LOUISVILLE, KY: Tiger Woods wrapped his play at the 2024 PGA Championship on Friday night. The response from the golf community to his round felt, for the first time in a long time, like a single collective shrug.
We have been following Woods’ every putt in these significant championship starts for years now—decades, even. We’ve looked at his gait. His pace with the ball. His stroke of the putter. We have looked at small instances (like a long iron that has been highlighted) in his most recent return and pondered if they could become significant ones. Could he win again if he could simply manage to string enough of them together?
However, this week was distinct.
Of course, there were other forces at play. One thing that cast a shadow over the day’s events was Scottie Scheffler’s arrest. Furthermore, Woods’ second-round tee time was postponed until mid-afternoon; by the time he spoke to a mostly empty press room, eight strokes behind the cut line, it was after eight o’clock at night. When asked to sum up his week, he grinned and groaned.
“This week? I had a lovely week here at Valhalla, but sadly, my grades did not reflect how well I was treated by everyone or how wonderful my week was,” he said. “Sadly, I made too many shots.”
That much was without dispute. Following a first-round 72 that put him at 7 over par for the tournament, Woods had just birdied the 18th hole to finish with a second-round six-over 77, matching club pro phenom Michael Block’s score.
Nevertheless, Woods shown enough form for supporters to find silver linings. On Thursday, he shot a comparatively easy one under par through 16 holes. He was also moving smoothly. Not that he appeared to be a future major winner. But a significant top-20er? You might convince yourself of that.
However, Woods later displayed enough frailty to appease the cynics as well. Initially, he was unable to complete his first round, missing his last two putts from safe locations on the green. Then, he started his second round with a par-triple-bogey-triple start, which was awful. He was nine strokes over par on the six holes. The remaining thirty? a creditable 2 under.
Put another way, Woods’ week isn’t accompanied by any provocative observations or compelling conclusions. He’s not quite finished. Nor is he returned in a definitive sense. This didn’t feel like the start of something new, but it also didn’t feel like the end. He has a passable gait. His swing is impressive. But he also had an unfinished appearance. His recent performance was underwhelming, and golf enthusiasts would prefer to see him perform better. He made it plain on Friday night that he also expects better.
“I just kept doing stupid things and making mistakes that you can’t do, especially in major tournaments.” I simply continued to make them. He sounded skeptical about the notion.
Even he could find some silver linings. He stated, “Yes, I am better physically than I was a month ago,” alluding to his Masters cut. He continued by saying he was still optimistic that he would improve with time. However, at that moment, Woods appeared quite dejected. Time is still a threat.
He remarked, “I just need to play more.” Regrettably, neither my schedule nor my playing history indicate that I have participated in many events. Hopefully, during my at-home practice sessions, everything will work out and I’ll be prepared for Pinehurst.
That is Woods’ present predicament. His harsh surroundings. He can only participate in a small number of events annually due to his physical limitations. To perform effectively in those tournament beginnings, though, he needs additional tournament experience. There is no simple solution to the problem if all he has to do is what he is unable to do.
Given that he has hand-selected the hardest and most competitive events on the Tour schedule, this is an exceptionally challenging undertaking. For the past three and a half years, Tiger Woods has participated in major championships or hosted events at every tournament he has attended. He has kept increasing the difficulty level as the game has grown more challenging.
It’s not difficult to picture a different future. Would he not benefit greatly from a John Deere start? A minor in which he does not serve as host? Where on Tuesday might he drop in and observe how things were doing in a less stressful environment? Woods’ admirers may still clearly recall the excellent results he had when he used such strategy in the 2018 Valspar Championship. However, 2018 is a distant memory, and it creeps farther away every day. With a different body, this is a different Woods.
It’s important to note that Woods now has two jobs on his plate. First on the Policy Board of the PGA Tour, he is currently on the board of PGA Tour Enterprises, the tour’s for-profit division. Combined, that is a significant commitment.
He declared on Friday that “all three are important in their own different ways.” “I play for pride and what I can do here, but I’m also concerned about the impact and responsibility that my role as player director and player representative will have off the course, and what I can do to support this tour off the golf course.”
The ability to strike a balance between play and off-course efforts has been emphasized by the player directors. However, Woods clearly recognized the effort required.
He remarked, “We just don’t get much sleep.” “There are a lot of late nights, numerous Zoom calls at strange hours of the night, and a ton of emails to read.”
For Tiger Woods, this is his new reality. Send out more emails. less competitions. a body that is unwilling to cooperate. a conviction that there is still hope. and a constant pursuit of improvement.
When asked what he had accomplished in his last 14 holes, after his fate of missing the cut was set, he replied, “Just keep fighting.” “Don’t let up, persevere, never give up, and put in a lot of effort to post the best score possible for today.” All I can do is that. I’m going to fight to the very end, even if it will be difficult.
Woods won’t be seen again until the infamously difficult U.S. Open. Hopefully, he will motivate us when we do. Hopefully, to use his words, everything will work itself out.
Just said, “everything” now includes more than it before did.
Leave a Reply