Woods writes off his dismal performance at Torrey Pines

"Just one bad day," is how Woods described last week's performance after he played a seven-hole stretch in nine over, missing the cut in his season opener for the second straight year, writes Steve Elling.

Tiger Woods participates in Tuesday's Champions Challenge ahead of the Dubai Desert Classic, which starts Thursday. Woods is coming off a poor performance at Torrey Pines. Antonie Robertson / The NatiShow more

DUBAI // The world No 1 Tiger Woods said the headline-making 79 he posted at Torrey Pines last week was not representative of the state of his game.

After his round at Emirates Golf Club on Tuesday, it was hard to fully endorse that notion.

“I know I’m not that far off,” Woods said after completing a one-round exhibition as part of the 25th Omega Dubai Desert Classic’s weekly festivities. “Just one bad day. That happens.”

That might be true, but numbers of that ilk are not often associated with Woods. It matched the second-worst round of his PGA Tour career and resulted in him missing the secondary cut at a venue where he had amassed eight wins, including his last major championship.

Woods played a seven-hole stretch in nine over, missing the cut in his season opener for the second straight year.

“Just one of those trains I couldn’t get off of,” he said.

His one-under 71 in Tuesday's Champions Challenge – a one-day event featuring the event's past winners – was better. But only in spots.

Woods had two water balls and finished joint-eighth. He was the outright leader at four under as he played the ninth, but dunked his approach in a greenside pond and never led thereafter.

Woods hit his approach in the water on the par-5 18th and finished with a double-bogey, which was similar to how he played the 18th last weekend at Torrey.

“Unfortunately, the longer you play this sport, the more things like that happen,” he said.

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