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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Count on Woods making most putts

Associated Press

One reason Tiger Woods makes so many clutch putts is a routine that never changes.

After he made one of the most pressure-packed putts of his career, a 15-footer in the dark that wound up salvaging a tie at the Presidents Cup in South Africa, his father spoke of the process Woods follows.

“When he gets over the ball and starts his procedure, watch him after he sets his putter,” Earl Woods said in a November 2003 interview. “He checks his alignment. He adjusts his feet. He takes one look, another look and then strokes the ball.”

The routine is the same whether it’s a 10-foot par putt in the second round of the Memorial or a 6-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the PGA Championship to force a playoff.

He doesn’t make them all, which is why he missed the cut at the Byron Nelson Championship to end his record streak at 142 consecutive tournaments in the money. But he has made more big putts than any player of his generation.

“Sometimes when I really got locked into what I’m doing, you can put a stopwatch on it,” Tiger Woods said.

During his second round at Cottonwood Valley, Woods’ putting routine was timed on three straight holes – No. 4, 5 and 7. The clock started after he got over the ball and set his putter on the green.

He takes two quick practice strokes without stopping the putter. He steps to the ball and takes his first look at the hole. He adjusts his feet and takes a second look. Then he takes a third look and pulls the trigger.

On a 6-foot par putt at No. 4, the routine took 18.1 seconds (made it).

On a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 6, it took 18.0 seconds (made it).

On an 8-foot birdie putt at No. 7, the process took 18.2 seconds (missed it).

Sit out, move up

Vijay Singh no longer worries about who’s No. 1, saying recently that it seems as though he has to win five times to reach the top. Next week ought to really confuse him.

Singh will get to the top by not playing at all.

Tiger Woods is No. 1 this week by .08 points. However, Woods will lose more points because of the gradual reduction that takes place every 13 weeks, meaning Singh is assured of returning to No. 1. Both players are off until the Memorial the first week of June.

A Bjorn father

Thomas Bjorn finished 73rd on the money list in his first year as a PGA Tour member, but he declined to take up membership this year and doubts he will again.

Bjorn has three young children, including twins, and can get home to them most Sunday nights when playing the European tour. His family has no desire to leave Wentworth, and he has no interest in spending up to a month at a time away from them.

“I’ve tried America and it didn’t work for me,” Bjorn told reporters after winning the British Masters. “We’re happy in England, and if I’m not taking my family there, then I’m not going to play a full schedule there. If I was 22 and single, I’d be over there like a shot. But I’m not. I have a wife and three kids.”

Bjorn said he still planned to play about 10 times on the PGA Tour, mostly around the majors.

Welcome to my world

This is a big week for Colin Montgomerie.

Not only is he trying to get into the top 50 in the world to avoid U.S. Open qualifying, this is the first time a European tour event will be played on a course he designed.

The Irish Open will be held at Carton House near Dublin, which opened two years ago.

“I’ve 155 potential critics, but it has been ranked the No. 1 new course in Europe, never mind just Great Britain and Ireland,” Monty said. “So double bogeys aren’t my fault.”