He's back. But even with expectations lower than normal, Tiger Woods is leaking oil with the wedges and putter and has dropped into dead last early at Congressional.
Tiger Woods made his return to the PGA Tour Thursday morning, but it wasn't a smooth start on a Congressional course that's beating up the field early in the first round. In his announcement last week, Woods said he was just trying to shake off some rust and work his back into competitive shape. And so far, there's definitely some rust but maybe not in the area of the game we'd expect.
Tiger indicated he just started taking full swings a few weeks ago, but was able to chip and putt back in mid-May. That was reportedly the part of his game that got the most work and practice while he recuperated and rehabbed, so we thought that might at least be in form this week while some loose drivers and irons kept him out of contention. On his first nine, however, Woods leaked oil all over and around the greens, missing short putts, not coming close on lag putts, and hitting several shaky wedge shots.
Congressional was not expected to be the most hospitable venue for a return, but with this tournament benefitting his foundation, Tiger wanted to get back on the Tour. His return started with an unenviable par-3 tee shot over water to a pin out on a peninsula. He put his 225-yard tee shot in the back bunker alongside Jason Day, and failed to get up-and-down to save par. It wasn't the worst bogey, as both Day and Jordan Spieth also missed the green to card the same score.
But on the next hole, the 11th at the Blue Course, Woods hit his first of several poor putts on his opening nine. The tournament was safely on the green in regulation, but had to lag one across from right to left for the par. From just under 50 feet, Tiger lagged it only halfway and immediately waved his putter in disgust as the ball came up nearly 20 feet shot of the cup. The three-putt promptly put him 2-over through is first two holes, and while the first hole back was an understandable bogey, this was just some poor putting that threw a shot away.
Tiger would get one back with a smooth birdie at the 14th hole. but that would be the only bright spot on his opening nine. Woods put his approach shot within 10 feet on the short par-4, and rolled in his only putt of the morning.
That was it for the 14-time major winner, as he'd wobble into the turn with three bogeys and a disappointing par on his final four holes. The short game continued to be the issue. A horrible chip shot at the 15th green prevented and up-and-down par save on what was a relatively benign position at the front of the putting surface.
On the last three holes, it was not the chipping but the putter that couldn't get going. Woods missed three straight from inside 10 feet, the most egregious probably coming on a birdie attempt at the par-5 16th. Tiger was safely off the front of the green in two, set up for a nice chip-and-run for a birdie attempt. But from six feet, Tiger missed the cup on the edge and for the ugly par, and let an audible f-bomb fly as he walked off the green.
The putting struggle wasn't done. After missing a seven-footer for par, Woods walked off with his putter pressed in mild anger to his forehead. The opening outward 39 would conclude with one final failure to get up-and-down at the 18th green, Woods again missing from about 9 feet to fall to 4-over.
Tiger Woods has never shot 80 or worse in a stateside @PGATOUR event as a pro. He's +5/11 today
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) June 26, 2014
This week, Woods had re-calibrated expectations from his usual stance that nothing mattered except winning, but he was clearly angry and frustrated throughout the first two hours back on the PGA Tour.
At Congressional, the players who go off the back side get a nice little cart ride to the first tee, their 10th hole. Perhaps that moment of peace away from the crowds would give Tiger a chance to gather himself and find his "feels," but things haven't gotten any better on his second nine. He still can't scramble or get up-and-down, and dropped to more shots in his first three holes to fall to 6-under. That's good enough for dead last in the morning wave of the first round at Congressional. Unless he gets he finds any kind of form around the green, it's looking like his attempt to shake off the rust will only last two days.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1pEfmW3
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire