SAN FRANCISCO – There was an unfamiliar and disturbing look of satisfaction on Tiger Woods’ face and in the tone of his voice as he readied to exit Harding Park from the 2020 PGA Championship shortly after lunchtime Sunday.
Think of the ‘shortly after noon’ ‘part of that last sentence. That meant Woods was miles of controversy. The leaders were barely in the warm-up stage of their day.
‘What I came out with this week is that I felt like I was competitive,’ ‘Woods said Sunday after concluding a thoroughly mediocre week with a final round of 67 to leave him 1-under for the tournament.
For those of us who still have vivid memories of Woods’ dominance en route to 15 career championships and 81 overall wins on the PGA Tour, by running a tournament speaking with an air of satisfaction about being ‘competitive’, does not calculate it.
It had a ‘participation trophy’ atmosphere.
Can you imagine the reaction you got from Woods when you asked him in the early 2000s for a tournament in which he finished well back in the pack when he felt good about the fact that he looked ‘competitive’ that week ?
He would have burned a hole in your golf shirt with an evil stare.
But this is where we are now with the 44-year-old Woods: participating trophies and medals for visiting.
Of course, it is not fair to expect the same dominance from Woods that we saw in 1997, 2001 or even 2008 – in particular considering the physical toll his body has taken, recently with multiple audiences. It’s just a little scary to hear him talk like that sometimes.
A little later in his post-round interview Sunday, Woods played the ‘that’s golf’ ‘card, starting a sentence with’ that’s golf ” before adding, ‘We lose a lot more tournaments than we win.’ ‘
‘This is one of those weeks where I did not make the wells completely when I needed to, and I missed a few shots on the wrong sides,’ ‘he continued. ‘But overall, I think I had one three-putt for the week and I did not have a double, and that’s always something you want to do in 72 holes of a big championship. ”
He praised himself for not making a double and had only one three-putt sounds like this weekend recreational golfer.
‘If I had made a few more putts early on Friday, and the same thing with Saturday, I felt like I would have just had a chance here [to win], ” Said Woods. ‘It did not happen, but I fought hard, and today was more indicative of how I could have played on Friday and Saturday than I would have made a few putts early.’ ‘
Again: Hearing Woods falling back on “would, could, would have” should not sound like the driven Woods we once knew. But it is now his reality, which is becoming somewhat accustomed.
Woods finished the week with 29 of 56 fairways, 45 of 72 greens in regulation and he took 115 putts, which is too many.
‘It’s just a lack of tournament golf for me,’ ‘Woods’ caddy Joe LaCava said Sunday. ‘When you stand under the gun and grind [and] and every shot actually counts, that makes me a difference. I do not know what he did and did not do in five months. I know he played some golf with his son and practiced some.
‘But it’s hard to practice not knowing when you’ll be playing. He did some preparation for Memorial, some preparing here. We just need more tournament rounds. It’s not like nothing is terrible. I just think everything needs a bit of work and finesse. And that comes from some reps and maybe some reach time on the tournament sites, and playing tournament golf.
‘What work needs to be done. He knows it. ”
Woods’ next move comes a week after the first FedEx Playoffs event at TPC Boston in early August 20, possibly followed by the BMW Championship and Tour Championship before next May, the US Open at Winged Foot the week of September 14 is. .
Perhaps the most positive thing to come out this week is that Woods’ beamed back was held in the cool, humid Weather of the Bay Area.
“I always look after health,” LaCava said. ‘I think he’s healthy and feeling. That’s great for me. If he feels healthy and looked, I know he can play. ”
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