Tiger Woods Gets Back On Track, Wins 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Tiger Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational by five strokes over the weekend, easily legging out his first PGA tour win since 2009 and instantly becoming a serious threat on the Masters 2012 odds menu.

Sportsbooks chopped Tiger’s Master odds in half and money was still pouring in on him, with the Masters less than two weeks away.

For the past two years, there’s been a rush to declare Tiger Woods “back.” As Woods tumbled down the Official World Golf Rankings, casual observers and hardcore fans alike were looking for a reason to believe Woods would return to his previous form and dominate the PGA Tour like the Tiger of old. Now, after Woods finally broke through to win the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational, there’s a rush to say he’s back. But don’t be so quick to make such definitive declarations.

Woods is certainly on the right track, and his four rounds at Bay Hill this past weekend were reason to believe his game is getting back to where it once was. On Sunday, as those around him wilted, Woods plodded along conservatively to win by five strokes -- a common occurrence during his run at the top. And he was one fainting teenager away from an even more convincing margin of victory.

Woods entered the final round with a one-shot lead, and after one bad hole at the end of his third round, he’s looked strong so far on Sunday. Woods has shot one-under through his first five holes and opened up a three-shot lead on Graeme McDowell, who double-bogeyed on his first hole.

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The last two years have been anything but kind to Tiger Woods, who has been plagued by a multitude of high-profile woes and setbacks, both on and off the golf course. On Sunday, he will have an opportunity to win his first PGA tournament since 2010, as he enters the final round of the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational atop the leaderboard, holding a one-stroke lead over Graeme McDowell.

Woods took questions from the media at a press conference following play on Saturday. One of the topics that came up was the subject of players faltering in the final round of play when entering with a 54-hole lead. Woods was asked what is different about a player holding a lead entering the final day.

Tiger Woods remains on pace to finish the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational with his first PGA Tour win since 2009. He is shooting 1-under through eight holes Saturday, pushing him to 11-under overall and two strokes ahead of Graeme McDowell in second place.

Woods started the day with a bogey on Bay Hill’s second tee, but rebounded with birdies on holes four and six. The bogey was just his second of the tournament so far. McDowell started the day one stroke back. He bogeyed on three and birdied on four to put himself at even for the day through nine holes.

There’s still plenty of golf left to be played Friday at the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill (Tiger Woods is at 2-under, 5-under overall through five holes) but the top end of the leaderboard has already finished up for the most part. Jason Dufner entered the day in a first-place tied with Charlie Wi. Dufner is still tied atop the leaderboard, but Graeme McDowell has supplanted Wi for the time being at 9-under overall after shooting 9-under for the round. Wi is in third place at three shots back with nine holes still left to play.

McDowell was four shots better on Day 2 than any other golfer who has finished so far. Sergio Garcia is second on the day so far with a 5-under performance (now 5-under overall). He sits in a tie with Vijay Singh and Bubba Watson for fourth place at the moment.

Thursday’s first round of competition at the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla., is in the books. Tiger Woods is looking to rebound from a left Achilles injury that forced him to withdraw from his last tournament. If Woods is able to pull off the win over the weekend, it will be his seventh victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Defending champion Martin Laird is also in the field, as are a bevy of other notable names.

While Laird finished at par for the day, Woods had a solid opening round. Woods is currently tied for fourth place, finishing at 3-under on Thursday. If not for a bogey on the 18th hole, Woods would have tied with Nick Watney in third place at 4-under.