ENGLAND'S PAUL Casey yesterday threw further light on the nature of Tiger Woods's injury when he said that he spoke to Robert Karlsson's caddie, Gareth Lord, the day after the Swede partnered Woods at Torrey Pines.

"He said there were actually noises coming from Tiger's knee and clearly he was suffering," Casey said. "Noises from the knee doesn't sound particularly good to me. He said there was a moment, I think on the 18th, where he stepped up to hit his tee shot and backed off because of weird noises. They all chuckled and he said, 'I shouldn't hit this one too hard.'

"He got it in play and made eagle. Amazing."

Meanwhile, the South African Retief Goosen said yesterday he had been joking when he suggested Woods had faked the extent of his knee pain at the US Open. Goosen was reported as saying, "Nobody knows if he (Woods) was just showing off."

When asked if he thought Woods might have been faking the extent of his knee pain, he replied, "I think he was."

However, Goosen said yesterday before playing in the International Open pro-am he had not been serious.

"I was joking, really. I mean, how do I know? I never spoke to the guy. He's got a sore knee, yes, and at the end of the day it's a great achievement by Tiger, winning his 14th major."