For the second consecutive event, Tiger Woods started on Thursday with a round in the 60s. Woods, who comes two weeks ago from a so-so performance at the PGA Championship at Harding Park, was sharp in all areas except one, but still quite a controversy for his 83rd PGA Tour victory after 18 holes on the 2020 Northern Trust.
The big fight for Woods at both the PGA Championship and the Memorial before that was his short game (and specifically his putter). All of that improved on Thursday in Boston, and he has a 3-under 68 to show for going into Round 2.
After shooting an even-par 35 at the back nine (Woods started at No. 10 on the course), Woods hit fire at the front, mostly with an attacking game that remained in his mid-40s elite. Despite hitting only one of seven fairways, Woods had five bird appearances as somewhere from 16 feet in and he made four of them.
Woods’ scorecard at TPC Harding Park a few weeks ago was filled with 2- and 3-foot putts made. He could not roll anything that meant in the hole. The opposite was true on Thursday – especially on his back nine – as he made five putts on that side of 5 feet or more.
The interesting thing about Woods since he resumed his season at Muirfield Village a season ago is that he hit the ball beautifully. The iron game has been wonderful. At one hole on Thursday – the par-3 third – he held his tea ball up against the wind on a sweet-smelling line and landed it just outside a back to the right (and ridiculously tucked). It was a shot one that hits a top-10 player in the world.
Woods is not currently a top-10 player, but he beats his strikers like one. The problematic part of his round on Thursday is that a hot pit performance like his will probably not last all week. Tiger will have to hit the ball better off the tee (six of 14 fairways is not great), as there are many dangers and problems to be found at TPC Boston, a course he has previously won. This eventually got him a bit on the 9th hole, his last of the day, as he drove it off the line and could not save his par, which would mean a 67 in Round 1.
As the playoffs begin, however, Woods could not hope for much more. He is currently just four of the early lead at this tournament and plays tournament-fighting golf. We have yet to see Woods put his full arsenal together for a tournament week this season, but there are flashes that say it’s coming at some point. If and when, we can get a special round from him at some point. If he cuts a couple together, who knows then, maybe the 83rd PGA Tour victory of his career is not as far away as it sometimes seems.
