that he was used to.
"I've been rehabbing for so long; I haven't been able to train," Woods said, according to golf 365.com
"Now, I'm starting to get going, I'm starting to do all my explosive training again. I'm hitting faster, more explosive, my speed's coming back. I'm hitting the ball distances again that I knew I could hit it, and it's becoming fun," he said.
Woods said that when he first entered the ranks as a touring pro, he and Vijay Singh were the only leading players on the PGA Tour working out, but not anymore.
"Guys are in the gym, they're lifting the weights, they're hitting the track, they're trying to get stronger and faster because inevitably all sports do.
"The next generation always gets a little bit better," Woods said.
The fact that he is regaining distance right now is great for his potential success at the Australian Open, due to the fact that the Lakes is a course suited to longer golfers with touch.
And, he is no stranger to success here, having won the event in 2009.
But, Tiger still isn't back to 100 percent yet, and golfers like Dustin Johnson and Jason Day are longer and at the top of their games.
He didn't impress me with his 30th-place finish at the Frys.com, and I feel like anyone else trying to regain his past form would have played again between then and now.
I don't see him breaking the streak in Australia, and I would be surprised with a Top-10 finish in a field this strong.