• Arnold Palmer Invitational

Woods comes up short against the big guns

ESPN staff
March 24, 2011
Tiger Woods expects Dustin Johnson to 'bomb it' past him © Getty Images
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Tiger Woods is coming to terms with the concept of being outmuscled when he takes to the course at Bay Hill for this weekend's Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Woods will partner Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland, and is in the rare situation that he will be struggling to keep up with his big-hitting rivals.

Both Johnson and Woodland average over 300 yards for their drives from the tee, meaning Woods, who is still struggling to perfect his new swing, will be trailing in their wake.

"I'll be the Corey Pavin of my group," Woods joked. "Those guys will be bombing it way past me.

"The next two days are a perfect example of where the game has changed, where you have two guys who used to play basketball now playing golf. We are finally going to get athletes, guys who can dunk.

"I don't have the gears that these guys do. When I hit solid and they hit it solid, they are going to be longer, I'm not as tall as they are, and certainly not as big."

Woods is yet to show real consistency after making wholesale changes to his swing last season, with just two top ten finishes on the PGA Tour in 2010. Woods admits such changes will take time to adjust to, but he admits he misses the guidance of his father, Earl, who died in 2006.

"My dad really knew my stroke and I miss him for it a lot," Woods said. "As far as bouncing ideas off of him and what I was feeling and what he would say, I do miss it. I can make a swing change but as far as understanding what the feels are that is going to take time."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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