Tiger Woods Scorecard Today: Frustrating Finish Leaves Him Struggling at PGA Championship

Tiger Woods displayed moments of brilliance during his opening round at the PGA Championship on Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club, but a frustrating end to his day left him well out of contention. Woods, who has four PGA Championship titles to his name, finished with a 1-over-par 72, leaving him 10 strokes behind the leader, Xander Schauffele, who posted a record-tying 9-under 62.

Starting his round on the back nine, Woods battled through the early holes, overcoming a bogey on the par-3 11th where his ball landed in a bunker. He managed to recover with a critical 18-foot birdie putt on the 13th, bringing his score back to even par. Woods then navigated through the rest of the back nine with a mix of pars and bogeys, including a notable par save on the 12th after his tee shot found the deep rough.

As Woods made the turn, he began to find a rhythm, highlighted by a birdie on the par-5 7th hole where his approach shot landed in a greenside bunker but he chipped out to 13.5 feet and made the putt. This birdie brought him to 1-under for the round and seemed to set him up for a solid finish. However, the last two holes proved to be his undoing.

At the par-3 8th, Woods three-putted from 39 feet, blasting his first putt 10 feet past the hole and missing the return. This bogey dropped him back to even par. On the par-4 9th, his approach left him with a 34-foot putt which he again three-putted, ending with another bogey and finishing the round at 1-over.

Reflecting on his round, Woods said, “Wasn’t very good. Bad speed on 8; whipped it past the hole. And on 9, hit it short. Hit it off the heel of the putter and blocked the second one. So, wasn’t very good on the last two holes.”

Woods’ struggles on the greens and his inability to capitalize on birdie opportunities were a stark contrast to Schauffele’s record-setting performance. Schauffele’s 62 included nine birdies and no bogeys, setting a blistering pace that Woods will need to match in the coming rounds if he hopes to make the cut and contend over the weekend.

Tiger Woods’ physical condition has been a topic of concern, particularly following his recovery from a severe car accident in February 2021. Woods admitted that his body’s condition varies from day to day. “Each day is a little bit different. Some days, it’s better than others. It’s just the way it is,” Woods noted, acknowledging the unpredictability of his health. Despite feeling stronger, he emphasized the challenge of transitioning from practice rounds in Florida to the competitive environment of a major championship.

The dense rough at Valhalla added another layer of difficulty for Woods. “The rough is dense,” he remarked. “With the rain we got and just the moisture on it, I know they’ve topped it off, but it’s just really lush. You can get lies where it sits up, you can get a 3-wood on it. And there are other lies – a couple times, I had to pitch out sideways.”

With rain forecasted for Friday, the conditions at Valhalla are expected to become even tougher. Woods will need to rely on his experience and resilience to make a strong push in his second round, scheduled to tee off at 1:29 p.m. ET alongside Adam Scott and Keegan Bradley.

Woods remains hopeful, drawing on his extensive experience and past successes. “The whole idea is to get to the weekend so that you can participate and have a chance to win. I’ve been on the cut number and have won tournaments, or I’ve been ahead and leading tournaments, and I’ve won tournaments. But you have to get to the weekend in order to win a golf tournament,” he said.

For now, Tiger Woods will need to find his competitive flow quickly if he is to avoid an early exit and keep his hopes alive for a fifth PGA Championship victory. His fans, ever loyal, will be watching closely, hoping for another one of his legendary comebacks.