Tiger Woods bemoans lack of consistency

Former world number one Tiger Woods has bemoaned his lack of consistency ahead of this week's USPGA Championship.

The Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia will be another test of the erratic driving Woods displayed in his first competitive tournament after a three-month lay-off.

Finishing tied for 37th at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Woods will take some confidence into the tournament having birdied three of the last four holes.

Speaking after the tournament he said: ''I'm still struggling with my alignment and trusting the fact that the ball doesn't shape as much as it used to. But I'm absolutely encouraged. You have to understand I haven't played.

"I'm still getting a feel for it and I still keep falling back in my old patterns."

Reflecting on a final-round 70, he added: "At the beginning today I was fine, I hit the ball well, then I lost it, I got back in my old patterns, my old grip, my old swing plane and I was fighting it there for a little bit.

"I tried to piece it back together, yesterday I did a really good job of that, but today it wasn't so good.

"I was hitting it so well and then I absolutely lost it. I hit a couple of balls left, a couple of balls right, a couple more balls left... I just completely lost it there."