Illness kept Tiger Woods from coming to Bethpage Black on the eve of the PGA Championship. He won’t be there on Saturday or Sunday, either.
Woods couldn’t find a fairway Friday, and shot 73 to miss the cut in the PGA Championship for the fourth time in his career. This is his ninth missed cut in 76 majors as a pro. Woods’ 5-over 145 (72-73) was one stroke too high to earn a weekend tee time.
‘I just don’t feel well and just not able to do it,’ said Woods, who ranks 18th in the FedExCup.
The PGA Championship was Woods’ first start since winning the Masters, and his first opportunity to tie Sam Snead’s record for PGA TOUR victories (82). That pursuit, and Woods’ quest for his 16th major, will have to wait.
Many expected Woods to play the Wells Fargo Championship between Augusta National and Bethpage Black, but he said he wasn’t ready to tee it up at Quail Hollow because he was still relishing in his first major in more than a decade.
There were signs of rust in his opening round at Bethpage Black, where he won the 2002 US Open, including two three-putts and two short wedge shots that airmailed the green. He three-putted twice more on Friday, but his driver was the biggest culprit. He missed his first six fairways Friday and hit just three in the round.
‘I’ve enjoyed being the Masters champion again, and the PGA was a quick turnaround and unfortunately I just didn’t play well,’ Woods said. ‘I didn’t do all the little things I need to do correctly to post good scores and put myself in position to shoot good scores.’
Woods played alongside Brooks Koepka as the defending champion put on a dominant performance reminiscent of Woods’ masterful play at Pebble Beach in 2000.
Koepka beat Woods by 17 shots this week. Illness or not, that’s some number.
Credit: PGA TOUR
