News
Friday, June 19, 2009
Woods Plods Through First Round
Tiger Woods' approach shot on the par-4 10th set up the par that he eventually carded. (John Mummert/USGA)
By Stuart Hall
Farmingdale, N.Y. — As prolific a thoroughbred player that Tiger Woods has become, he proved himself to be a run-of-the-mill mudder on Friday.
Woods turned a plodding even-par effort into a 4-over 74 in an opening round that spanned two mornings at a soggy Bethpage State Park Black Course. Woods faded down the stretch with a double bogey and two bogeys on the final four holes.
“I wasn't playing poorly,” said Woods, seeking to become only the third player since World War II to win consecutive U.S. Opens. “That's the thing. I was right there where I needed to be, and two bad shots and a mud ball later, here we go and I'm at four over par.”
Given that he stood at two over after two-putting the par-4 seventh green for bogey when played resumed at 7:26 a.m. on Friday, Woods would have settled for a 70. And he gave the patient New York galleries a few highlights with birdies at the par-4 11th and par-3 14th to square his round.
“That was kind of the goal and then [I] hit a bad tee shot on 15, but got a great lie there, went for it,” said Woods. “Plugged it in the face [of the greenside bunker], took a drop. Hit a decent pitch but I didn't think it was going to come all the way back to my feet like that. Blocked the first putt and hit a bad second putt [for double bogey].
“Sixteen, caught a mud ball there and didn't make the putt. Didn't get up‑and‑down on 18, bad tee shot, led to another bogey.”
Woods’ first round officially began at 8:06 a.m. on Thursday under a constant rain that alternated between drizzle and downpour.
After four pars, he double-bogeyed the par-4 fifth hole, one of two doubles for the day. For context, Woods had two double bogeys in the opening round and four overall at Torrey Pines’ South Course last year and still won. His round was suspended on the seventh hole. When the horns blew at 10:15 a.m., Woods chose to blast out from a greenside bunker before marking his ball and heading to the awaiting player vans.
Woods arrived at Bethpage as a solid favorite to win his second straight U.S. Open, his fourth overall and a record 10th USGA title. And in winning the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago, Woods was coming off one of his best ball-striking weeks in years, hitting all 14 fairways during his final-round 65.
On Thursday — and Friday — he hit eight of 14 fairways and just 10 of 18 greens in regulation, the latter being a number that might have improved had it not been for the mudders.
“Depends on what side of the ball,” said Woods in explaining the nuances of playing such a shot. “It obviously goes opposite directions. The one I had on 16 was on the left side, obviously you know it goes right, so I tried to draw it, which didn't work out, and it started off [as a] draw and [I] hit a big slice.
“Then the mud ball I hit on 13 was the back side of the ball so I never got it in the air. It was just tumbling. I actually got away with that one. That one I thought would end up in the right bunker but ended up in a pretty good spot.”
While New York fans’ sentimental favorite, Phil Mickelson, finally teed off his first round just minutes before Woods was finishing, there was no shortage of love for the world’s No. 1.
On Thursday, fans crowded three and four deep outside the ropes to form what looked like a kaleidoscope with all of the multi-colored umbrellas to get a glimpse of Woods — oh, and fellow competitors Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera, who have only combined to win four majors.
The Black Course is known as the “People’s Course” because it’s a municipal layout and Woods had no shortage of forecaddies along the way. On the first hole, Woods pulled his drive outside of the ropes to a trampled patch just in front of the auxiliary merchandise tent.
“He’s actually got a better lie,” said Bill Barry of New Town Square, Pa., comparing Woods’ drive to Cabrera’s, which was buried in the tall rough just yards from the fairway. “He’s got about a 4- or 5-iron into the wind to reach the green.”
Woods’ shot found the right greenside bunker.
On the par-4 fifth, Woods pushed his tee shot right of the fairway bunker into the wispy rough, but with a gangly tree in his path.
“This is a bogey waiting to happen,” said Ken Streckler of Old Bethpage, N.Y., a familiar patron at Bethpage who has played the Black many times. “He’s got no shot. He’ll have to punch out, ’cause he can’t cut it around the tree.”
Woods made Streckler look like a prophet to his friends when he ultimately punched out en route to his first double bogey.
And along the way there were the numerous shout outs that ran from the colorless “Com an Tigah,” “Way ta havah haht” to the creative “Way to go, Tigah” as Woods emerged from the porta-john en route to the 14th green.
With an otherwise good start by U.S. Open standards diluted by his 4-over par finish, Woods was in no mood to start his second round any time soon. And because of Thursday’s delay, he won’t have to play another shot until at least Saturday morning.
“The way I feel right now, no, I don't want to go back out there right now,” he said in his post-round interview. “Probably would be a few clubs light.”
And with the weather forecast calling for more rain, Woods can also count on more mudders.
Stuart Hall is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on USGA championship Web sites.
Access Player Links
Player Bios
No Comments Posted
