"That means he's got only four more tournaments to get things sorted out before the Masters."

Two things really stand out in the aftermath of Tiger's return to play. First, there's this from Doug Ferguson's story on Tiger's week.

The biggest surprise of his 74-75 on the South Course is that Woods had won seven times on this public course, including the 2008 U.S. Open. He had never finished out of the top 10 in the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines.

This week, he looked liked anyone else.

Woods was out of the top 40 when he completed his final round, with the leaders just making the turn. He had never finished out of the top 10 in stroke play to start a season, and his worst result for a debut was two years ago in the Match Play Championship, where he lost in the second round and tied for 17th.

That was his first event after missing eight months following reconstructive knee surgery.

And here's what Tiger said after the round:

Q. Are you not tempted from time to time to say, okay, I know I can chip this way or putt this?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, but how else are you going to get better? You've got to do it. It takes reps and it takes reps under competition. You can't be afraid to go ahead and try it.

Q. How far away are you?

TIGER WOODS: Oh, it's progressing. I don't know. It's one of those things where I don't know where the end is. You never know where the end is until you're done with your playing career.

Alright so point number one, as alluded to in the headline from Bob Harig's story: the dreaded "reps." Tiger has a lot going with his game and says he needs reps, yet the chances seem slim that he'll add much golf between now and the Masters. Maybe four rounds in LA or Palm Beach, but the odds seem remote.

And then there's this from Harig's story as well:

Woods admitted that he is trying to incorporate many of Foley's swing ideas in his short game, and that is taking time, too.

Whoa, what?

"It's a completely different release," he said. "That release that you want to have for the good shots and full swings are the same and even the putting stroke. The putting stroke is the smallest swing there is.

"Everything should be the same throughout the golf bag. That's where I was with all my other teachers, and that's what I'm trying to do here."

Now I'm a big fan of Foley and am impressed with the initial improvement in Tiger's swing, but incorporating those ideas into a short game that's won 14 majors and needed no help? Hoo-yah!!