Unser Chat » Tiger Woods is making progress in his recovery

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Tiger Woods is making progress in his recovery from back surgery and starting to extend his swing, his agent said Tuesday. Woods already has missed two majors this year while he recovers from a microdiscectomy on his back on March 31. He last played on March 9 at Doral, when he closed with a 78 despite the pain in his lower back. Woods has said he has no idea when he will be healthy enough to return to competition. A report on Golf Channels morning show said he was taking full swings at the Medalist Golf Club in South Florida. "Tiger is progressing like he expected," Mark Steinberg of Excel Sports Management said in an email. "Feeling good each day. As each day passes and he feels that way, he lengthens the swing a bit." Woods is the tournament host next week for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional. It is not expected that he will play. The deadline to enter is Friday. This is the first year of title sponsorship for the Detroit-based company. The next major is the British Open on July 17-20 at Royal Liverpool, where Woods won in 2006. The last time Woods missed two majors in one year because of injuries was in 2011, when he sat out the U.S. Open and British Open to let his leg fully recover. That year, he returned at Bridgestone Invitational in early August, a World Golf Championship that has no cut. In a promotional day for Quicken Loans last month, Woods said he was chipping and putting in a way that did not require rotation in his back. That was four weeks ago. He also did not know how much time it would take for him to be ready for a tournament once he could take full swings with no pain. "The more time you give me, I think the better Ill be," he said. "The great thing about what Ive done so far and all my other previous surgeries is that I worked on my short game. Once I start expanding from there and start competing and playing, if I start spraying it all over the lot and not hitting it that great, at least my short game is solid. Thats one of the positives to it." Woods has slipped from No. 1 to No. 4 in the world ranking, and he is likely to fall a couple of more spots in coming weeks. He is at No. 207 in the FedEx Cup standings -- having finished 72 holes only once this year -- and the top 125 get into the playoffs that start Aug. 21. The news comes one day after Martin Kaymer won the U.S. Open with the second-lowest score in history at 271. The overnight rating for NBC Sports was 3.3, down 46 per cent from the previous year at Merion. Grant Fuhr Jersey . - Houston defensive end J. Boyd Gordon Jersey . On paper, it looks a little like Andre the Giant taking on a midget wrestler. It has all the makings of a rout with the Americans adding an eighth win in nine outings of this biennial event. The Yanks have eight players in the top 15 in the world while the Internationals have just one. http://www.officialoilersfanstore.com/authentic-connor-mcdavid-oilers-jersey/ ." Bach is in Rome for the European Olympic Committees general assembly and meetings with Pope Francis. He also visited with Italian Premier Enrico Letta. "The prime minister appeared to be interested in a bid from Italy for 24, because he has realized that the games can serve as a catalyst for development for a city and a country," Bach told The Associated Press on Saturday. Wayne Gretzky Jersey . Cabrera-Bello shot a 1-over-par 73 and was caught by Webster, who carded 70 at Doha Golf Club for three-round totals of 12-under 204. They were only one stroke ahead of Adrien Saddier of France, the biggest mover with six birdies in his opening seven holes in a round of 64, South African Thomas Aiken (70) and Denmarks Thorbjorn Olesen (68) on a packed leaderboard. Benoit Pouliot Jersey . James Jones got his turn Sunday. And the lift he brought, combined with the expected playoff showings from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, have the Heat off and running in these playoffs.New Orleans. LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Haskell runner-up Albano made one final 2014 workout New Year?s Eve day at Fair Grounds ahead of his debut as a 4- year-old. Trained by Larry Jones for former Kentucky governor Brereton Jones, Albano worked five furlongs Dec. 31 in 1:01.80 one week after working the distance in a minute flat. He seems like hes doing well right now, Larry Jones noted. We will most likely look at the ($75,000 Louisiana Handicap) on the 17th with him. Albano has had success racing at Fair Grounds posting a win in the 2013 Sugar Bowl Stakes and getting second in both the Lecomte and Risen Star Stakes.dddddddddddd The colt was fifth in the Louisiana Derby, but elevated to fourth after a disqualification. Larry Jones gave Albano a rest following the Louisiana Derby which boosted the colt to a runaway victory of the Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park. Albano used that performance to finish second to Bayern in the Haskell Invitational, outfinishing eventual Breeders Cup Distaff winner Untapable. The colt was sent off at odds of 7-5 in the Smarty Jones at Parx, but could do no better than third. Albano has banked $541,100 with three wins, three seconds and two thirds from nine career starts. ' ' '