Tiger Woods impressed at the US PGA Championships on Thursday with a brand-new putter

The American has ditched his Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter despite its previous sucess

Speaking about his new putter, Woods said: ‘I’ve been messing round with this putter for the better part of a year. It’s a little longer than my original one which makes it easier on my back. I can spend more time practising.

‘It’s one of the reasons why Senior Tour players never putt with the same length putter – it’s a little bit hard to bend over.

‘I putt with my sand wedge all the time and this feels more like my sand wedge.’

Woods’ had a close relationship with his old putter that brought him great success and even refused to let his son Charlie use it.

Woods scored an opening two-under par 68 with his new Scotty Cameron model in California

The golfer says the new model is better for this back, after four spinal surgeries in his career

The 2019 Masters champion was even offered a seven-figure sum for the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 by a Japanese investor, but Woods turned it down.

PGA Tour star Marc Leishman said: ‘I bet you could offer him £70m for it and he probably wouldn’t take it.’

Yet the change to a new putter seems to be doing the trick as Woods shot an opening 68 at San Francisco’s TPC Harding Park.

The 44-year-old lies three shots behind leaders Jason Day and Brendon Todd, who are one shot ahead of England’s Justin Rose and two-time winner Brooks Koepka.

Woods’ playing partners, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas, hit par and one-over-par respectively.