Conversely. Rory McIlroy shone and Tiger Woods suffered in the first round of the PGA Championship. Photo: AFP
In his second tournament after his serious car accident and his miraculous recovery that allowed him to speak this past week at the Augusta Masters, golf legend Tiger Woods battled this Thursday against the pain and poverty of the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to finish with a disappointing return of 74 shots (+4) on the first day of PGA Championship competition.
“I’m a little hurt right now,” said Woods, who was blocked by multiple fractures to his right leg after he flipped his truck just 15 months ago. “My leg isn’t as good as I’d like,” he said at the end of his first day in Tulsa.
Woods, 46, admitted that he could not give full strength to his swing because of pain in his right leg, which had to be stabilized after the accident using rods, nails and screws.
The illness left Tiger Woods with no chance. Photo: Reuters
“I just can’t load her up,” Woods said of his moves in the tee shots. “It hurts to carry, it hurts to touch and walking is painful and it hurts to turn.”
Supported by many fans, the former world number one starred in an exciting start to the PGA Championship, the second major of the season.
Woods, who says he has improved since he returned to the Augusta Masters in April, signed two birdies on his first five holes, which was celebrated by most of the fans who joined him.
But on hot days and 33C temperatures, Tiger’s stamina weakened as he traversed the Southern Hills course. Extensive distances remain the biggest challenge for Woods as he tries to be competitive again on the big stages.
The tiger is bad at scaffolding. Photo: AFP
The Californian chained five bogeys on eight holes and closed the first day with two more on the last hole. good birdie putts. I always take him to bad places. “He complained.
Woods, who stumbled several times in bunkers, finished with nine more shots than his group mate Rory McIlroy, who needed 65 shots (-5) to lead the tournament.
“I wouldn’t be that far if I hit the iron and I put the ball on the fairway. It was a frustrating day,” he admits.
The pain in his right leg was fatal for Woods. Photo: AFP
This performance left Tiger in 102nd place in the standings and in danger of missing the cut on Friday, but the American showed his willingness to complete all four rounds. “Now comes a lot of treatment, a lot of ice baths and trying to be ready for tomorrow,” he stressed.
In Augusta Tiger shocked the golf world by making the cut but, hampered by pain and fatigue, he ended up in 47th place over the weekend. Winner of 15 Grand Slam tournamentsWoods remains tied with Sam Snead for the most trophies on the PGA Tour with 82.
McIlroy, others
McIlroy of Northern Ireland got off to a good start. Photo: AP
Tiger Woods hinted that Rory McIlroy played a new kind of golf. The Northern Irishman appears to have been released on Thursday. He made everything easy and took advantage of his opportunities in the Southern Hills.
McIlroy sent his driver over the trees and into the fairways, giving way for his seven birdies and an outstanding 5-under-par 65 card that allowed him to lead by round impact. .He got what he needed, as he sought to end the nearly eight -year drought majors. Many of those failures are the result of a bad start.
Now, he already has the best score since 5-under 66 in 2014, when he won the PGA Championship in Valhalla, the last of his four majors.
Rory McIlroy played with remarkable clarity in the first round. Photo: AFP
“I think when your game feels good, it’s about getting out there, sticking to your game plan, practicing to the best of your ability and staying in your own little world,” McIlroy said.
Zalatoris and Tom Hoge alone opened with rounds of 66. Matt Kuchar, Justin Thomas, Australian Lucas Herbert and Mexican Abraham Ancer were in the next tier, a shot behind.
Source: AFP and AP
Source: Clarin