Tiger hopes to add to ‘great year’ at PGA Championship
Tiger Woods is tired of talking about it, and you can hardly blame him.
Five victories this year, the latest a seven-stroke win last Sunday at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, and practically all he hears is, “When are you going to win your next major title?”
Granted, Tiger has been stuck on 14 — second only to Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major titles — for five years. But it’s not like he hasn’t given himself chances. Woods has posted nine top-10 finishes in the 17 majors he has played in since capturing the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008.
For various reasons, some of it bad luck, Tiger just hasn’t gotten the job done on the weekend. He has yet to record a score in the 60s in any weekend round at a major the last two years.
“I’ve certainly had my chances to win,” Woods said Tuesday at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., the site of the 95th PGA Championship. “I’ve had my opportunities there on the back nine, probably half of those Sundays for the last five years where I’ve had a chance, and just haven’t won it. But the key is to keep giving myself chances, and eventually I’ll start getting them.”
This year, the top-ranked Woods tied for fourth at the Masters, where a poor break on Friday — his ball caromed off the pin at the par-5 15th hole and rolled backward into the water — resulted in an eight, arguably costing him the tournament.
Tiger didn’t play well at the U.S. Open, tying for 32nd and never breaking 70. But he was in the hunt again last month at the Open Championship at Muirfield, tying for sixth.
No one relishes major championships more than Woods. His whole year revolves around them. That said, he also understands how difficult they are to win.
For that matter, so is any PGA TOUR event. That helps explain why Tiger backed off comments that he didn’t consider it a great year unless he won a major. In 2013, his five victories include two World Golf Championships and the PLAYERS Championship.
“For me, it’s been a great year, winning five times, and you look at the quality of the tournaments I’ve won,” said Woods, whose 79 career titles trail only Sam Snead’s 82 on the all-time win list. “That’s pretty good.”
Last week, the 37-year-old Woods equaled his best-ever score on the PGA TOUR with a second-round 61 at Firestone Country Club. He has now won at least five tournaments 10 times since leaving Stanford University following his sophomore year to turn professional in 1996.
Tiger’s game is in good form this week, and he is more than motivated to add another major to his resume. If it doesn’t happen, Woods will keep doing what he has always done: work hard, finish the year strong and try again next April at the Masters.
Woods doesn’t exactly have fond memories of Oak Hill, where he tied for 39th in the 2003 PGA Championship, his worst showing in a major to that point in his career. Tiger couldn’t avoid the rough and carded 18 bogeys for the tournament.
“It was a tough week,” Woods said of the 1924 Donald Ross design, which will measure 7,163 yards and play to a par-70. “I didn’t hit the ball as well as I needed to. I putted great all week. Unfortunately, they were all for pars and a few bogeys.”
That said, Tiger appreciates the layout. He has always been a fan of tough, traditional courses that require smarts and shot-making skills, and are gimmick-free.
“I think it’s a fantastic golf course,” Woods said. “It’s old-school golf. It’s just right in front of you, no hidden tricks out there, and just got to go out there and really hit the ball well.”
Tiger said the greens have sped up considerably since he played a practice round at Oak Hill last week.
“I’ve had a couple days of nice practice,” Woods said. “Yesterday was very light. Today I did a little bit more work, and you know, still got one more day to prep and prepare. The golf course is in fantastic shape. It’s dry now, it’s got some speed to it, and the rough is certainly up, and it’s clumpy. It’s imperative to hit the ball in the fairways and hit the ball on the greens, because it’s going to be tough to get up and down.”
Tiger begins first-round play Thursday at 8:35 a.m. ET with Keegan Bradley and Davis Love III.
