Tiger gets a taste of being a mere mortal

By Simon Evans

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - Tiger Woods is facing the problem that afflicts every casual golfer -- when the long game gets going, the short game vanishes and vice-versa.

As the world number one continues his comeback he is getting a taste of the frustration that plagues more modest players.

Woods came into this week's Players Championship lamenting his inability to get his distance back after eight months on the sidelines, but this time it was his putting that let him down.

Woods shot a one-under round of 71 on the TPC Sawgrass, a course he has never taken to, having missed eight birdie putts from about 15 feet as he continued to show the fallibility that was absent from his game prior to his knee operation.

"Unfortunately, I just didn't make enough putts today. I was in position all day to make putts and just didn't do it," Woods told reporters.

"I hit the ball well today, I really did. It's just, unfortunately, I didn't capitalise on my opportunities today. I had quite a few of them," he added.

Woods drove well -- he hit 10 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation -- but he set the tone for his frustrating day by missing birdie chances on the first four holes and then bogeying the par four 14th.

BAD SHOT