Tiger's bogey-free 67 'a great sign'

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Tiger Woods was not the winner of the 2015 Greenbrier Classic.

In your mind.

In his mind, the week was a complete success. And he indeed was a winner.

On Sunday, Woods put together his first outing without a bogey in his last 56 rounds. He was minus-3 in the final round and finished minus-7 for the tournament.

"Today was a good day," Woods said. "I played really well. I hit the ball the best I've hit in a long, long, long time -- and made absolutely nothing.

"We were counting it up and I had six lip-outs for birdie. So this could have been one of those special rounds when I really could have gone low."

As Woods works on rebuilding his game to championship form, however, ball striking is an emphasis. That's why he smiled so after Sunday's round.

"It's a great sign," Woods said. "I feel control over all clubs. The only hole I struggled with the last couple times I played here was No. 17. It was the only fairway I missed all day."

It's called progress, he said.

"Absolutely," Woods said. "I felt I made a big, giant step at the Memorial. I shot those [plus-14] numbers, but the pattern was set. I just had to refine it. This week was definitely about refining it. If I'd just made a couple putts, this week could have been completely different."

Woods recorded two rounds in the 60s this week. He's had only two the rest of this season. Also, his minus-7 was his best score to par since the 2013 BMW Championship.

He claims momentum is being built.

"I was excited about what I was able to do at the Memorial," Woods said. "I shifted the baseline. Consequently, I'm here now in this position. Very excited about that. Obviously, I need to make some putts."

Woods has been working on a new swing technique taught by coach Chris Como.

"I just have to get used to the feel," he said. "It's a completely different motion. That's why I did what I did at the Memorial, to get into this position now. It's not a short-term fix. People looking for the one quick fix and the very next day go out and play great golf ... it doesn't work that way. It takes time. It takes time to build it. I'm very pleased with what I've been able to do."

As always, Woods was a big draw on the course. Thousands of fans followed him through the week. But he's also followed off the course. Some online reports, for instance, have Woods linked romantically to Amanda Boyd, golfer Jason Dufner's ex-wife. Woods explained how he deals with such scrutiny.

"One, you don't go online," he said. "Social media certainly has changed the world in which we know it. So many different things can happen and do happen on there. I just stay away from it.

"I understand everyone has an opinion -- just like everyone has something else. So it's just one of those things. It's changed the landscape for everyone out here and for all athletes.

"I remember talking to [Wayne] Gretzky one time. He grew up in an era when he first played hockey and was winning the [Stanley] Cups. There was no 24-hour news cycle. It was a big deal going to the 24-hour news cycle. And now here we are with instant news with a click of a button. That has changed the landscape again."

The current golf landscape, however, looks better to Woods.

"It was a very positive week," he said. "I made some nice strides heading into the British Open and I'll do some good work next week and be ready come Thursday."

This article was written by Mitch Vingle from The Charleston Gazette, W.Va. and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.