Tiger feels no pain after practice round

AKRON, Ohio -- Tiger Woods felt comfortable, every which way. He was comfortable to be back on a tournament golf course. He was comfortable with the fellow who is temporarily carrying his bag. And he is comfortable with the decision to sack the caddie with whom he won 13 major championships.

Woods did not even squirm when he was asked about the pointed comments Steve Williams made about being disappointed with his former boss after the firing. "Well, that's what he says and what he feels," said the golfer, who is hopeful of making his fellow pros uncomfortable on Sundays again.

"I'm good to go," he said after finishing a quiet nine holes early Tuesday morning at Firestone Country Club in preparation for the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, which starts Thursday. He sure felt much better than he had after his previous nine holes of public golf -- his knee and Achilles were aching so badly at The Players in May that he withdrew after half a round and has not played since.

He did not appear affected at all during the practice round. He did hit some tee shots left, but they weren't wild left into trees. "The great thing is, I don't feel a thing. It feels solid, it feels stable, no pain," he said.

Doctors talked him out of returning last week, asking him to continue a blend of rest and exercise. "It was the right thing to do, and here I am," he said, adding that he did not feel any rust yet. "It's Tuesday."

The Bridgestone does not allow spectators on Tuesdays, so his round was watched only by his publicist, swing coach, a Nike representative, two security guards, about 20 media people -- and temporary caddie Bryon Bell.

Bell is a childhood friend and president of Woods' golf course design firm and has caddied for Woods in a handful of amateur and pro events. "Bryon and I are very comfortable out there on the golf course," he said. Not that Bell is a candidate for the job permanently. "No, no, no. Have you seen his legs?" Woods said.

There is no timetable for hiring a replacement. There are some prerequisites, Woods said: "Someone who obviously understands the pressure of the game, coming down the back nine, someone who probably has been there before and who understands it and can deal with that."

As for his parting with Williams, Woods said only: "Well, I thought it was time for a change. I felt that Stevie and I have had just an amazing run. Steve is a hell of a caddie, there's no denying that. He has helped my career, and I think I've helped his, as well . . . But I just felt it was time to change things up a little bit. I felt very comfortable with the move."

Whether Woods feels truly comfortable in his own skin, after a scandal, injuries, a divorce, a winless year and general upheaval is something only he knows for sure. At least he feels better physically than he has in a long time. "Years. Plural," he said.

There will be more comfort in being paired with good friend and current British Open champion Darren Clarke Thursday at 1:40 p.m. Why do they get along so well? "Similar build, similar color, similar stature," Clarke said, to laughter. " . . . He has been a tremendous friend to me."