Woods out of golf’s top 50

Tiger Woods is out of the top 50 in the world rankings for the first time in three years.

And if he doesn’t turn his game around quickly, he will be ineligible for a World Golf Championship for only the second time.

Woods was No.1 in the world last May. After missing most of last year recovering from back surgery, he arrived at the Phoenix Open at No.47 and missed the cut by 12 shots.

He was last out of the top 50 on November 27, 2011.

He is to play Torrey Pines next week and the Honda Classic two weeks later. He must be in the top 50 after the Honda Classic to be eligible for the WGC event at Doral.

The only other WGC event for which Woods didn’t qualify was the HSBC Champions in 2011, another year marked by injuries and no wins.

The question as he left Phoenix was how quickly he could turn it around.

Woods is in the early stages of a fifth swing change. He left coach Sean Foley during his four-month break from golf at the end of last year and has hired Chris Como as a consultant.

More startling was his chipping.

Woods says he doesn’t have a feel for where the bottom of the club should be when he makes contact on his short-game shots.

It was embarrassing at times at TPC Scottsdale. He chose to play safer shots along the ground but when he had no option to pitch the ball in the air, he either flubbed it or bladed it.

Woods tied for last with club pro Michael Hopper.

Including the 18-man field at the Hero World Challenge in December, he now has tied for last in two straight events.

He was going to attend the Super Bowl in nearby Glendale but instead flew home to Florida on Friday.

His plans until he tees it up next week at the Farmers Insurance Open?

“Practice each and every day,” Woods said. “Just work on it.”

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