Is this Tiger’s most amazing shot ever? Woods bends the ball around trees from a bunker in Mexico

Tiger Woods turned his first visit to Mexico into something truly memorable with one of the most extraordinary shots of his career during the second round of the WGC-Mexico Championship.

The fact he bent a nine iron shot from a fairway bunker at least 20 yards in the air to avoid some trees was startling enough — but it was the photographs of him pulling off the stroke that took the breath away, indicating the contortions necessary to execute such a blow.

Perhaps only Seve Ballesteros would ever have attempted such a move — certainly only Seve or Tiger would have pulled it off.

Tiger Woods rolled back years with a stunning shot out of bunker at World Golf Championships

 Woods, who is six shots off leader Dustin Johnson, curled the ball out of the sand at the 18th

 It was arguably the shot of the day and Woods went onto birdie the hole to finish with 66

‘That’s Tiger. The Artist. One and only,’ said former US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger. The ball landed 25 feet left of the flag but, such was the vicious sidespin imparted, it bounced sideways towards the hole, finishing 12 feet away on the other side.

‘The ball was sitting down so I knew I couldn’t clear the tree,’ explained Woods. ‘I just opened it  up and gave it as much of a cut  motion as I could — and it worked.’

Woods missed the birdie putt but still carded a useful 66 to move into the top 10 alongside Tyrrell Hatton. The pair were six shots off the halfway lead held by Dustin Johnson, with first-round leader Rory McIlroy two behind after four-putting one green in a 70.

Tommy Fleetwood, who began his second round with back-to-back eagle twos, shot 65 to lie tied fourth with Sergio Garcia, with Ian Poulter tied sixth after two 68s.