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Tiger Woods said he wants to be relegated to the PGA Championship this weekend. In the third race on Saturday it quickly became clear that nothing would happen. Instead, in cold, windy and rainy conditions, Woods had a career-worst round at this major championship, scoring 9 to 79.
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During one stretch, he made five consecutive bogeys, something he had never done at a major championship as a pro. His gait was once again labored and his game was reminiscent of when he hobbled through two bad rounds at the Masters weekend last month.
Here’s how Woods’ brutal day in Southern Hills went:
#1: Par 4, 451 yards
He started his day with a perfect ride. From then on it went downhill. A clumsy lie saw Woods just miss the green. Then he hit a bad, bad first putt off the green and missed it 15 feet. But as he did across the back nine on Friday to make the cut, Woods grinded out a par.
Tiger starts his weekend in Southern Hills.@Tiger Woods | #PGACamp pic.twitter.com/wE4yT9iXjK
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 21, 2022
Result: Par
Total for the day: Even
Where he stands for the tournament: 3 over
#2: Par 4, 480 yards
Woods stared at his tee shot for a long time while he was airborne on the second. That’s never a good sign. It went into the water. A strong iron after the penalty drop saved things from getting worse.
Result: bogeyman
Total for the day: 1 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 4 over
#3: Par 4, 444 yards
Woods walked off the tee with another high cut. That was his move all week. Aside from the misjudged wind on the second which resulted in a water polo, it worked. From there he converted an easy par.
Result: Par
Total for the day: 1 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 4 over
#4: Par 4, 377 yards
Another picture book tee. Followed by a perfectly controlled, one skip and stop wedge. But one of the few times that week, Woods’ putter failed. He lipped the birdie putt from 6 feet. But how weird is golf? Playing partner Shaun Norris hit his tee shot in the hazard but chose to play it from there rather than take a penalty throw. With an impossible lie, Norris somehow got the ball to the back of three greens. Then, of course, he rolled in a 50-foot throw for the birdie.
What a birdie sequence by Shaun Norris!#PGACamp pic.twitter.com/B4sNIKR19t
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 21, 2022
Result: Par
Total for the day: 1 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 4 over
#5: Par 5, 656 yards
A bad ride required an escape artist salvage from the trees. And Woods did just that, with a low hook sticking out of the trees. Back in the fairway, with a much easier shot than the one he just hit, Woods hit a mediocre iron that ended any birdie chance.
Result: Par
Total for the day: 1 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 4 over
#6: Par 3, 226 yards
Well that was a mess. Woods came up short 30 yards on the par 3 and the ball landed in the water. It did not get better. From the drop zone, Woods hit a wobbly wedge that missed the green. His green chip failed to find the putting surface. The sixth hole is not an easy hole, but Woods certainly didn’t think he was going to walk away with a 6.
Result: triple bogey
Total for the day: 4 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 7 over
#7: Par 4, 443 yards
A bad tee shot sent Woods back into scramble mode. The rough was too deep, the lie too bad for him to go to the green. He lay down. Hit a good throw but a not-so-good putt. So he followed up the three on the sixth with another drop shot on the seventh.
Result: bogeyman
Total for the day: 5 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 8 over
#8: Par 3, 220 yards
Woods hit another weak iron that settled miles from the pin. However, he hit a massive putt from 60 feet, one that almost found a path for an unlikely birdie. But considering how things had gone the last few holes, a par was okay.
Result: Par
Total for the day: 5 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 8 over
#9: Par 4, 395 yards
An ugly day got worse on the ninth. His driver, who had been so solid at this PGA championship for so long, was starting to let him down. He found a bunker next to the tee. In the sand, he didn’t come out and instead fired a ball in the face of the fairway trap, a noticeable grimace as soon as he hit. Luckily for him, the ball was embedded in the grass instead of in the bunker, allowing Woods a free drop. However, once everything was settled, it was another difficult hole to close a 6-over-41 on the front.
Result: bogeyman
Total for the day: 6 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 9 over
#10: Par 4, 376 yards
Another missed fairway. The rough was so thick and wet that Woods couldn’t even get close to the green with only 163 yards left. This was the eighth green he missed in 10 holes. Another shot fell.
Result: bogeyman
Total for the day: 7 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 10 over
#11: Par 3, 173 yards
Another pitifully short iron shot. Then a terrible pitch that went over the green. Woods is struggling and just wants to get to the clubhouse at this point.
Result: bogeyman
Total for the day: 8 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 11 over
#12: Par 4, 461 yards
Woods just smiled as his second shot landed in the bunker. Really, what else could he have done on a day like this?
Tiger Woods has hit at least 6 regular greens in every major round since 2003 (over 200 rounds of golf in that span).
He’s 2-for-12 today. pic.twitter.com/Lz2AbndfZC
– ESPN Statistics and Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 21, 2022
Result: bogeyman
Total for the day: 9 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 12 over
#13: Par 5, 632 yards
Woods showed another chip shot. Obviously his body doesn’t allow him to get on the ball with the short shots. A rare chance for a birdie turned into another bogey.
Result: bogeyman
Total for the day: 10 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 13 over
#14: Par 3, 230 yards
Finally a par. It didn’t come easy; Woods made a 6-foot to avoid a three-putt bogey. But it was his first par since the eighth hole.
Tiger Woods is currently 10-over through 14 holes of the third round of the PGA Championship.
Woods’ highest score in 88 previous Major championship starts:
81 (R3, Open Championship 2002)
80 (R1, US Open 2015)— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) May 21, 2022
Result: Par
Total for the day: 10 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 13 over
#15: Par 4, 417 yards
Finally, something good happened for Woods. He rolled in a 35-foot throw for the birdie. Why does it matter aside from the fact that it was his first birdie of the round and gave him a reason to smile other than a sarcastic smile? It put him to 9 over, meaning breaking 80 is back in play for his turn.
Result: birdie
Total for the day: 9 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 12 over
#16: Par 4, 522 yards
Woods had 233 yards for his second shot…into a par 4. He looked back at caddy Joe LaCava as LaCava gave him the yardage. He was incredulous. Despite this, Woods hit the green and earned a par.
Result: Par
Total for the day: 9 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 12 over
#17: Par 4, 371 yards
A chance for another birdie vanished thanks to another bad bunker shot. Woods hit his tee ball into the greenside trap on the mobile par 4, but then blasted his approach 20 feet and off the green. A par on 18 and he will avoid shooting 80.
Result: Par
Total for the day: 9 over
Where he stands for the tournament: 12 over
#18: Par 4, 491 yards
Woods was 10 over through 13 holes. A score in the 80s seemed inevitable. But Woods isn’t giving up, playing his last five holes in 1-under to avoid his third round as a pro in the ’80s. Still, his 79 in the third round was the worst he’s ever had in the PGA Championship.
Result: Par
Total for the day: 9-over 79
Where he stands for the tournament: 12 over
