TULSA, Akla. – Apparently sick Tiger Woods was limping on the 16th fairway after he shook the gallery with a 37-foot bird at number 15, when a voice came from the cool humid air.
“We’re still with you, Tiger,” someone shouted.
The encouragement, however, did not work.
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Exhausted, the afflicted Tiger withdrew from the PGA Championship on Saturday after completing the 1/8 finals, his first withdrawal from the major in his professional career. The Tiger scored seven whips, a three and this bright bird to enter the tournament with a score of 12, falling into balance for last place among those hit.
The 46-year-old, 15-time main winner, whose broken body in some areas is held together by equipment, hinted he might not return when asked about it after his round.
“Well, I’m in pain,” he said. “I know it really is. We will do some work and see how everything goes. “
The Tiger did not withdraw from the 2019 Northern Fund tournament.
As hard as it may be, deep down Tiger is probably not surprised. He had some plan of what to expect from his first tournament after nearly losing his leg in a car crash 15 months ago when he was making his way to the Masters before limping with a pair of 78s. He made his way into the weekend in the Southern Hills from Friday 1 to 69, five throws better than his first round, before nearly recording a round in the 80s for only the fifth time in his career.
Now that working a day when temperatures fluctuated in the high 50s, his entire round probably played a part in Tiger’s decision that today’s forecast is 50 degrees if he had to fight back.
Having absolutely nothing to prove, who can blame Tiger for heading home to the island of Jupiter and overestimating his game plan? The tiger is vulnerable. He even admitted that on Tuesday it will be difficult for him to walk on golf courses “in the foreseeable future”. But no one is judging him for his golf now or ever again. His determination is admired by his peers.
“You’re sorry he had to go through this,” said Sean Norris, a South African partner with Tiger on Saturday.
“But then again, you also see what kind of man he is, that he rubs everything and pushes himself out, even all the pain and that. It’s hard to see that a guy like him has to go through this and fight like that.”
Tiger’s spotlight after he had to be pulled out of a car that February day near Los Angeles, and he needed extensive surgery to save his leg, was primarily a focus on quality of life. When that fear was overcome, he could start thinking about golf, but not the one that made him the most iconic figure in the game.
For the past 17 years, Tiger has played at least 18 tournaments. He now focuses on four.
“I’m not going to play much in tournaments ahead,” he said after Friday’s round. “These will be the biggest tournaments. I want to play in the major championships.”
Next – the US Open, which will begin June 16 at The Country Club in Brooklyn, Massachusetts.
The Tiger was 1-over the entrance to the 218-yard, par-3 sixth hole on Saturday before his day became as miserable as the weather. His tee hit hit the creek to the left of the green. After he made the drops, he finally hit the green on his fifth throw and made a 2-foot shot for the triple bullet.
Six scarecrows on the next seven holes followed.
“I couldn’t get off the train that was there, or the other train either,” he said. “I didn’t do anything right. I didn’t do a lot of good throws. As a result, I got a pretty high score.”
One such good hit was hitting 15 after hitting one of the six fairways. This bird meant that on this day it would not be ambiguous.
And that one shot made it all worthwhile for those still involved in the tiger mania.
“I’m so happy to see the ball go in,” said one young fan.
Tiger was not alone when it came to high scores. Robert McIntyre scored 80. Sepp Strack, the 2022 Honda Classic champion, equaled the 79th in the Tiger.
At the other end saw a ridiculous 65 from Webb Simpson, who improved his score by 10 shots on Friday with an eagle, five birds and two scarecrows. He called it one of his best “two or three best rounds in major”, given the cool, windy conditions that were more reminiscent of the British Open than the PGA Championship.
“Today was a test for both the mind and the physical, because all day we have fog, the club’s face gets a little wet, it blows away,” Simpson said. “We went from 92 degrees to what it was today, so the ball is shrinking …
“I don’t usually like to play in cool weather, so I surprised myself a little today. But I’ll take it.”
Tom D’Angelo is a journalist Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Florida Network. You can contact him at tdangelo@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
PGA Championship
Final round
Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Oklahoma
9 a.m., ESPN; 13:00, CBS
