Tiger Woods’ playing improves with putter switch

Reporting from St. Andrews, Scotland — 

In retrospect, maybe it was the putter.

Tiger Woods switched back to his trusty Scotty Cameron model for Sunday’s final round and promptly birdied two of his first three holes. Both came from only about the 10-foot range, but they went in.

Woods’ even-par 72 featured just 27 putts — five fewer than any other round this week on the Old Course. And no three-putt greens.

“I just felt that my speed was off,” he said after finishing in a tie for 23rd, “and just going back to something where I know how it comes off.”

The Cameron model had been in play for 11 years without a break, all the way back to the 1999 Byron Nelson Classic. It contributed to 13 of Woods’ 14 majors and 60 other PGA Tour victories.

But Woods went with a new Nike model to start the week, saying it produced better pace on slow greens usually seen in Britain. Yet Woods needed 32 putts Thursday, then 32 and 35 when the greens sped up in the windy conditions that followed.

No slowing down

Colin Montgomerie probably played his final Open at St. Andrews, yet there was no thought to stop on the Swilcan Bridge to soak in a few moments’ memories on his last walk up No. 18.

“I’ll never pause on the bridge. That’s only for winners,” the 2005 Open runner-up told reporters. “There is sort of a plank on the right-hand side, and I should walk across that and not use the bridge.”

An eight-time winner of the European Tour’s Order of Merit, Montgomerie had a fleeting chance five years ago at St. Andrews, pulling within a shot of Woods at the Sunday turn only to give back three shots down the back nine.

Now 47, he went around the Old Course in four over this week, not once breaking 70.

“It’s just not happening on the golf course right now,” he said. “I’m not firing on any cylinders at all.”

Montgomerie’s thoughts now will turn toward a more encouraging subject — his captaincy of what looks to be a strong European Ryder Cup squad for this fall’s matches in Wales. The next four finishers behind winner Louis Oosthuizen are likely to figure on Montgomerie’s roster.

Injury doesn’t impede Westwood

That calf/ankle injury that had doctors telling Lee Westwood to take a month off didn’t seem to affect him on the Old Course. A final-round 70 lifted him to his fifth top-three finish in the last 10 majors.

“It’s not really to be sniffed at and complained about,” the English pro said. “Hopefully one of these chances will turn into a trophy.”

Nor will Westwood rest long. After a two-week break, he’ll be on a plane to the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio, and then the PGA Championship at Kohler, Wis.

jshain@orlandosentinel.com