Tiger needs good health to get himself out of woods

The golf course is familiar to Tiger Woods. The circumstances are not.

Medinah in Illinois is where Woods buried that 8-foot par putt on the 17th hole in 1999 to win the PGA Championship for the first time by holding off teenage Sergio Garcia. He returned to Medinah in 2006 and won the PGA Championship again, this time making history as the only player to win multiple majors in consecutive years.

“I’ve had some good memories,” Woods said.

What he needs now is good health and a good week at the BMW Championship. Otherwise, one of his best memories from last year will remain just that.

Woods withdrew last week after one round of the FedEx Cup playoffs opener, citing a mild strain of the oblique. That dropped him from No 28 to No 38 in the FedEx Cup because points are quadruple during the post-season.

The PGA Tour projects he needs to finish at least 11th — he has only one top 10 since winning the Masters — to have any chance of being among the top 30 players who advance to the Tour Championship for the FedEx Cup finale and a shot at the US$15 million bonus.

Woods is the defending champion at East Lake, capping off his comeback from four back surgeries with a vintage performance at the Tour Championship.

“I’m trying to win this tournament just like anybody else in this field, and trying to get to East Lake and trying to get to a place where a lot of things changed for me last year,” Woods said after his pro-am. “And hopefully, I can make that happen.”

That it even might happen is a mild surprise.

Woods says he didn’t feel right last week at Liberty National, and it showed in a pro-am round when he didn’t hit full shots on the back nine, only chipping and putting. When he withdrew after a 75 in the first round with the oblique injury, it seemed that might be the end of his season.

Woods attributed the injury to slight changes in his swing to alleviate pressure off a fused lower back.

“As I’ve said before, the forces have got to go somewhere, and unfortunately when I make any kind of tweaks and changes to my swing, it’s like a new body part is aching,” he said. “Unfortunately, I can’t play around the back like I used to. And unfortunately, things flare up.”

So many others are in better position, minus the history at Medinah.

Brooks Koepka remains atop the FedEx Cup standings, even with another pedestrian week in the playoffs. Koepka tied for 30th at Liberty National. The world No 1 player has only two top 10s in 16 appearances in post-season events.

He described it as frustrating, although nothing four major championships won’t soothe.

Among those with plenty of work to do are Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter, who has never been to the Tour Championship since the FedEx Cup playoffs began in 2007.