LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tiger Woods was 1 underneath after 16 holes of his opening spherical on the PGA Championship on Thursday, a great begin in his try to stay round for the weekend at Valhalla Golf Membership.
However Woods, a four-time PGA Championship winner, carded bogeys with three-putts on every of his final two holes for a disappointing 1-over 72.
Woods was tied for eighty fifth after the primary spherical, 10 strokes behind chief Xander Schauffele, who posted a 9-under 62 to match the bottom spherical in a significant championship for the second time in his profession.
Woods stated he “three-whipped” his final two holes, the par-3 eighth and par-4 ninth. On the eighth, he pulled his tee shot and his ball stopped 39 toes left of the opening. He blasted his putt about 10 toes previous the cup, then his subsequent one stayed low. A bogey dropped him again to even par.
On the ninth, Woods hit his drive to the left facet of the golf green. He had 144 yards left to the opening and hit his method shot to 34 toes. He three-putted from there, too.
“Wasn’t excellent,” stated Woods, who was taking part in in a event for the primary time for the reason that remaining spherical of the Masters on April 14. “Unhealthy velocity on eight; whipped it previous the opening. And 9, hit it quick. Hit it off the heel of the putt and blocked the second. So [it] wasn’t excellent on the final two holes.”
The disappointing end got here after one of many highlights of Woods’ spherical — a birdie on the par-5 seventh. His method shot over water landed in a greenside bunker, and he chipped out to 13 ½ toes and made the birdie putt to maneuver to 1 underneath.
Woods began his spherical on No. 10 and made the flip at 1-over 37. He had bogeys on Nos. 11 and 15 however made an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 13.
The 15-time main champion had an incredible par save on the par-4 twelfth after his tee shot landed within the deep tough and needed to punch out. He made a 15-footer to save lots of par. He additionally needed to punch out of the tough on the fifteenth.
Woods hit 9 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens within the spherical.
“The tough is dense,” Woods stated. “It is simply very dense. With the rain we acquired and simply the moisture on it, I do know they’ve topped it off, however it’s simply actually lush. You may get lies the place it sits up, you will get a 3-wood on it. A pair occasions, I needed to pitch out sideways. You do not have to fret about that if you happen to drive it within the fairway, and I simply have to do a greater job of that.”
In fact, the problem for Woods is placing collectively 4 stable rounds — if he makes the lower. Since he returned to aggressive golf following a automobile accident in February 2021, Woods has performed 72 holes in two majors, ending forty seventh on the 2022 Masters and sixtieth on the Masters in April.
“I get stronger for certain,” Woods stated. “It is simply that I simply do not play a complete lot of aggressive rounds. I have never performed for the reason that Masters. So it is a bit of bit totally different than being at house and taking part in a flat Florida course.”
Woods, 48, stated it took him just a few holes to get the adrenaline going Thursday.
“Every day is a bit of bit totally different,” Woods stated. “Some days, it is higher than others. It is simply the way in which it’s. My physique is simply that manner. Some days, it feels nice, and different days, a little bit of a battle.”