Tiger Woods shoots 67, 2 shots behind leader Molinari at Masters
Roars all around Augusta National as @TigerWoods carded his lowest round at The Masters since 2011.
Highlights from his 5-under 67.????pic.twitter.com/YMSEhrsXZk
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 14, 2019
The Golf Blog says: Tiger Woods had a vintage masterful performance on Saturday at the Masters to finish -11, only 2 shots behind leader Francesco Molinari.
Leaderboard after 3rd round
-13 Molinari
-11 Woods, Finau
-10 Koepka
-9 Simpson, Poulter,
-8 Kuchar, Harding, Schauffele, Oosthuizen, Johnson, D.
-7 Fowler, Scott
Tiger Woods hasn’t won at the Masters since 2005, and hasn’t won a major since 2008 (U.S. Open at Torrey Pines). Can Tiger close the deal today? Let’s remember that Tiger finished 2d place (behind Koepka at the PGA Championship) and 5th place at The Open Championship after momentarily capturing the lead on Sunday, the first time he held the lead on Sunday at a major in a decade.
Will this Sunday be different? Perhaps. Due to weather, the Masters is starting early in the morning, with split tees off 1 and 10 and threesomes. That means Tiger will be in the final group with Molinari and Finau. Tiger in the final group at a majors has worked well in the past, and so has this colarless red shirt at the Masters:
TweetTiger's red mock returns to the Masters on Sunday for the first time since 2005… ???? pic.twitter.com/uiFpWVM7Gp
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) April 14, 2019
The Golf Blog: Tiger Woods wins 80th victory — is the chase to beat Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors back on?
The scenes last night when Tiger Woods was walking to hole 18 en route to winning his 80th title.
Everyone loves the GOAT! ????
???? @PGATOUR pic.twitter.com/TSpwKnndVy
— TeamFA (@TeamFA) September 24, 2018
That’s what Tiger Woods is to golf. pic.twitter.com/s37emeDJrk
— Ches (@jesang_) September 24, 2018
The Golf Blog says: Tiger Woods won the Tour Championship by 2 shots, playing a conservative final round (+1) that ensured his first PGA Tour victory in 5 years. The scene on the 18th at East Lake Golf Course should have sent chills up the spine of every golf fan. It was electric. Tiger barely missed out on winning the entire FedEx Cup, which was won by Justin Rose, who birdied the 18th to secure the overall title.
But Sunday was the day, not for Rose, but Tiger. He’s back. After contending in the final round at both the Open Championship and PGA Championship this year, we have to return to the question that we thought had been put to bed: Is Tiger’s quest to beat Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors back on?
Short answer: yes. But Tiger will be 43 years old next year. By that age, Jack had reached 17 majors, with his last coming at the historic 1986 Masters. So Tiger is effectively 3-majors behind Jack’s pace. Also, keep in mind: only 2 players above age 40 have won 1 major in the U.S. in the past 80 majors. Phil Mickelson won the Open Championship at age 43, but that’s the last major he has won.
Of course, Tiger Woods is in a different league, at least historically. He has one true rival: Jack Nicklaus for the title of GOAT. Tiger has a better chance now to make a final run at Jack’s record, but, as Brooks Koepka has shown, Tiger will have to beat competition that is now younger, stronger, and who hit it longer than he does. The glass is both half full, and half empty, for Tiger at soon to be age 43.
TweetThe Golf Blog: Is the glass half full or half empty for Tiger Woods at the major?
????????????• Tiger Woods and it’s 2018. pic.twitter.com/pFT35ZIpyU
— Tiger Woods Legion (@TWlegion) August 12, 2018
The Golf Blog says: After Adam Scott bogeyed the final hole, Tiger Woods finished solo second at the PGA Championship, just 2 shots back of the winner Brooks Koepka, aka Hercules. Tiger put on a courageous, spectacular show on Sunday, shooting 6-under 64. It was his lowest round on Sunday at a major. Many commentators, including Nick Faldo, think Tiger will win another major, given his performance at the Open and the PGA Championships. So are you on board, too? We lay out the case for why you should and shouldn’t be.
Glass half-full
1. Tiger Woods was in contention on Sunday at the last two majors, tied for the lead or one shot back in the back nine.
2. Tiger Woods’ new putter seems to be creating some new magic. Tiger had 23 putts on Sunday at the PGA.
3. Tiger Woods’ short game is back to being incredible. No more yips.
4. Tiger Woods’ determination and focus are unmatched.
Glass half-empty
1. Tiger Woods will be 43 years old at the next major, The Masters. (Phil Mickelson did win the Open at 43, and, of course, Jack Nicklaus, the Masters, at 46.)
2. Tiger Woods’ driver continues to bedevil him. It’s a huge problem that has only become bigger, given that Brook Koepka and other young players are bombing it off the tee with decent accuracy. Former swing coach Hank Haney (in)famously described Tiger’s fear with the driver in the book “The Big Miss.” In the book, published back in 2012, Haney suggests that Tiger’s problem with the driver is also mental, and it may be unsolvable to fix. On Sunday at the PGA, it certainly looked that way. When Tiger needed a birdie or even eagle on 17, he blocked his drive right nearly into the water. The reason why Tiger scored on Sunday was his incredible short-iron and short game, plus only 23 putts!! It was Seve-like. But you can’t expect to play like Seve and win majors today.
3. Tiger Woods had numerous surgeries. His back seems to be holding up this year. But how long can he depend on having his body hold up?
4. Tiger Woods hasn’t won a major since 2008. The longest Jack Nicklaus went without winning a major is 6 years, from 1980 to 1986 (when Jack won his last major).
5. The competition is younger, stronger, and better than in 2000. Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jason Day, etc.
6. The golf equipment has made golf courses set up for long distances at the majors (except for the Open), more often favoring the big hitters. This hurts Tiger because his driver is not reliable (see No. 2 above).
TweetThe Golf Blog: Brooks Koepka wins 3d major at PGA Championship, laying claim to best golfer on the planet
"It's just gone."
Brooks Koepka with another impressive drive on 18. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/gpPDwqf7Th
— PGA of America (@PGA) August 12, 2018
The Golf Blog says: After capturing a 2-shot lead after 54 holes, Brooks Koepka responded to a reporter’s question about the “star-studded” leaderboard at the PGA Championship. Koepka confidently answered that if he played as he should on Sunday, then he should win the golf tournament. The “star-studded” leaderboard was nary a thought in Koepka’s answer–or mind.
Sure enough, Koepka was right. On Sunday, he plodded his way through a methodical 66, which included bogeys on holes 4 and 5 that opened the door ever so slightly to his nearest competitors, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods. Scott played beautifully until the last few holes and, at one point, tied Koepka for the lead at -14. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods made a valiant run, closing the deficit to 1-shot back of the leaders. Tiger shot an incredible 64 on Sunday, which was all the more remarkable given that Tiger found the fairway only once or twice off the tee and was playing from the woods (no pun intended) on many holes. What did Hank Haney say about “the big miss”?
But it was almost as if Koepka was toying with the field. A guy whose muscles bulge from a much-too-small golf shirt put on the afterburners right when he needed it. Koepka birdied 15 and 16 to get to -16 and a 2-shot lead over Scott, and then cruised into the clubhouse. Koepka is one of the longest drivers on tour, but he’s also pretty controlled off the tee (at least when he’s firing on all cylinders), putting the ball in the fairway with his cut fade. It’s such a weapon. Long-driving accuracy is what separates Koepka from many of his peers who contend at majors, but who are either more frequently wayward off the off (e.g., Rory McIlroy) or don’t have the same kind of distance (e.g., Jordan Spieth). After rattling off 3 majors in a year and a half, Koepka looks every bit of the best golfer on the planet. He’s built to win.
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