Tiger closes Greenbrier Classic with strong final round
Tiger Woods forged one of his best rounds of the year on Sunday on the last day of the Greenbrier Classic at The Old White TPC at Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. For the first time in 56 rounds, he played bogey-free while carding a 3-under-par 67 that could have been much lower had any putts fallen.
“That was a good day,” he said afterward. “Best I’ve hit it in a long time. It could have been a special round.”
Woods finished with a 7-under-par score of 273 and was tied for 32nd. He finished six shots back of four co-leaders. Danny Lee won the tournament on the second playoff hole, holding off David Hearn, Kevin Kisner and Robert Streb.
An early starter with Sangmoon Bae in overcast conditions, Tiger parred the first hole for the fourth consecutive day. He had to work a little harder this time, as his approach shot from 126 yards flew over the back of the green into the rough. Woods hit a nice chip to four feet and made the par putt.
For the first time all week, Tiger failed to birdie the par-4 second, two-putting for a par from 20 feet. He added another long two-putt at the third hole, then broke through for his first birdie of the round at the 427-yard, par-4 fourth. After a good drive, Woods knocked his second shot 10 feet from the hole and buried the putt.
At the par-4 fifth, Tiger just missed sinking a long birdie attempt from the front fringe. But he added his second birdie at the 471-yard, par-4 sixth, hitting a 318-yard drive and spun back his approach shot from 146 yards five-and-a-half feet from the pin.
Woods closed the front nine with three two-putt pars, missing from 16 feet at the par-4 ninth and made the turn in 2-under 32. He didn’t miss a fairway and missed only two greens and used 14 putts.
Continuing to hit quality shots, Tiger split the fairway at the par-4 10th and hit his approach shot from 129 yards to seven feet. But again, he just missed, settling for par.
Woods endured a similar fate at the par-4 11th, where he missed his first fairway of the day – left rough – but his a nice approach shot 14 feet from the cup and burned another edge. At the 568-yard, par-5 12th, Tiger pounded a 320-yard drive and reached the green in two from 236 yards, leaving a 14-foot eagle putt. Once again, the putt looked true, but lipped out, and he departed with a two-putt birdie.
Woods gave himself another great birdie opportunity at the par-4 13th. Following a good drive, he drilled his approach shot from 160 yards to 10 feet and sustained another lip-out.
Clearly frustrated on the greens, Tiger found the par-4 14th green in two and just missed a 30-foot birdie attempt. More of the same at the 194-yard, par-3 15th, where he hit a nice tee shot 11 feet from the hole and failed to convert.
At the 444-yard, par-4 16th, Woods found the left side of the fairway and had 144 yards to the green. He hit his approach shot 20 feet from the pin and two-putted for a par.
For the fourth straight round, Tiger missed the fairway at the 616-yard, par-5 17th, hooking his ball into the left rough. He played back down the fairway, then hit his third shot just over the back of the green. Woods nearly holed the delicate pitch and saved par from two feet.
Tiger finished strong at the 181-yard, par-3 18th. He flushed his tee shot 16 feet right of the hole, but typical of the last three days, burned the left edge and two-putted for a par.
“If I could have made some putts, this week could have been completely different,” he said.
Woods wound up hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. After using 31 and 32 putts in the second and third rounds respectively, he needed 31 on Sunday.
Tiger said his game began to turn around at the Memorial Tournament and that he is making steady progress. He will return to competition in two weeks at the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course in St. Andrews, where he has won twice previously.
“I’m very pleased with what I’ve been able to do,” Woods said.
