The Loop

Woods feeling confident after putting session with Stricker

March 06, 2013

MIAMI -- Tiger Woods worked intensively on his putting with good friend Steve Stricker for more than an hour Wednesday on the practice green at Trump Doral Resort on the eve of the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

"He just got me back to where I was in San Diego," said Woods, who won his PGA Tour season opener at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in January, marking his 75th tour victory. "It was a little bit of everything, really."

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Stricker, one of the best putters in the game, and Woods have been friends for several years and have played a number of team matches together since the 2009 Presidents Cup. It was not the first time that Woods has sought advice from Stricker on putting mechanics.

"I help him and he helps me. It's what we do," said Stricker, who mainly changed the shaft angle on Woods' putter, moving it forward to align with his ball position at address. "The ball was forward and his hands were back, and he was missing it both ways and having trouble with distance control."

Woods ranks 43rd on the tour in strokes gained putting, and last week at the Honda Classic left numerous birdie chances on the table. The refresher from Stricker had him encouraged.

"Yeah, I feel a lot better about it than I did an hour ago," Woods said.

The No. 2 player in the world, Woods joins No. 1 Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Luke Donald at 11:53 a.m. EDT Thursday for the first round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on the No. 10 tee.

Woods has won 16 WGC titles in his career. He won three times consecutively at Doral's Blue Course from 2005-07.