CHIBA, Tokyo: Jason Day won the Japan Skins game on Monday but the real winner was probably Tiger Woods, who reported a clean bill of health in his first competitive round since undergoing knee surgery two months ago.
Nevertheless, it also afforded Woods a chance to assess his condition after having his left knee surgically repaired for the fifth time."I hit a lot of bad shots. It took five or six holes to find it but once I found my feet it came around quickly."Woods has only this week's PGA Tour event, the Zozo Championship starting here on Thursday, to assess his form before finalising his team for December's Presidents Cup in Australia.
He last year signed a long-term contract to provide exclusive material to GolfTV, the PGA Tour's global streaming partner."I just thought the competitive atmosphere was fantastic, the shots we hit were great, and on top of that, I think the banter back and forth, the needling, the jabbing, it was all good fun."
With the Rugby World Cup being staged in Japan, four retired rugby players played the par-three seventh"charity challenge hole" - Englishman Mike Tindall, Irishman Brian O'Driscoll, Australian George Gregan and South African Bryan Habana, each teaming up with a pro.