The 96th US PGA Championship got under way at Valhalla on Thursday, with Tiger Woods insisting he was not in the 156-strong field simply to make up the numbers.
Just days after withdrawing from the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with a back injury, Woods declared himself pain free after nine holes of practice on Wednesday afternoon.
And despite playing in just his fourth event since undergoing back surgery in March, Woods, 38, was targeting a 15th major title a full six years after his last came in the 2008 US Open.
Woods revealed that the sacrum bone in his back and been dislodged when he played his second shot on the second hole at Firestone Country Club on Sunday – he had to jump back into a fairway bunker – but that his physio had “popped the bone back in”.
“My physio is here so if it goes out he is able to fix it,” he added. “It was a different pain, I knew it was not the site of the surgery. This is something totally different.
“I still need to build up strength and it’s going to take more time. The treatment has been fantastic, once the bone was put back in the spasms went away and from there I started to get some range of motion.”
Woods said he would be taking anti-inflammatories this week, but “pain meds no, because I’m not in any”.
The world No 10 won the US PGA the last time it was staged here in 2000, but did not play in the Ryder Cup in 2008 and the course has since undergone extensive renovation led by designer Jack Nicklaus.
“I had my [yardage] book from 2000, but it’s useless. Joey [his caddie Joe LaCava] has been here and got a pretty good handle on it,” added Woods, who opted to just chip and putt on the back nine.
“I feel pretty good about how I played. I need to get more of a feel how this course is playing.”
Woods needs a good performance this week to boost his case for a Ryder Cup wild card, but at least has the advantage of close friend Steve Stricker being named vice-captain to Tom Watson for the contest at Gleneagles in September.
“He didn’t tell me, I just found out,” Woods joked. “I think it’s great. It’s fantastic because Strick is not only a good guy, he’s also one of our peers.
“You have Tom, Raymond [Floyd] as well as Andy [North], who don’t play out here anymore. Don’t really know the guys. I think it’s important to have someone who is out here on a regular basis, who knows the guys, knows their personalities, knows their games inside and out. I think that’s well deserved. Also a pretty smart move as well.”
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
Kick-off: Midnight, Thursday, March 12
Stadium: Parc des Princes
Live: On beIN Sports HD
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
