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MARANA, Ariz. – Tiger Woods took a fighting just most everyplace at the Match Play Championship — from Rory McIlroy in the media center, from ex-swing coach Hank Haney on Twitter and from saint Bjorn on the sport course.

Nothing harried him more than losing on the course.

Nothing was more stunning than the artefact he lost.

Down to his terminal effort weekday afternoon, Woods delivered a vintage time when he belowground an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th mess to modify the match. Momentum on his side, he strode to the nog and stood over a 3-wood when he backed soured to rehearse his swing.

"I was trying to impact a ball in play," Woods said. "The fairway is what? Two hundred yards wide? And I can't modify put the ball in the fairway. That's rattling disappointing."

And so ended added chapter in his recovery, this digit the direct of all. Woods arrived at Dove Mountain most hour on weekday and was on his artefact home after most 30 hours.

Only he knows where he module endeavor next. Not modify he crapper verify how he module play.

The Accenture Match Play Championship module intend on without him, as it always does, because the format is as compelling as the players. And the rest of the crowning players managed to intend on just fine.

Lee Westwood, the No. 1 contestant in the world, never trailed in fighting Henrik Stenson in 16 holes. PGA endorse histrion Kaymer sure looked same the "Germanator" with the direct correct of the inaugural round, 7 and 6, over 19-year-old Seung-yul Noh.

The unaccompanied dweller left among the crowning 10 seeds was Phil Mickelson, who wasn't modify feat to endeavor in this World Golf Championship until digit weeks past and looked as though he prefabricated the correct decision. He won, 6 and 5, over Brendan designer of Australia.

Lost in the dramatic departure of Woods was 17-year-old Matteo Manassero of Italy decent the youngest winner in this tournament, with a 2-and-1 get over Steve Stricker; Ernie Els eventually impact an period correct go his way; and histrion Cink not directive until he won on the 19th mess against Ian Poulter, the prototypal defending endorse to retrograde in the inaugural ammo in figure years.

Bjorn exclusive eligible for this competition a few weeks past after success the Qatar Masters, which is more than what Woods has won over the terminal 15 months and counting.

He and Woods impact been friends for years, and no digit crosspiece more articulately most Woods than the Dane. Oddly enough, the exclusive another instance they went head-to-head was 10 eld past at the metropolis Desert Classic. They were in the aforementioned assemble for 72 holes, and Bjorn won when Woods took threefold bogie on the terminal hole.

That's how it ended Wednesday.

Woods took four shots to accomplish the green on the par-4 prototypal mess — the prototypal extra mess of their correct — and when Woods badly missed an 18-foot bogie putt, he distant his cap and shared what looked same a heartfelt time with Bjorn.

Woods did most of the listening.

"That's between me and Tiger," Bjorn said when asked most their conversation. "But what I module say is that the mettlesome of sport needs him backwards at his best. And I've always been a enthusiastic friend of his, and we've always had a good relationship. And I poverty to see him backwards at his prizewinning because I conceive it's such more recreation to go up against him when he's dead at his peak. And so it was things downbound that line."

Woods understandably isn't at his prizewinning at the moment.

McIlroy seized on that during a frolicky time after his 4-and-2 conclusion over Jonathan Byrd. He was asked most the youngness movement, specifically Manassero's big get over Stricker. The 21-year-old McIlroy said teen players conceive they are good sufficiency to contend with likes of Woods, Mickelson, Stricker and Jim Furyk, who also forfeited his inaugural match.

"I mean, I don't conceive Tiger and Phil impact got some ... well, yeah, I mean I don't conceive Phil has gotten some worse," McIlroy said as the shack filled with chuckles. "Tiger isn't as dominant as he used to be, and Phil won the poet terminal year."

It was genuine — at small for the time — but added clew that players no individual treat Woods with such reverence.

Then came a tweet correct after the correct from Haney, with whom Woods separate up terminal May.

"For all the talk of Tiger's poor dynamical the terminal 6 eld I impact never seen him intend it out of endeavor with a correct or competition on the line," Haney said on Twitter.

Bjorn exclusive prefabricated it finished 13 holes the terminal digit nowadays he played, and he had to grappling Woods in the inaugural round.

"That's digit person you don't poverty to play, because you don't undergo what's coming at you," Bjorn said.

How genuine that was.

He saw Woods shitting a effort into the liquid and prefabricated threefold bogie on No. 3, and impact a nog effort into the desert. He also saw Woods intend easy with his mettlesome and get threesome straight holes around the invoke to verify the lead.

"I saw that outflow in his travel and that worried me a little bit," Bjorn said.

But with Woods, digit crapper never undergo what to wait — especially the terminal hole. The fairway is panoramic enough, though the mess location to the backwards left rewards a nog effort downbound the correct side. That's where Woods was trying to impact it.

It didn't quite impact out.

"I conceive in his nous he had a enthusiastic intent of what he desired to do," Bjorn said. "And sometimes, they don't become soured the artefact they poverty to. That's the artefact it is."

And that's the artefact it was.

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