Historically, the pet name for the PGA Championship is “Glory's Last Shot.” The major championship taking place this week at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisc. proposes a slightly different twist. This is Tiger's Last Shot.
Last shot to salvage something meaningful from the depths of a troubled season. Last shot to show he's willing and worthy to be a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Last shot to secure his spot in the top 125 that qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Last shot to demonstrate he is still some facsimile of the world's best player. Last shot, that is, if Tiger Woods has any shots remaining in his bag.
He certainly had none last week at the Bridgestone Invitational, no game to even suggest he could be competitive in a major championship. On a golf course where he had won seven times, where he had never finished worse than fourth, he finished tied for 78th.
If not for Henrik Stenson playing two shots worse, the Sultan of Swoosh would have finished DFL — i.e. demoralized, frustrated, lost.
“I don't see how it can be fun shooting 18-over par,” said Woods, whose score of 298 was the worst he has ever posted in a PGA Tour event.
Frankly, it's difficult to see how it will get much better this week on Pete Dye's “links on steroids” golf course that exposes weaknesses like a black light exposes lint. Even when he was shooting a pedestrian 75 at Pebble Beach in the final round of the U.S. Open — tying for fourth in a championship that was there for the taking — Woods could see “positives.”
Last shot to salvage something meaningful from the depths of a troubled season. Last shot to show he's willing and worthy to be a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. Last shot to secure his spot in the top 125 that qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Last shot to demonstrate he is still some facsimile of the world's best player. Last shot, that is, if Tiger Woods has any shots remaining in his bag.
He certainly had none last week at the Bridgestone Invitational, no game to even suggest he could be competitive in a major championship. On a golf course where he had won seven times, where he had never finished worse than fourth, he finished tied for 78th.
If not for Henrik Stenson playing two shots worse, the Sultan of Swoosh would have finished DFL — i.e. demoralized, frustrated, lost.
“I don't see how it can be fun shooting 18-over par,” said Woods, whose score of 298 was the worst he has ever posted in a PGA Tour event.
Frankly, it's difficult to see how it will get much better this week on Pete Dye's “links on steroids” golf course that exposes weaknesses like a black light exposes lint. Even when he was shooting a pedestrian 75 at Pebble Beach in the final round of the U.S. Open — tying for fourth in a championship that was there for the taking — Woods could see “positives.”