Tiger Woods

Melbourne: The trophy case for Tiger Woods is collecting dust.

He finally gave the big crowds at Victoria Golf Club something to cheer in the final hour of the Australian Masters by making two eagles in a four-hole stretch and closing with a 6-under 65 to get his name on the leaderboard for the first time all weekend.

At one point, he was two shots behind, but Woods knew better. There was no point in sticking around. This tournament was going to be like so many others in a season that cannot end soon enough. He stuffed his golf clubs into the trunk of a black sedan waiting to take him to the airport so he could head home.

For the first time in his career, Woods is no longer the defending champion of anything, anywhere in the world.

“I tried all week,” he said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t do it. I didn’t play good enough. Didn’t make enough putts. That’s what happens.”

When he won the Australian Masters a year ago at Kingston Heath, it was his 82nd victory around the world. That remains his last. Twelve days later, Woods ran his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree, and it wasn’t long before allegations of infidelity came gushing out. What followed was a year not many could have expected. He sat out for nearly five months, including two months in a rehabilitation clinic. He changed swing coaches. His wife divorced him.

And he didn’t win a single tournament — not even close.

Woods still has one tournament left in 2010. After two weeks at home — including Thanksgiving, the day his troubles began — he hosts the Chevron World Challenge with a world-class field of 18 players.

Woods has not lost at Sherwood since 2005. He feels his game is coming around under Sean Foley, although he only sees patches of it for now, such as the final six holes he played at Victoria, or the end of his Ryder Cup singles match when he played the final seven holes in 7-under par.

“It’s coming in streaks,” Woods said. “I played like this in the Ryder Cup, got into a streak there, went pretty low for 15 holes. This is very similar to that. I just need to get it for all 18 holes, and eventually, for all 72. The streaks are longer now.”

How much longer will it take? Woods laughed. “Hopefully, in two weeks at Chevron,” he said.

The culprit at the Australian Masters, as has been the case for so much of the year, was his putting. On greens that were slower than he realised — even tougher with weekend rain and cloud cover — Woods finally switched putters.

He ditched his trusted Scotty Cameron for a Nike Method, a heel-shafted putter that he practices with at home. It helps him get a little more pace on the ball, which is why he switched to a similar Nike putter for three rounds at the British Open.

Both times, the result was not inspiring.

Woods missed two par putts inside 4 feet on the front nine Sunday, falling as many as 12 shots behind. The finish he put together only looked good for the final score.

“I struggled this week with the speed of the greens,” he said.

For Appleby, there nothing better than winning at home.

“We play around the world for big money and big tournaments and big fancy ratings and everything like that,” he said. “But you come home to Australia, and it’s real. That’s probably hurt me too many times, really wanting to win.”

Right now, Woods would take a win just about anywhere.