Woods: New pin-in rule 'might be more advantageous' at Augusta

Tiger Woods is set to make his first appearance of 2019 this week at Torrey Pines for the Farmers Insurance Open.

It will be his first chance to test the potential benefits of leaving the pin in during competition under golf's new rules.

"I have been experimenting trying to hit putts downhill at home and see how that feels," Woods said at his press conference on Tuesday. "I didn’t find that I hit better putts. It just felt that I could hit it more aggressively, which I did, then I started running it eight, nine feet by."

After seeing players leave the pin in during the year's opening events, especially on downhill putts, Tiger admitted the Masters might be a spot where the new rule could come in handy.

"I understand why some of the guys are doing it. It might be more advantageous when we get on faster greens with a little more slope, i.e. Augusta."

Despite Augusta National's ability to implement a set of local rules for the Masters, changes are unlikely, according to Golf Digest's Ryan Herrington.

Regardless of what Augusta ultimately decides, Tiger will be taking advantage of the new rules at Torrey Pines, a course he's won at eight times in his career.

"Some of those putts where the hole is kind of visible as it comes up over a rise, I can see it, but it will be nice to have a reference point, so I’ll probably leave it in for those kinds of putts."

As for the new knee-high drop rule?

“I’ve done one knee-high drop at home. Hit the ball in the hazard on 18 at Medalist and did it and it felt really weird."