On Friday night, Tiger Woods finished playing the 2024 PGA Championship, and for the first time in a while, the golf world reacted to his round.
was shocking.
A collective shrug.
For years (decades in fact), we’ve been watching Woods’ every shot at the start of a major championship.
We studied his gait.
His ball speed.
His putting stroke.
During his recent return, we took the little moments (like a broken long iron) and wondered if they could become big moments.
If he could string enough of them together.
.
.could he win again?
But not this week.
Of course, other factors also played a role.
Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler’s arrest dominated daily events.
Tee times for the second round were then postponed until the afternoon.
By the time Woods spoke to a half-empty press room, eight shots from the cut, it was nearly 8 p.m.
When I ask him about his week, he sighs and smiles.
“This week?
It’s been a great week here in Valhalla, but unfortunately my results didn’t reflect how people treated me or how great this week has been for me.
” he said.
“Unfortunately, I fired too many shots.
” That was undeniable.
Woods had just finished his second round with a birdie on the 18th hole and a 6-over 77.
Combined with his first-round 72, he took a seven-over lead in the tournament, matching club pro sensation Michael Brock.
Still, Woods did well enough for optimists to see a silver lining.
On Thursday, he had relatively easy time under par for 16 holes.
The movement was good too.
That’s not to say he looked like a future major winner.
But a top 20 player in the majors?
You can tell yourself that.
But then Woods showed enough weakness to feed even the pessimists.
Initially, he was unable to finish the first round, having to three-putt on each of the last two holes from relatively untroubled spots on the green.
The second round got off to a disastrous start with a par, triple, bogey, and triple.
He played his six holes in nine over.
He had 30 overs left.
A respectable 2 under par In other words, there are no strong opinions or strong conclusions about Woods’ week.
He’s not done yet.
He’s not definitely back either.
This didn’t feel like a new beginning, but it also didn’t feel like the beginning of the end.
He can walk well.
His swing looks good.
But he also had a rough side.
He continued to play disappointing golf, but golf fans want to see him get better.
On Friday night, he made it clear he expects to be even better.
“Not just in tournaments, but especially in majors, I kept making mistakes and doing things I couldn’t do.
And I just kept doing it.
He looked at me in disbelief at the idea.
was doing.
” He was also able to find some bright spots.
“Physically, yes, I’m better than I was a month ago,” he said of his breakthrough performance at the Masters.
And he still believes his game will get even better over time, he added.
However, as time passed while thinking about this, Woods suddenly looked a little sad.
Time remains the enemy.I just have to play more,'' he said. Unfortunately, I haven’t played in too many tournaments, and there aren’t many tournaments in my schedule either.
” “I hope everything goes well with my training at home and I’ll be ready for Pinehurst.
” This is Woods’ current dilemma.
That harsh reality.
His body allowed him to play in tournaments only a few times a year.
However, to play well in these tournaments, you need more tournament experience.
