For a brief moment at the US Open on Thursday, fans got to see the old Tiger Woods. Woods started strong hitting 12 of 14 fairways and having a strong swing but as it has been his MO at these tournaments of late, he starts strong and fades late. By the end of the day, he shot a 74 and was tied for 54th.
Woods talked about his struggles after the round but also how he seems to be getting stronger.
“I didn’t hit my irons particularly well (and) didn’t putt that great,’’ Woods said. “I drove it on a string all day. Unfortunately, I just didn’t capitalize on it. I didn’t hit the ball very well. It added up to quite a bit of distance away from the flag.”
“It’s not where I wanted to be on a lot of the holes. It just ended up being that far away because I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be.’’
Woods added, “I’m physically getting better as the year has gone on. I just haven’t been able to play as much because I just don’t want to hurt myself pre- (tournament). Then I won’t be able to play in the major championships. It’s pick your poison, right? Play a lot with the potential of not playing, or not playing, and fight being not as sharp.”
Putting has been an issue for a while for him and putting issues showed up again at the end of the round.
“My speed was not quite there,’’ Woods said of his putting. “I think I three-putted two or three times today. If I clean that up, if I get a couple of iron shots not as loose as I did, I’m right there at even par.’’
Despite Woods making a run early, he realizes it will be hard for him to make a comeback and win the tournament.
“It’s just so hard to get back,’’ Woods said of making up strokes. “This is a golf course that doesn’t give up a whole lot of birdies. It gives up a lot of bogeys and higher. I thought I did the one thing I needed to do today, which is drive the ball well. I did that, I just didn’t capitalize on any of it.’’
Even if it was briefly, it was nice to see Woods look like his old self and look competitive in the first round. Fans on social media were excited to see Tiger make a run, even if it was a short run in the first round.
Despite Woods not winning a major in years, he is still a draw and the public loves to see him compete and do well and that is even though the No. 1 player in the world Scottie Scheffler was playing today also, and Rory McIlroy, another fan favorite, was playing well.
If Woods had finished in the top 20 Thursday, fans and media would have been on Tiger watch all weekend, yet despite that not happening, Tiger Woods is still one to watch.
