LA JOLLA, United States – Tiger Woods had taken his bow and left the stage when fierce drama unfolded Sunday at Torrey Pines, with Alex Noren and Jason Day locked in a playoff duel as darkness fell.
The spotlight had been all on Woods as the 14-time major champion wrapped up his first US PGA Tour tournament in a year with an even par 72 for a 72-hole total of 285.
That was good enough for a promising tie for 23rd as Woods launched his latest bid to return to form in the wake of spinal fusion surgery last April.
Woods was never in site of the 10-under par total of 278 that sent Australia’s Day, Sweden’s Noren and American Ryan Palmer into sudden death.
Palmer was eliminated with a par at the first playoff hole, the par-five 18th, where Noren’s third shot into the green spun back toward the pin to leave him a tap-in birdie and Day drained a tough, downhill eight-footer.
The remaining duo returned to 18 and birdied again – both reaching the green in two.
