Tiger Woods is back in action and so is he doing at the PGA Championship

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Tiger Woods is back in action and so is he doing at the PGA Championship

Tiger Woods wandering around alone at Southern Hills Country Club at the PGA Championship would spark interest. But for the first two rounds of the second major of the year, Woods will be in the marquee group of marquee groups – with Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth at his side.

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Woods admittedly comes into the event stronger than he did a month ago at the Masters, where he returned to competitive golf after a 14-month absence due to a car accident in February 2021 that nearly cost him his right leg.

So can he fight back? Woods has also said he doesn’t enter a tournament unless he thinks he can win.

We chart his every move during the first round of the PGA Championship:

#10: Par 4, 376 yards

There are 71 holes left, but the first hole of Woods’ PGA Championship couldn’t have gone better. He struck out a 3-wood 339 yards that naturally came with a club swirl.

Then he perfectly executed a small wedge from 95 yards at 3 feet. This putt was right in the middle and he started his tour of Southern Hills with a picture perfect birdie.

Result: Birdie

Overall: 1 under

#11: Par 3, 173 yards

Woods took a conservative approach on his second hole of the day, hitting a solid 8 iron down the middle of the green. He delayed his birdie putt to kick-in range. Two holes in and no drama so far.

Result: Par

Overall: 1 under

#12: Par 4, 461 yards

The Stinger made its debut appearance at this PGA Championship. Woods drilled a low iron from the tee. In the meantime, Spieth and McIlroy have met drivers. The difference? Woods’ shot traveled 273 yards; Spieth hammered his 328 yards and McIlroy batted his 354 yards. From 195 yards, Woods controlled a perfect approach that never left the flag. Woods hit his 20-foot ballie through the break and had to settle for par.

Result: Par

Overall: 1 under

#13: Par 5, 632 yards

Woods’ first driver of the day looked as smooth as any swings that had preceded it. Woods unleashed a 353 yards down the left. Again, however, he was well behind the tee shots of Spieth and McIlroy, both of whom were trying to get home in twos on the par 5. Woods put on a comfortable distance – he had 85 yards for his third shot – and then made a big mistake. He airmailed a small wedge – practically the same shot he’d stuffed on the first hole – into the back bunker.

Woods made it to par thanks to a perfect bunker shot. But considering where he was after 2 shots, the 13th was more stress than he wanted.

Result: Par

Overall: 1 under

#14: Par 3, 230 yards

During a long wait on the tee, Woods plastered a large sandwich that got social media buzzing.

When the wait was over and the late breakfast was over, Woods stepped forward and pressed another crisp iron. He bowled the 13-foot home for his second birdie of the round. However, he is not the hottest player in his group. McIlroy dropped a 25-foot for his third straight birdie.

Result: birdie

Total: 2 under

#15: Par 4, 417 yards

Nothing about this hole went well for Woods. He tried to knock another Stinger off the tee but it licked right into the rough. The second shot rolled into the front bunker. The blast from the sand sailed way too far. Two putts later, Woods walked away with his first bogey of the tournament. Meanwhile, McIlroy’s heating continued with a fourth straight birdie.

Result: bogeyman

Overall: 1 under

#16: Par 4, 522 yards

Woods has always made sure he finds his way around a golf course, especially at major championships. He knew what he was doing with his tee shot on the 16th, hitting a soft cut that stopped a few yards short of the fairway bunker. From there he hit a safe iron down the center of the green and double putted for par on the immensely long par 4.

Result: Par

Overall: 1 under

#17: Par 4, 371 yards

Sure, the 17th is the shortest par 4 on the course, but it caught the players’ attention. Why? The wind picked up. “That’s as strong as it was,” McIlroy told caddy Harry Diamond. Woods had 113 yards to go after a safe stinger off the tee. Normally he would have been disappointed by what happened – a wedge settling on the rim 15ft from the hole. But with this wind, this approach was fine. Another turn and the birdie putt would have fallen. Instead, it sat right on the edge.

Result: Par

Overall: 1 under

#18: Par 4, 491 yards

Another good drive from Woods. But he wasn’t happy with his second shot. Almost immediately after impact, he angrily swung his bat backwards and slammed it into the ground. He knew what was coming. The pull hook on the approach blew up into the rear bunker. To make matters worse — much worse — Woods appeared to be limping more than he had been all day as he headed to that side’s final green. He hit a dubious bunker shot and got away with a bogey for a front nine with even par. But now all attention is shifting to his health and how the surgically repaired leg will hold up.

Result: bogeyman

Overall: Straight

#1: Par 4, 451 yards

Woods’ back nine didn’t start well. It’s never good when a tee shot comes up directly behind a tree. With no other choice, he couldn’t even try to hit the green. He hung up briefly and left, then hit an OK pitch into the green. But the end result was a second consecutive bogey and a third in five holes. As strong as he looked to begin with, Woods’ game began to falter as he pushed deeper into his opening round. He also goes to the second hole, his 11th of the day, 5 shots behind McIlroy, who is the leader.

Result: bogeyman

Total: 1 over

#2: Par 4, 480 yards

Two distinctly different things are happening in this group: McIlroy is hot; forest faded. McIlroy rolled in another birdie, his fifth of the day, while Woods raced his birdie putt 10 feet past the hole from a mile away. Woods failed to convert and it was another bogey, his third in a row.

Result: bogeyman

Total: 2 over

#3: Par 4, 444 yards

With just about everything going wrong, Woods was in dire need of something good. And finally it did. He shared the fairway with his tee shot. The approach shot was even better. He controlled trajectory and spin with the swirling wind, and the ball landed 4 feet from the hole.

Result: Birdie

Total: 1 over

#4: Par 4, 377 yards

Woods missed the fairway with an iron; McIlroy hit the middle of the fairway with a driver. Woods had 148 yards left for his second shot; McIlroy had 43 yards. Woods found the Greenside bunker on his approach; McIlroy flipped a low wedge to 10 feet. Woods hit a terrible bunker shot that didn’t hold the green; McIlroy two putts. woods made bogey; McIlroy walked away with par.

Result: bogeyman

Total: 2 over

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