Tiger had a messy begin to the PGA. Here is the way it occurred
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — So, that was a little bit unusual.
Tiger Woods, in his first aggressive spherical since profitable the Masters, opened his PGA Championship with a roller-coaster experience of a primary spherical. There have been birdies and bogeys, doubles and eagles.
“It wasn’t as clear as I would prefer to have it, for positive,” Woods mentioned.
His day began early, at eight:24 a.m. native day without work the distant 10th tee at Bethpage Black. Alongside defending champion Brooks Koepka and Open champion Francesco Molinari, Woods confirmed some rust and life, oscillating all day between unhealthy Tiger and good Tiger.
Here is how the day performed out, how Tiger shot 72 and the way he stands 9 behind Koepka, who placed on a present right here Thursday:
Patrick Smith/Getty Photographs
Heading into his spherical …
If the forecast holds, the gamers within the morning might have a giant benefit at Bethpage Black within the first spherical of the PGA Championship. The solar is out, there’s not a breath of wind. Rain is anticipated — but once more — this afternoon.
No. 10: Par Four, 502 yards
Rating: Double-bogey
Whole for the day: 2 over
Tiger simply made a multitude of his opening gap. It began with a foul tee shot, then went downhill from there. By the point it was over, Tiger walked away with a double-bogey 6. In the meantime, Brooks Koepka chipped in from behind the inexperienced for birdie. So after only one gap, Koepka already three pictures higher.
Woods: “Did not get off to an excellent begin. It was a great drive and ended up in a foul spot, and I compounded the issue with making an attempt to make use of the backboard behind the opening there and lacking a putt I ought to have made.”
No. 11: Par Four, 435 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: 2 over
Tiger made issues a bit extra easy on No. 11, his second gap of the day. Fairway, inexperienced, two putts, transfer on. Nothing just like the all-over-the-place double to begin his day.
No. 12: Par Four, 515 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: 2 over
Tiger safely navigates the 12th, following the identical technique because the 11th: Fairway, inexperienced, two putts. This time, his birdie putt from the opposite facet of the world almost dropped. Issues appear to be steadying.
No. 13: Par 5, 608 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: 2 over
After he gained the Masters, Tiger talked about all the time trusting his fingers with really feel pictures. Properly, they’re betraying him early at Bethpage. In 4 holes, he is already twice missed the inexperienced from inside 90 yards. He salvaged par at 13, however that was a birdie probability wasted.
No. 14: Par Three, 161 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: 2 over
Tiger with a gentle weight loss program of 30-footers over the primary few holes — that’s when he hits the inexperienced in regulation. This results in one other par at No. 14 to remain 2 over. Clearly, he is simply making an attempt to get by way of the tougher again 9. Brooks Koepka has not been as conservative and is 2 below, 4 forward of Woods.
No. 15: Par Four, 484 yards
Rating: Birdie
Whole for the day: 1 over
The 15th at Bethpage Black is a monster. The uphill second shot is daunting. But, Tiger performs the opening completely and rolls in a 15-footer for birdie. It is simply the second birdie of the day on the 15th — and there doubtless will not be many extra.
No. 16: Par Four, 490 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: 1 over
Tiger’s tee shot on 16 wasn’t that far off. However with how a lot rain has soaked Bethpage Black, that tough is, effectively, tough. Tiger hacks his approach down the golf green, then lastly hits a great pitch and makes par. To be within the hunt this week, you will should scramble. Nonetheless, he is placing a whole lot of stress on himself early.
No. 17: Par Three, 207 yards
Rating: Double-bogey
Whole for the day: Three over
That is one irritated Tiger Woods strolling off the 17th inexperienced. His tee shot, quick and within the bunker, buried itself. A clumsy stance, a clumsy swing leads to a 30-footer for par. OK, take bogey and transfer on. As an alternative, Woods three putts for his second double of the day. There shall be some offended phrases muttered as he trudges up the hill to the 18th tee.
No. 18: Par Four, 411 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: Three over
No one is tearing up Bethpage Black, however Tiger can’t be pleased with a first-nine Three-over 38. Two avoidable double bogeys did some severe injury. He is the worst of the three within the marquee group: Koepka Three below; Molinari even.
No. 1: Par Four, 430 yards
Rating: Birdie
Whole for the day: 2 over
The up-and-down day for Tiger continues. He rolls in a 14-footer for birdie at No. 1. The issue for him, and maybe all the subject, is Brooks Koepka made one other birdie and stands out entrance at Four below. Tiger likes to ease into majors, however you possibly can’t let Koepka get too far out of sight.
No. 2: Par Four, 389 yards
Rating: Birdie
Whole for the day: 1 over
Suppose Tiger is comfortable to be away from Bethpage Black’s again 9? Turning to the entrance, he is opened with birdies on the first and second to maneuver to 1 over.
No. Three: Par Three, 230 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: 1 over
Tiger cannot convert one other birdie, lacking from 9 toes solely moments after Brooks Koepka made his. The hole, between Koepka and Tiger, is now six pictures — Koepka at 5 below; Tiger at 1 over. Issues is, the best way Koepka’s performed, his rating could possibly be even higher. That is scary.
No. Four: Par 5, 517 yards
Rating: Eagle
Whole for the day: 1 below
Properly, hey there. Tiger rolls in a 31-footer for eagle on the par-5 fifth gap. What was an unpleasant first 9 has improved dramatically after the flip. He’s now Four-under by way of 4 holes in his second 9 and is in purple numbers, at 1 below, for the primary time on this PGA Championship.
Woods: “Properly, I felt like I used to be getting again into the spherical. I fought my approach again and I had two double bogeys in by way of there and was nonetheless in a position to get it to below par for the day. Sadly I had a pair three-putts there and hit a foul chip there at eight and left myself in a foul spot.”
No. 5: Par Four, 478 yards
Rating: Bogey
Whole for the day: Even
Nothing is straightforward on this present day for Tiger. After an enormous eagle on the fourth — his first ever in a aggressive spherical at Bethpage — he three-putts his strategy to bogey at No. 5 to fall again to even. Prepare for a “left some pictures on the market” theme to his post-round feedback.
No. 6: Par Four, 408 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: Even
A par for Tiger, however this wasn’t with out some further work, which has been a constant theme in his opening spherical. His drive discovered the golf green bunker at No. 6, then his lag putt rolled Three toes by for an additional tester. This has been a bizarre spherical for Tiger.
No. 7: Par Four, 524 yards
Rating: Bogey
Whole for the day: 1 over
The greens at Bethpage Black haven’t got a ton of contour. Nonetheless, Tiger having hassle on these flat greens. One other three-putt pops up at No. 7, his 16th gap of the day. All that work to get to purple numbers has been erased as Woods falls again to 1 over.
No. eight: Par Three, 210 yards
Rating: Bogey
Whole for the day: 2 over
Tiger took a month off because the Masters. He performed 9 complete holes this week at Bethpage Black in observe rounds. The rust is obvious in two areas: quick recreation and placing. A poor pitch and one other miss inside 10 toes result in one other bogey.
No. 9: Par Four, 460 yards
Rating: Par
Whole for the day: 2 over 72
Tiger shall be dissatisfied with that spherical of 2-over 72. Wasted a ton of pictures. And even worse, for him, he watched as taking part in accomplice Brooks Koepka birdied the 18th to shoot a flawless 63.
Woods: “We’ll see the way it dries out over the following few days. I do not see them slicing the tough down, so it is simply going to put one other premium on driving the ball within the fairway to get at a few of these flags.”