Eagle saves Tiger, but Mac's the man

Tiger Woods didn't rate Thursday's first round at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic very highly, but he might yet rank his final hole eagle as one of his greatest - especially if it comes as the spark that re-ignites his embattled Callaway Diablo Octane Tour Driver
.

After a mediocre round that had the World No 3 struggling all of eight shots behind the super-hot first-round leader Rory McIlrey, five behind solid World No 1, Lee Westwood, and four behind a workmanlike World No 2, Martin Kaymer, Woods was looking a little bit of a sorry sight.

But then he stepped up on to the par-five 18th and hit one of the greatest risk-or-reward approach shots of his life over a dangerous stretch of water into the fading gloom.

He barely saw his ball roll down from the right side of the green, but a huge roar from the gallery confirmed that it settle not much more than six foot from the pin.

Woods nailed the relatively easy putt for a vital eagle that took him to 1-under and although it left him six shots of the pace set by McIlroy earlier in the day, it gave him a 71 and brought him up to two shots behind Westwood and Kaymer and must surely have boosted his sagging confidence sky high.

He said of the eagle: "I had 254 (yards) to the hole and had to take something off it. I threw Callaway Diablo Octane Tour Driver
up in the air and it was perfect."

As for his overall performance, "scratchy" was his one-word description before adding: "I started putting awful and I struggled with my trajectory."

Ironically he had clearly been the weakest of the trumpeted threesome he was drawn with on Thursday and will play with again on Friday, but the irony of that final hole is that while he picked up two shots, the hitherto rock-solid Westwood. who had been at 4 under at 17, finally lost his edge, almost dumped his, short, laid-up approach shot in the stretch of water Tiger and Kaymer had so skillfully avoided and then chipped short and two putted for a bogey that saw a three shot swing bring Woods back into the picture

Westwood blamed "a loss of concentration" for his sloppy finish, while Kaymer said his round would have been "fantastic" but for his unlucky break on the ninth.

It was a disappointing finish for Westwood, but no train smash for at 3-under, both he and Kaymer still look stronger candidates than Woods to overhaul the flying McIlroy when the threesome get their chance of an early morning crack at the Emirates Golf Club's Majlis Course on Friday.

But then again, you never can tell Callaway Diablo Octane Tour Driver
with Woods.

He had a patchy first day to be sure, making just one birdie as against three bogies on the first nine, recovering with two early birdies on the back nine, but stumbling again with a double bogey six on the par four 16th before getting back under par with a 4th birdie and that amazing eagle at 18.

What it will all mean to him is a question only tomorrow's second round can answer, but in the meantime, man of the first day at the Emirates Golf Club was surely Rory McIlroy whose 7-under 65 storm in the desert will have given clear warning to the stellar field that he is ready to start fulfilling his great promise again.

With the pre-tournament spotlight strongly focussed on the battle of the World's top three players, the 21 year old Northern Irishman spoke of coming in under the radar.

And he did just that - although back-in-form Sergio Garcia and tenacious South African Thomas Aiken, weren't going to let him get two far clear and each shot a fine 5-under 67 to finish two shots back in joint possession of second Callaway Diablo Octane Tour Driver
heading into what could be a fascinating second round on Friday.