Tiger’s downfall reaches terminal velocity

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This article was published 13/08/2011 (5511 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Tiger Woods’ stunning downfall has gotten worse: He missed the cut at the PGA Championship.

The player who once dominated golf headed home Friday after shooting a 10-over 150 at Atlanta Athletic Club.

With no one seizing control of the tournament, this became another day to focus on Woods’ collapse, his career in tatters because of personal failings and a broken game.

Consecutive double-bogeys at the 11th and 12th holes ruined any hopes he had of making it to the weekend. He finished with a 3-over 73 on the heels of an opening-round 77.

“I hit 20 bunkers in two days. I had four or five water balls,” Woods said. “That’s not going to add up to a very good score.”

Woods finished in appropriate fashion at the 18th, putting his tee shot in the bunker, his second shot in the water and finishing with a bogey. He was projected to miss the cut by a staggering six shots.

Woods was on the sideline for three months — missing the last two majors — because of an injured leg. He returned a week ago at Firestone, proclaiming himself fully fit and ready to go for his 15th major title.

He wound up missing the cut in one of golf’s biggest events for only the third time in his professional career, following the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot (shortly after the death of the his father) and the British Open at Turnberry two years ago.

Now, he’ll be dropping out of public view again for another long layoff. He won’t attempt to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoff, so his next tournament will be in November when he heads to Australia.

His next shot at a major is eight months away, at the Masters.

“I get some time off again,” Woods said. “But now I’m healthy enough to work on my game. It’s going to be good. Sean (Foley, his coach) and I did not really have an opportunity to sit down and do a lot of work. This will be our time.”

There’s a lot of work to do.

Woods had a glimmer of hope after closing the front side with back-to-back birdies, pushing him to even-par on the day and three shots off the projected cut.

But it all fell apart at the 11th hole, which Woods played like an average duffer. He put his tee shot in a bunker. He knocked his approach into another pit of sand left of the green. From an awkward lie, he put his left foot sideways on the grass and tried to pull off a delicate shot with water looming on the other side.

Woods got too much of the ball, which sped across the green and plopped into the pond. He wound up making double bogey, pretty much finishing off his hopes.

At the next hole, he didn’t appear to care anymore.

His drive sailed into the trees left of the 12th fairway, forcing him to punch out. Then he unleashed a wild, one-handed shot with a wood from the first cut, letting go of the club as the ball whizzed right back into the towering pines.

Woods wound up with another double-bogey, his fifth in two days — the first time he’s ever made that many doubles in any professional tournament.

Even so, he tried to put a positive spin on his miserable performance.

“It’s a step back in the sense I didn’t make the cut,” Woods said. “But it’s a giant leap forward in that I played two straight weeks and I’m healthy. It’s going to be great for my practice sessions coming up. Now I’ll be able to work and get after it.”

If Woods missing the cut was the biggest surprise, the golfers at the top of the leaderboard were close behind.

Keegan Bradley, playing in his first major, shot a 64. Jason Dufner, who had missed the cut in five of his last six events, made 65. Both were at 5-under 135.

— The Associated Press

 

PGA Leaders

Jason Dufner 70-65 — 135

Keegan Bradley 71-64 — 135

D.A. Points 69-67 — 136

John Senden 68-68 — 136

Jim Furyk 71-65 — 136

Scott Verplank 67-69 — 136

Anders Hansen 68-69 — 137

Brendan Steele 69-68 — 137

Steve Stricker 63-74 — 137

Brandt Jobe 68-69 — 137