Darron Cummings / Associated Press
Tiger Woods wrapped up the Memorial Tournament on Sunday with a 76 in his final round, putting him six strokes above the week’s average.
Consistency was an issue in his first official tournament since February, and he was tied for 41st when he finished playing at Muirfield Village Golf Club. He was more than 10 shots behind leader Jon Rahm upon entering the clubhouse.
Woods was on par in two of his first three rounds, but had only three birdies left with five bogeys and a double bogey in Round 4 in Dublin, Ohio.
The round started well for Woods, opening with a birdie on the first hole thanks to a long putt:
PGA TOUR @ @PGATOUR
From 35 FEET. @TigerWoods opens the final round with a birdie. #QuickHits https://t.co/dFaWaEsnUY
He was precise with his momentum during the first holes, but it was his short game that left him when the round began to crumble:
Tiger tracker @ @GCTigerTracker
Yikes It slid a little under him and then dripped down the slope. You probably have 20 feet left. It must have been a bird’s nest.
Bill Rabinowitz @ @brdispatch
Tiger Woods just took a double bogey on hole 7 of par 5. He hit his third shot in the sand and then threw three 16-foot shots. You now have 4 for the tournament and 2 for the round.
One bogey at No. 4, double bogey at No. 7, and two more bogeys at No. 8 and 9 ruined any chance he had in a promising final round, finishing four in the first nine.
In his defense, the problems were consistent for almost everyone playing on Sunday:
Ryan Lavner @ @RyanLavnerGC
The memorial field averages nearly 5 shots on par as the temperature rises above 90. And gusts of 30 mph aren’t expected for a few more hours.
Ron Mintz @ @MintzGolf
Only two of the 49 players who have strayed are under par for the round.
Things improved a bit in the last nine, seeing more fairways and greens in regulation. He navigated the difficult conditions to win pairs before closing with a strong run on the final holes.
PGA TOUR @ @PGATOUR
Consecutive birdies for @TigerWoods. https://t.co/Pvi4xSdrpy
Although his work on the green was tough earlier in the day, the consecutive birdies featured 17-foot and 21-foot putts.
Also hit the street in 10 of 14 units, the most rounds this week, per PGATour.com. Closing performance should provide a huge boost forward this season.
A bogey on 18 is also excusable, as it came after a brief delay in the weather before he returned for his last three shots.
This was the first PGA Touring event for Woods since the Genesis Invitational, before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus. Fans last saw him at “The Match: Champions for Charity” by Capital One in May, an exhibition with Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
Regardless of this week’s result, Woods saw the courage to compete against the best in the world.
“Well, I think going back to the stream and competing again and playing at this level, I haven’t done it in a long time,” he said, by Mike wells from ESPN. “Playing at home and playing here is very different.”
The next step is to stay healthy, especially with your apparently stiff back at times during this tournament, according to Wells.
Woods may compete in the upcoming 3M Open or World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, but may not return to the field until PGA The championship begins on August 6.
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