Standing over the hole to tap the ball in after yet another missed putt was a pose all too frequent for a frustrated Tiger Woods during another tough round in the British Open third round on Saturday.
For so long the best putter in the game the World No 1 must be scratching his head over the number of near-misses he is having on the Old Course greens.
"Ironically enough now I'm driving it beautifully and I'm not making any putts," the 14-times major winner said after his one-over 73 took him to three-under par (213) for the tournament and well off the pace.
Woods has always been a prodigious hitter of the ball and possesses a wonderful short game, but his metronomic putting stroke has had other professional green with envy for years.
Not any more maybe after he took 35 putts on Saturday to add to his 32 on each of his first two rounds.
"I certainly have had a lot more putts on the greens than I ever have, and that's something that has basically kept me out of being in the final few groups," the American, who ditched the putter he had used since 1999 before the tournament, said.a
Asked if his overall game was in good shape bar his putting, the response was simple.
"Yeah," the three-times champion said and for all the frustrating missed putts Woods appeared to enjoy himself on a sun-kissed Old Course.
"It's fun being in a competitive environment. That's why we practise all these years to put ourselves in this position so that we're in this environment," the 34-year-old said.
Woods has rarely looked as at ease all week than on Saturday when he played alongside old friend Darren Clarke.
Joking and smiling with the Northern Irishman, the World No 1 pointed out to his rival that he had placed the ball ahead of the markers on the seventh tee box.
"The hole is too far. Thanks," a smiling Clarke said in jest, drawing an even bigger grin from Woods.
Before his round, a young girl with a tiger mask called out to him. He looked in her direction and flashed a smile.
But there was maddening frustration too, he cursed after missing a short birdie putt at the opener and slapped his club into the Old Course turf after his second at the second hole failed to hone in on its target.
He reached the turn in one over 37 and picked up two birdies on the back nine but a bogey at the 'Road' hole and yet another missed putt from 10ft at the last for birdie did little to lighten his mood.
Despite trailing the leaders by a sizeable margin he still felt he had an outside chance of lifting a fourth Claret Jug and a record third in St Andrews.
"I've just got to get off to a quick start. That's what the guys are doing at the top of the board. They get off to quick starts.
"Hopefully tomorrow I can get some kind of momentum going early."
