Plop, plop, fizz! Tiger’s watery woe at the 17th
One of the most famous holes in golf claimed its most famous victim yesterday. now we know even the mighty Tiger Woods feels the heat when he stands on the 17th tee at the Players Championship.
On a postcard Florida morning filled with soft breezes, Woods came to the iconic island green par three at three under par for his round. He was in the top 10 and the excitement was palpable. More than 15,000 people had gathered by mid-morning to fill the amphitheatre that has become one of the best settings in the game.
It was a relatively easy shot. A solidly struck blow with a wedge was all that was required and, as Tiger stood over the ball, the hordes were thinking birdie, not oblivion.
He pulled it — the one thing you couldn’t do. The ball flew a few yards further than he wanted and rolled into the water. The groan from the crowd must have been heard on the other side of the course. Woods restricted himself to a four-letter epithet. You know the one.
He moved to the drop area. This shot from 80 yards might be harder, because of the awkward length. Tiger pulled that one as well — badly. This one ended up in the hazard after just one bounce.
‘I thought I could play a wedge shot from 80 yards,’ said Tiger, ruefully. ‘now I know I can’t.’
A man who had put only four balls in the water on this hole in 69 previous rounds had added two more in five minutes. A player who had never recorded worse than a double bogey on the 17th was playing his fifth shot with the expanse of water still to be negotiated.
Mercifully, Woods found dry land and two-putted for his first quadruple bogey in 1,229 career holes at Sawgrass. In 15 minutes, he fell from eighth to tied 57th.
The daft thing was, he played nicely before and after. He shot 71, meaning a par at the 17th and he’d have been within touching distance of the lead. Bigger picture, and he looks in good shape for the Masters, with his putting improving and no obvious physical issues.
‘I’m pleased with how I played for 17 holes,’ he said. ‘The other hole means I’m a few shots back, but I can still win.’
He’ll have to go some to achieve that. First-round leader Tommy Fleetwood started like train, holing a bunker shot at the second for an eagle and sandwiching it with birdies at the first and third.
not surprisingly, he cooled off thereafter, but had moved to 11 under, eight ahead of Tiger, with three holes to play.
His nearest challenger was the man who resurrected his career at this course two years ago — fellow englishman Ian Poulter. He had moved to within a shot of Fleetwood and was a brilliant seven under par for his round with four to play. Rory McIlroy was three behind with eight to go.