Notebook: Tiger aims for No. 9 at Firestone

Tiger Woods started this PGA TOUR season just hoping to make it to the end unscathed, but now the 79-time winner’s expectations have turned to the Woods of old. He’s ready to win. To use his own word … Woods is “trending.â€� Fresh off his T6 finish at The Open Championship where he hit the lead on Sunday only to fade late, Woods returns to Firestone Country Club for the World Golf Championships–Bridgestone Invitational where he has an incredible eight wins. Including his last TOUR win – some five years ago. “I went from just hoping to be able to play the TOUR to now that I feel that I can play the TOUR. I certainly can win again,â€� Woods said. “I’ve had an opportunity to win a couple times this year. I had a great chance at Valspar early in the year, and even a week ago I had a great shot at it. My game’s gotten better and good enough where I feel like I can win again out here on TOUR.â€� Woods had to fight his way into the world top 50 to book his place at Firestone. From the depths of the 1,200’s last December he forged his way in after The Open. In 12 starts he has four top 10s and eight top 25s. “This was certainly a goal of mine. Within a year to get down to 50, I think is a pretty good accomplishment,â€� he smiled. “This event has been very special to me over the years. I’m excited to be back.â€� Eight wins at one venue is a TOUR record he holds. He also has eight at Torrey Pines and Bay Hill. And while he might not be the same player who won by 11 shots in 2000, his competitors are expecting him to be a huge factor. “You know he’s going to play well this week,â€� reigning FedExCup champion Justin Thomas said.  “This place is like Augusta for him. He could probably take two, three weeks off and he’s going to get it around here fine, because he knows how to. He’s won here as many times as I’ve won everywhere in my career. I am surprised he hasn’t mentioned that yet, which is nice. “I grew up watching him win a lot of tournaments here, hitting the shots in the dark. It’s pretty unbelievable the career he has at this golf course alone, let alone his entire career.â€� The sting of The Open defeat is still in Wood’s psyche. And it spurs him forward. But he’s about to enter some uncharted territory. Playing a lot of golf in a short space of time for the first time since his comeback from spinal fusion surgery. Woods is due to play five times in the next six weeks, assuming he makes it through to the third week of the FedExCup Playoffs. At 47th in the standings at the moment, chances are he will certainly be in the top 70 that make the BMW Championship. “We built a pretty good physical game plan for it,â€� Woods explained. “My training schedule, how to build myself up, my recovery breaks, even had to factor in how much I can practice, just to make sure I’m physically fit enough to get through this section. “I want to play well and win tournaments through this. I feel like my body is good. I need to keep it that way. I still need to train really hard and limit how much I do practice, the wear and tear on the body, because I’m going to be putting it through its paces in tournament play, which as we all know, we hit the ball harder in tournaments than we do in practice.â€� Molinari: A new level of self-belief When we last saw Francesco Molinari, he was winning The Open Championship at Carnoustie, the culmination of an epic run that included a runaway victory at the Quicken Loans National and a T2 at the John Deere Classic, propelling him all the way to 7th in the FedExCup. His pre-season goal to make it all the way to the season-ending TOUR Championship at East Lake next month? Yeah, that’s looking pretty good. Could he have imagined the season he’s had, which also has included a victory at the European Tour’s BMW Championship? “No, I couldn’t,â€� said Molinari, who has risen to a career-high of sixth in the world, from 20th a year ago. “And I don’t think anyone could, to be honest.â€� Firestone South, a long, tree-lined course, has not in the past set up well for the 35-year-old Italian. He has finished no better than T15 (2011) in seven previous starts here. But that was the old Molinari. He began working with putting coach Phil Kenyon earlier this season, which has paid dividends, and has gained self-confidence during his epic 2018.  He was, he admitted, probably the last member of his team to truly believe in himself. “When you go out on the course and you’re playing with some of the best players in the world, you confront yourself with them,â€� he said. “And I think a few years back, obviously, I was competing against them, but I always felt like they had something that I didn’t have. “And now it feels like I can play with them and, you know, I don’t feel intimidated in any way,â€� he added. “Or I feel like I can compete with all of them.â€� Case in point: Molinari’s playing partner in the final round of The Open was Tiger Woods. Now, Molinari’s team is urging him to go even further. “Just the potential to win majors and the potential to be in the top‑10 of the world and, you know, now they’re pushing the limits even more,â€� he said. Considering everything he’s achieved this year alone, that’s a scary thought.

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