News
In contention, Tiger blew one OB on the 16th hole at Bay Hill
“For a moment, it looked like it was going to be Tiger Woods’ day,” NBC anchor Dan Hicks intoned late during Sunday’s final-round telecast of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Rory McIlroy, pouring in birdies, winning for the first time on the PGA Tour since the 2016, is the story at Bay Hill this week. That said, when Tiger Woods birdied the 13th hole to get within one stroke of the lead, it looked like we could be party to a very different Sunday story.
The story, that of Woods’ potential 80th PGA Tour went, went off the rails with a pulled tee shot at the 16th hole that sailed out of bounds. After the round, Woods admitted to not fully committing to a shot shape at the 16th hole.
Speaking with Steve Sands, Woods indicated he was deciding between a left-to-right slider off the tee, bombing his driver (presumably right to left), and hitting a 3-wood. He was somewhere between options one and two when he pulled the trigger, and the result was a foul ball left.
Woods limped home after the bogey five at the 16th with a bogey at the par-three 17th. After a poor tee shot at the 18th hole, Woods played short of the green with his second and got up and down for par and a final-round three-under 69 and a tie for fifth at 10 under par.
The 79-time PGA Tour winner was five shots behind Henrik Stenson to begin the day. He birdied both the par-5 fourth and par-5 sixth holes before adding another birdie at the par-4 eighth. Woods rebounded from a bogey at the ninth with a birdie at the 10th.
A sand save at the par-5 12th moved Woods to 11 under, and rolling one in from 13 feet at the par-4 13th got him to one off the lead.
One. Shot. Back. ???? pic.twitter.com/0CcQnpJZvg
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
After pars at the 14th and 15th holes, Woods imploded with the already discussed out-of-bounds effort off the tee.
Ultimately, with Rory McIlroy finishing at 17 under par, Woods was never going to win this tournament; he’d have needed a final-round 61 just to tie McIlroy. However, looking ahead to Augusta, fans won’t be encouraged by his stumble down the stretch or his performance off the tee–Woods was 71st in strokes gained: tee-to-green, losing 3.526 strokes to the field.
The other side of the coin, of course, most positively, is Woods played his second tournament in as many weeks and remains unhindered by his surgically repaired back. He was 19th in strokes gained: approach, second in strokes gained: around-the-green, and eight in strokes gained: putting for the week.
Woods isn’t expected to tee it up before the Masters (April 5), where he’ll be seeking his fifth green jacket.
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Morning 9: 58 on the Korn Ferry Tour | Rory on possible return to policy board
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
GolfWRX is live on site this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the PGA Tour’s one-and-only two-man team event.
As usual, general galleries, WITBs, and pullout albums — including some pretty spicy custom putters and headcovers — await your viewing.
Be sure to check back for more photos from the Big Easy, as we’ll continue to update this page with additional galleries throughout the week.
General Albums
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Monday #2
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Zurich Classic – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Alex Fitzpatrick – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Austin Cook – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Alejandro Tosti – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- MJ Daffue – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Nate Lashley – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- James Nicholas – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Kevin Streelman – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rasmus Hojgaard – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Tom Whitney – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- SangMoon Bae – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Daniel Berger – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Rory McIlroy – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Russ Cochrane – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Aldrich Potgieter – WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Steve Stricker WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Drew Brees WITB (Legendary New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints QB) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Thriston Lawrence WITB – 2024 Zurich Classic
Pullout Albums
- MJ Daffue’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Cameron putters – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Swag covers ( a few custom for Nick Hardy) – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Custom Bettinardi covers for Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Doug Ghim’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
- Patrick Cantlay spotted testing a Scotty Cameron blade putter – 2024 Zurich Classic
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News
Morning 9: Tiger’s TGL teammates | Woosnam’s criticism of Cantlay | Rory’s return to tour policy board
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Robert Kelley
Mar 19, 2018 at 5:27 pm
As you surely know, Ben, context or the situation or the precise moment in sports is crucial, which makes your observation “Ultimately, with Rory McIlroy finishing at 17 under par, Woods was never going to win this tournament,” off the mark, to wit, if Tiger doesn’t hit his ball out of bounds and, instead, birdies one and preferably two more holes with sans bogeys to finish his round and post his score, Rory’s mindset would have been totally different and there is no telling how the resulting pressure would have effected his play from that point on.
Tartan Golf Travel
Mar 19, 2018 at 6:54 pm
That’s a lot of ifs.How about if Rory didn’t play or any of the other guys that finished ahead of him.
Tom54
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:54 pm
How can Tiger appear in a Taylormade add promoting the new “twist face technology” that supposedly fixes amateurs tee balls and yet it has been reported that his driver is not equipped with it? Perhaps he should have had one in the bag after some of his wild tee balls. Rory sure likes his. Tigers strength was his power. Laying back with irons because he can’t hit his driver only makes him just a better than average player. Another reason I think it will be harder for him to win is he normally plays tournaments with great fields. I do think he could win as long as his health doesn’t deteriorate because he still knows what it takes to win out there.
Ian
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:37 pm
Rory finished -18
Tom Horonzy
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:24 pm
I have loved Tiger and what he brought to the game in the nineties, almost brought in 2013 and is doing it again. Valspar sold 15000 extra tickets and needed 6 addl parking lots. There are still so many that won’t like him because he broke the color barrier like no other. He is smart, energetic, not a clone of anyone else. He is the straw that stirs the PGA and the players not only know but fear it. Sure, he gets more time on tv and everyone speaks about him but who are they MOST interested in? Sorta like politics too. The press feeds on Trump and Hillary is an also ran.
Darryl
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:52 am
Have to think Woods is going to close the deal at some point this season, must be another half dozen courses he knows well enough to ham and egg it round in contention. On current form, will his ranking get low enough to play at Firestone?
I didn’t watch last night as I have taken the decision not to watch tournaments he has entered because of the medias obsessional coverage of every little move he makes makes me want to throw my putter through the TV. Whilst I don’t wish him any ill will particularly, I was pretty pleased he binned one last night when I heard about it on social media. But I’m realistic enough to know that its probably only delaying the inevitable Second Coming moment in the media when he does win.
I don’t want him to get Snead’s record, but there’s too many Stricker/Furyk (sorry lads) friendly courses (John Deere track for example, I forget what its called) out there that he could play his Hoylake strategy on and win for him not to reach that in the next couple of seasons before a different bit of his body gives out.
His enemy is father time now (as it is for us all), how long can the non fusible parts of his golf vital anatomy hold out?
The Maestro
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:03 pm
Darryl is trying a wee bit too hard to be glib. Notwithstanding the behavior that coincided with his downfall, his return to moderate form after myriad health issues is becoming remarkable.
Darryl, take a hike.
jeffrey monnich
Mar 19, 2018 at 3:31 pm
amen! cant watch this anymore- I loved to watch golf mostly for the swings now it is like a reality show.
acew/7iron
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:25 am
In other news…Speith has totally lost his game.
Back to you Jim on the latest on what Tiger had for breakfast this morning…
Foo
Mar 19, 2018 at 3:33 am
Good. Keep blowing those drives all over the planet.
Travis
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:32 pm
Now, now, we know you secretly love Tiger. Stop trying so hard to act the opposite.
Andrew Stein
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:55 am
He should have used the face twist….it’s the reverse of the driver he was playing. Balls ends up in play and Tiger makes birdie.
Foo
Mar 19, 2018 at 3:34 am
More like ball twists
john peterson
Mar 19, 2018 at 12:53 am
McElroy shot 18 under.
Andrew
Mar 18, 2018 at 10:38 pm
Is Tiger still the favorite to win the Masters? Suckers.
Tartan Golf Travel
Mar 19, 2018 at 9:52 am
He never was the favorite. Just the betting favorite. Means a lot of non golfers think Tiger will win.
Andrew
Mar 19, 2018 at 10:30 am
But, uh, ……. how do I need to respond? Oh yea. Hater!
Tartan Golf Travel
Mar 19, 2018 at 10:36 am
Right because I don’t think he’s the favorite I must be hater. Sad argument. How about he hasn’t won a tournament in 5 year. Hasn’t won the Masters in 13 years. FACTS. He certainly might contend and I hope he does but there is NO WAY he is the actual favorite. “Hater” is the argument of an unintelligent person!