DORAL, Fla. -The new Doral in raging wind looked a lot like an old U.S. Open on Friday.

Matt Kuchar played out of the rough to tap-in range for birdie on the 18th hole for a 2-over 74 that allowed him to join an exclusive group at the Cadillac Championship – one of only four survivors to par.

The Blue Monster gobbled up just about everyone else.

Dustin Johnson bogeyed three of his last six holes for a 74. Patrick Reed made only two birdies in his round of 75. Hunter Mahan atoned for a triple bogey with a 4-iron into 5 feet for eagle on the eighth hole, giving him a 74. They joined Kuchar atop the leaderboard at 1-under 143.

“I felt stressed all day, because I knew every shot had `big penalty’ written all over it,” Mahan said. “It was a really tough day. There wasn’t an easy shot out there. One of those rounds where it could go south pretty fast, so you’ve got to grind it out and find a way to get a number up there and get to the weekend.”

Only three players broke par in the second round. No one shot in the 60s. The average score was a fraction under 76.

“I don’t think I’ve played in conditions this difficult in the U.S.,” Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland said after a 71 that left him one shot behind. “It’s an Open Championship day. It’s a real Friday afternoon at St. Andrews in 2010 before they called it. It was hard out there – really, really hard.”

Rory McIlroy (74), Francesco Molinari (75) and Jamie Donaldson of Wales (70) also were one behind at even-par 144.

Tiger Woods hit three balls in the water and scraped out a 73, thanks in part to a 90-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fourth hole.

Phil Mickelson made back-to-back double bogeys, and then laid on his back along the bank of the fourth tee during a long wait. He got up, hit into the water and made another double bogey. Lefty shot 75.

Both were still in the mix, only six shots behind.

“It’s a tough golf course as it is,” Reed said. “And with how hard the wind is blowing, it made it even tougher. Almost felt like we were playing at a major today.”

At times, it looked even worse.

Fist pumps were replaced by players stretching out their arm to take a penalty drop from the water – 113 balls in the water, which is everywhere on the course that Gil Hanse redesigned under the direction of new owner Donald Trump.

Trump described it as bold. It turned out to be brutal.

And just like a U.S. Open, there were plenty of complaints.

The greens were always going to be firm because the course was built in under a year. There was always going to be concern about the sharp edges of fairways and greens that sent balls down the bank and into the water. Throw in gusts that topped 30 mph, and any score was possible on any hole.

“The setup is horrendous,” Webb Simpson said after a 78 that included a bunker shot that went onto and over the seventh green and into the water. “Even if we had a 10 mph wind, it still would have been bad. I played terrible. I want to get that out there. But when you have conditions like this, and a setup like this, so much luck comes into play.”

Henrik Stenson prefaced his comments by saying, “How do you say something you might regret the rest of your life?”

So he didn’t.

Stenson, part of the Nos. 1-2-3 grouping from the world ranking, had a 76 and joined Woods at 5-over 149. Masters champion Adam Scott, the other member of that illustrious trio, had a 73 and was at 4-over 148. The group was a combined 14-over par for the tournament.

Stenson was walking off the 15th green Friday morning while finishing up the rain-delayed first round. Spotting a small group of reporters, he said, “Are you having fun watching?” And then as he walked away, he smiled and said, “Because it’s sure as hell not any fun to be playing.”

Johnson managed for the longest time. Even as everyone was succumbing to par, he was at 3 under with a birdie on No. 12. But he dropped a shot on the par-3 13th. His short iron into the 15th hit the green and rolled over the back and into the water. And on the 18th, his fairway bunker shot came out too strong and over the green, and he missed a 6-foot par putt that would have given him the outright lead.

The forecast is for less wind on the weekend, and surely a sigh of relief from the players.

And this World Golf Championship is wide open.

“We’ve all got a shot at it now,” Woods said. “No one is going anywhere.”

Woods, like so many other players, could have gone south. He was 7 over for the round after a wedge tumbled into the water on No. 3. But he made the long birdie on No. 4 and hit wedge to 3 feet for birdie on the next hole, and then managed to avoid bogeys the rest of the way.

McIlroy went out in 40, but he made three birdies on the back nine. A 74 was enough to move up the leaderboard on this day.

“It was a day where you obviously couldn’t win the golf tournament, but you could let it get away from you, and you could rack up a few big numbers and play yourself out of contention,” McIlroy said.

Luke Donald did just that with an 82. So did Victor Dubuisson, who had an 81.

Canada’s Graham DeLaet (72) is 6-over, but just 7-strokes off the pace heading into the weekend.

Here’s the full video recap from PGA TOUR Entertainment.

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – James Driscoll matched the Puerto Rico Open record with a 9-under 63 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the second round.

Playing in wind gusting to 20 mph after morning rain at Trump International, Driscoll had an eagle and seven birdies in his bogey-free round. He had a 12-under 132 total.

“I had the putter going pretty hot today,” Driscoll said. “I was fortunate. I hit a bunch of shots pretty close, too. I judged the wind. Luckily, I read the wind right a couple of times. The wind was pumping pretty good. It was blowing about 20 miles an hour, but there were a few times I had some crosswinds and just judged it perfectly and hit it in there to about a foot or so.”

Driscoll also shot a 63 in the 2011 tournament for a share of the record set by Derek Lamely in his 2010 victory and also matched by Chris Tidland in 2011 and Scott Brown last year in his victory.

“The first 63, I think I was 11 under with like three or four holes to go and made two bogeys coming in, and this one was just kind of, I just kept chipping away at it and birdied the last to get to 63,” Driscoll said. “So they were a little bit different, but both pretty special. Both holed a bunch of putts and just one of those days where you hit some iron shots close and make a mile of putts.”

PGA Tour rookie Chesson Hadley was second after a 65.

“I’ve kind of been struggling all year just with ball-striking, just finding the planet, honestly,” Hadley said. “And yesterday, I don’t know, I was just talking to my swing coach again, and we kind of just like, `Look, just go back to the basics.’ I’ve always struggled with staying tall through the ball, and I just started thinking about that yesterday before my round, and I hit it great on the range, and it really started to line up yesterday. I hit it great, and then I just pured it everywhere, all over the place today.”

Eric Axley was 10 under after a 66, and Jonathan Byrd, Wes Roach, Ben Martin and Danny Lee were another stroke back. Byrd and Roach shot 66, Martin 67, and Lee 68.

The three Canadians in the field qualified for weekend action. Brantford, Ont.’s David Hearn leads the Canuck charge. He was 6-under after a 68 Friday, leaving him in a tie for 20th.

Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch also shot a second-round 68. He’s 5-under which left him in a tie for 25th.

Stephen Ames (70-72) of Calgary was tied for 55th at 2-under.

DIVOTS: J.J. Henry was disqualified after the first round for failing to sign his scorecard. He shot 74. … Puerto Rico’s Rafael Campos made the cut with rounds of 74 and 69. He was in the tie for 68th at 1 under. … John Daly also was 1 under with rounds of 74 and 69.

DORAL, Fla. – Patrick Reed ended a long opening round at the Cadillac Championship on Friday with a 4-under 68 to take a one-shot lead as the new Blue Monster showed some bite.

Just ask Tiger Woods.

A four-time champion at Doral, the world’s No. 1 player finished off a 76 for his highest score in 40 complete rounds on the course. He wasn’t alone. Steve Stricker, the runner-up to Woods last year, had a 77. Masters champion Adam Scott took a big step back in his bid to reach No. 1 in the world with a 75. Four players, including former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, failed to break 80.

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., opened with a 78.

Only six players finished the first round Thursday because of a storm delay lasting more than two hours.

The rest of the field who had to return Friday morning did not find typical peaceful conditions. Donald Trump, who bought the resort and brought in Gil Hanse for a complete makeover, described it as “bold.” In this wind, it was brutal.

Woods played with Scott and Henrik Stenson in the traditional grouping of Nos. 1-2-3 in the world. They all made double bogey on the 14th hole _ Woods from the middle of the fairway with what appeared to be a perfect shot into the green. It trickled into a back bunker, and he needed two to get out.

Stenson went left into the water that typically is not in play. Scott went into the water, and then clanked one off a palm tree.

Stenson stopped walking off the 15th green and said, “Are you having fun watching?” And then he smiled as he looked back over his shoulder and said, “Because it’s sure as hell not any fun to be playing.”

Stenson, who had a shank on the second hole Thursday, birdied the 18th for a 73.

Harris English finished Thursday with a 69 (on a 45-foot birdie putt). He was joined by Francesco Molinari, Jason Dufner, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Hunter Mahan. Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald were in the group at 70, along with Miguel Angel Jimenez, who had the most remarkable round. He didn’t make a bogey.

Another Spaniard wasn’t so fortunate.

Sergio Garcia was playing nicely until a 5-wood plugged in a bunker on the 16th hole, and he had no chance of getting out. His third shot flew over the green, over the corporate suite and into a water hazard next to the second green. He made triple bogey and went from a chance to break par to a 74.

“So much for being benign conditions in the morning,” Zach Johnson said after a 70.

Not only was it windy, it came out of the west. The course had been set up Thursday for a more southerly direction, and it showed. Dufner went over the 12th green in two with a 3-iron. Stenson, typically 30 yards longer off the tee, couldn’t reach with a 3-wood.

Zach Johnson needed a 3-wood to reach the side of the par-4 14th green, though he felt like Hercules on the 18th, usually the toughest on the Blue Monster. Johnson had a pitching wedge for his second shot.

The tough wind and the scores altered opinions about the new design.

“Certainly, people hitting greens, going in the water, that is certainly more of a case this year than it was in the old design,” Donald said. “Water is much more in play now on a lot more holes, and with shaved banks and greens this fast and decent slopes … as fast as greens are, there’s just nothing to stop it.

“I’m sure Mr. Trump wanted something pretty hard and a test. A World Golf Championship, he wanted something severe,” Donald said. “But it’s bordering on unfair on a few holes.”

Woods didn’t show any signs of having back trouble, which led to him walking off the Honda Classic on Sunday after 13 holes. He showed his game wasn’t sharp, however, and in this wind, that was only exaggerated.

He started with a bogey from the bunker on No. 11. He missed a 4-foot par putt on the 13th. Woods threw his wedge against his bag on the 14th after being in an impossible spot in the bunker. His score might have been worse if not for three straight birdies.

He headed straight to the range to get ready for the second round, another 18 holes on a course that is giving most of the world’s best players fits.

DORAL, Fla. – Tiger Woods only made it through 10 holes Thursday – this time because of the weather, not his back.

The debut of the new Blue Monster, and the return of Woods, received an incomplete grade Thursday when the opening round of the Cadillac Championship was halted more than two hours because of menacing thunderstorms.

Harris English was among only six players who finished the round, hitting 5-iron into the par-3 ninth hole and rolling in a 45-foot birdie putt for a 3-under 69.

The golf course and the world’s No. 1 player showed enough.

Woods, who walked off after 13 holes Sunday in the Honda Classic because of lower back pain and spasms, said he warmed up well and felt good during the delay. His golf didn’t look all that great. He was 2-over par through 10 holes, ending the day with a wedge that came up some 20 yards short of his target, leading to a three-putt for bogey from about 55 feet.

“I’m ready to go back out tomorrow and play well,” he said.

Trump National Doral, completely overhauled by Gil Hanse, showed plenty of bite on a windy, cloudy afternoon. Jason Dufner was going along beautifully for 10 holes until he struggled to find fairways in a crosswind. Brett Rumford began his round by hitting four shots before he put one in play. Three went into the water on the par-5 10th, and he started out with an 11.

“Mr. Trump wanted a very tough test on the Blue Monster, and I think that’s what he got,” English said.

The course average was at 73.8.

Dufner, Hunter Mahan, Francesco Molinari and Patrick Reed also were at 3 under when the round was suspended by darkness. The 62 players who failed to finish will return Friday morning to complete the round.

Russell Henley, coming off a playoff win last week at the Honda Classic, made only one par in six holes on the back nine – two birdies, three bogeys. He was in the group at 2 under that included Masters champion Adam Scott, who is in the Nos. 1-2-3 group with Woods and Henrik Stenson.

Stenson might have hit the most memorable shot of the day – a cold shank from the middle of the second fairway that sailed at a 45-degree angle into bushes.

Scott has a chance to replace Woods at No. 1 in the world if he wins this World Golf Championship and Woods finishes worse that fifth.

Rory McIlroy got off to a blazing start with four birdies in five holes, only to end the back nine with back-to-back bogeys with a long three-putt bogey and a tee shot on the 18th that caught the edge of the water and bounded into the hazard.

That might be the most penal aspect of the new Doral. Anything hit toward some of the edges feeds toward the water, and there’s a lot of water in play.

Not even English was immune. His tee shot on the 18th found the water, and he still had 4-iron to get to the green. But he bounced back on the par-5 first hole by smashing a tee shot so far with help from the wind and the firm fairways that he had a 7-iron left from 213 yards. He hit that to 12 feet for a two-putt birdie, and he was bogey-free the rest of the way.

Dufner said he hasn’t had to think his way around a golf course this much since he was at Muirfield last year for the British Open, even though the tracks are nothing alike.

“This used to be a golf course where you grab your driver on every hole, swing for the fences and play from there,” he said. “You can’t get away with that here at Doral anymore.”

Dufner didn’t feel comfortable with driver on the 14th, so he laid back and had 236 yards left to the par 4. He hit 3-iron and made birdie, anyway. Other times, he failed to dial it back and paid the price.

“You’re not going to go through this tournament on this golf course anymore with no bogeys,” he said. “Everybody is going to be making some bogeys here and there, so pretty happy with where I’m at.”

Jordan Spieth already had three bogeys and a double bogey on the par-5 12th hole. He countered with five birdies and was even par through 15 holes. Only 19 players were under par when the round was stopped.

Woods made two bogeys without a single birdie. He’ll have eight holes remaining Friday morning to make up some ground.

“Should be a long day for all of us,” Woods said. “Hopefully, tomorrow I can get back out there in the morning, play well and work back to even par by the end of the first round, then shoot a low one in the afternoon.”

DIVOTS: Brendon de Jonge said he injured his right ribs in the final round at the Honda Classic. He is on pain medication, which he said makes him feel a bit light-headed. The Zimbabwean opened with a 76. He said he would take next week off and have an MRI. … Canada’s Graham DeLaet only got 9 holes of play in Thursday – he was 4-over par thanks to two bogeys and a double bogey.

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Brian Stuard birdied seven his first 12 holes in windy conditions Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Puerto Rico Open.

Stuard finished with a 6-under 66, dropping a stroke on the par-4 seventh hole – his 16th of the day – in wind gusting to 20 mph at Trump International Golf Club-Puerto Rico.

“Wind is blowing pretty good out there, so got to hit some good shots,” Stuard said. “I did well. I kept it in play nice off the tee, didn’t get in much trouble, and only made the one bogey.”

The highest ranked player in the field in the FedEx Cup standings at No. 13, Stuard finished second in November in the OHL Classic in Mexico. He also had a strong run in January, fishing sixth in the Sony Open in Hawaii and sixth the next week in the Humana Challenge in California.

“I’ve just been playing pretty solid, but been putting well,” Stuard said. “I putted really good to start off the year and then kind of last few weeks not quite as good and then good today.”

Jason Gore and Danny Lee shot 67, and Y.E. Yang was another stroke back along with Ricky Barnes, William McGirt, Tim Petrovic, Chesson Hadley, Eric Axley and Ben Martin.

“It wasn’t easy out there,” Lee said. “It was very windy, and there’s some tough pin placements out there, but I played very smart today and I hit it where I wanted to hit it, and I rolled it really nicely with the putter. It was a really good day for me.”

Defending champion Scott Brown opened with a 70.

Calgary’s Stephen Ames and Brantford, Ont.’s David Hearn opened with matching 2-under par 70’s and share 32nd spot. Brad Fritsch is a single-shot back of the Canadian pair after a 1-under 71. The Ottawa native is tied for 44th.

DIVOTS: Tommy Gainey withdrew during the round because of an elbow injury. … The winner will receive $630,000 from the $3.5 million purse. … John Daly had a triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 12th hole in a round of 74. … Tom Kite and Bruce Besse Jr. designed the course.

DORAL, Fla. –  Match Play champion Jason Day of Australia has withdrawn from the Cadillac Championship because of a thumb injury.

Day was making his first start since winning the Match Play Championship in Arizona two weeks ago. He says his left thumb bothered him the last time he played and the pain persisted at Doral.

Day says he had an MRI in Miami on Wednesday. The results were negative, but he says the doctor recommended rest.

At No. 4 in the world, Day says he will rest for the next couple of weeks. He did not indicate when he might play again.

Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, has announced the qualifying format for the 2014 RBC Canadian Open, scheduled for July 21-27 at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île-Bizard, Que.

A two-stage qualifying procedure for Canada’s National Open Championship will feature three regional qualifying competitions in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, followed by a final qualifying event on Monday, July 21st.

The first regional qualifier will take place June 9th at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver. The second regional qualifying event will be hosted by Elm Ridge Country Club in Île-Bizard, Que., on June 16th. The third and final regional qualifier will take place June 23rd at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ont. A final qualifier will take place Monday July 21st at Club de Golf St-Raphaël in Île-Bizard, Que.

Each of the three regional qualifiers will feature 18 holes stroke play with the low qualifier at each site receiving an exemption directly into the 2014 RBC Canadian Open field (provided the starting field is a minimum of 100 competitors at each site.)  The top 15% of finishers at each regional qualifying competition are eligible to compete at final qualifying. In addition, the top 15% does not include the low qualifier when over 100 competitors participate and a direct exemption is provided.

The entry deadline for the British Columbia regional qualifier at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver is Monday, June 2nd, while all entries for the Quebec regional qualifier at Elm Ridge Country Club in Île-Bizard, Que. are due Monday, June 9th. The entry deadline for the Ontario regional qualifier at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ont. is Monday, June 16th.

Final qualifying is scheduled for Monday, July 21st at Club de Golf St-Raphaël in Île-Bizard, Que. Participation is limited to those competitors receiving requisite exemptions, or individuals who have qualified through regional qualifying. The event will feature 18 holes of stroke play, with a minimum of four (4) spots directly into the 2014 RBC Canadian Open field. The entry deadline is Monday, July 14th.

The qualifying competition is open to members in good standing of the PGA of Canada or other PGA affiliates, amateur golfers (with a current Handicap Factor not to exceed 2.0) who are members of clubs belonging to Golf Canada or clubs in other countries in good standing with their respective associations, and other golf professionals.

In all, a total of 24 exemptions, including the seven (7) awarded through regional and final qualifiers are available for the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île-Bizard, Que.

For more information about complete qualifying criteria and to register, click here.

DUBLIN – Europe captain Paul McGinley selected Sam Torrance and Des Smyth as two of his vice captains for this year’s Ryder Cup against United States at Gleneagles.

Torrance captained Europe to victory in the 2002 event, when McGinley holed the winning putt at the Belfry. The 61-year-old Smyth has played in the Ryder Cup twice and was Ian Woosnam’s assistant in the 2006 competition at the K Club.

“They first came to mind to me when I was put in position as Ryder Cup captain last January,” McGinley said. “These two men have been a sounding board for me, both personally and professionally, and have proved time and again to me with their ability and passion and judgment that they are ideal for the role.”

McGinley said his other assistants will be announced after the team is formalized in September.

The 2014 Ryder Cup is scheduled for Sept. 26-28. Europe will be defending the trophy for the second time after winning 14 1/2-13 1/2 at Celtic Manor in 2010 and by the same score at Medinah in 2012.

McGinley has known Smyth since he was a teenager and described his fellow Irishman as a “mentor” during his professional career.

“In many ways, he was a natural choice for me,” McGinley said. “As a vice captain to Ian Woosnam at the K Club, I found him to be very inspirational, astute, a voice of reason with great clarity of thought.”

Torrance’s appointment ensures there will be Scottish representation in the European team at Gleneagles.

He has been a close friend of McGinley since the 2002 Ryder Cup, when Torrance’s decision to stack the top order of the singles with his best players made an impression on the current captain.

“I felt, tactically, he made so many right calls, he understood the players, what the Ryder Cup was about,” McGinley said. “His ability to motivate the players and communicate with them had a lasting impression on me.”

Torrance said he and Smyth would act as a buffer between the players and McGinley.

“If I could do a tenth for Paul’s team of what he did for my team,” Torrance said, “we will both be very happy men.”

McGinley said Smyth will be vice captain to Miguel Angel Jimenez in the Eurasia Cup in Kuala Lumpur on May 27-29.

DORAL, Fla. – The only tools Tiger Woods used Wednesday at Doral were a wedge, a putter and a gold pair of scissors.

Three days after he withdrew in the middle of the final round at the Honda Classic with lower back pain, Woods returned to work at the Cadillac Championship by saying he feels better after a few days of constant treatment, and that he was good enough to try to defend his title.

He just won’t be playing the new Blue Monster until the opening round Thursday. Still being cautious about back spasms, Woods said he would chip and putt while walking a course that is entirely different from the one where he has won four times.

As for the scissors?

That was for the ceremonial opening of the Tiger Woods Villa at Trump National Doral.

Woods playing Doral was not a big surprise. The last time he dealt with back spasms in the final round was at The Barclays last August (he tied for second), and he played the following week outside Boston.

Even so, it was the second time in 10 tournaments that Woods experience back pain during a round. It was the fourth time in five years that he withdrew in the middle of a round because of injury. For a guy with four surgeries on his left knee, the focus has shifted to his lower back.

“I think we have to take a more global look at it, absolutely, because it comes and goes,” Woods said. “We’ve got to make sure that we do preventative things to make sure that it doesn’t happen and adjust certain things, whether it’s swing, lifting, whatever it may be. You have to make certain adjustments. We’ve done that throughout my entire career, and this is no different.”

His health is only part of the drama at Doral.

The lone applause at the end of a 20-minute press conference came from Donald Trump, who took over the resort and whose presence is everywhere. The majority of the 69-man field at this World Golf Championship is gearing up for the Masters next month. And at stake this week is a possible change atop the world ranking.

Woods returned to No. 1 nearly one year ago when he won at Bay Hill. Now, it’s Masters champion Adam Scott who has a mathematical chance of being No. 1 for the first time in his career provided he wins this week.

“It would be a dream come true to make it to that point, but it’s not necessarily probable, either,” Scott said. “If you look at stats and numbers, there’s no reason why I’m just going to roll out and win this week. But there’s great motivation for me to do that.”

The motivation for Woods is to complete 72 holes without injury. It’s being fit for the Masters, his next chance to end a five-year drought in the majors.

“It’s been a long couple days of just treatments nonstop, trying to get everything calmed down,” he said. “First of all, get all the inflammation out and from there, getting the firing sequence right again, getting everything firing in the proper sequence. And once we did that today, feels good.”

He did hit balls Tuesday at his home in Jupiter Island, no shot longer than 60 yards, mainly an attempt to make sure he kept the feel with his hands on a golf club. His caddie came down to Doral and charted the course, giving Woods an idea of what to expect.

That wouldn’t do it justice.

“I’m like, `What? There’s water on that hole?'” Woods said.

There is water just about everywhere, including a new lake on the 15th and 16th holes that figures to play a big role in the Sunday finish. The PGA Tour issued a release detailing the changes:

• Rebuilt and reshaped all the greens.
• Rebuilt and repositioned all the bunkers.
• Rebuilt all the tees.
• Rebuilt all the fairways.

Now if Woods can only rebuild his body. He turned 38 last year, though health concerns are nothing new. He had the first of his four knee surgeries while at Stanford. He said he first experienced back pain in college.

“I’ve had a knee injury, wrist injury, elbows, you name it. Now I’ve had back, neck. It’s the nature of repetitive sport,” Woods said. “We do the same motion. Some guys do it a thousand times a day, but it’s the same exact motion. So you have repetitive injuries and most of my injuries are that. So that’s the nature of why we lift, why we work out – to prevent a lot of these things and keep us healthy and keep us out here.

“As we get older – and I’ve learned it as I’ve aged – I don’t quite heal as fast I used to.”

The real concern is his back, however.

Woods said even with shredded ligaments and two stress fractures, he was able to win the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines because the pain didn’t arrive until after he had launched his shot. He said at the Honda Classic, his movement became so restricted that he couldn’t rotate his body. The pain occurred as he was starting his swing and affected how he struck the ball.

“A bad back is something that is no joke,” he said. “With the back, it’s a totally different deal. There are certain movements you just can’t do. That’s one of the things I’ve started to learn about this type of injury. It’s very different.”