Woods facing new, stern test
Needs ‘big week’ at BMW to advance to East Lake
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. — Tiger Woods at Olympia Fields brought concerns about the state of his game.
That was the case 17 years ago going into the U.S. Open. Never mind that Woods was the defending champion. He had gone all of four tournaments without winning. At that stage in his career, it was enough to raise questions about a slump.
Not much has changed this week at the BMW Championship, with a slight change in the narrative. It’s not about whether he can win a major. It’s whether he can avoid another early end to his PGA Tour season.
Woods has gone four tournaments outside the top 35 — three of those since golf returned from the COVID-19 pandemic in June — and he likely needs to finish among the top four against a 69-man field to reach the Tour Championship. The top 30 advance to East Lake to compete for a $15 million prize.
“I have to play well. I have to earn my way to East Lake,” said Woods, who is No. 57 in the FedEx Cup. “... I need a big week in order to advance. If I don’t, then I go home. This is a big week for me. I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing and competing.”
He’ll be doing that on a course that is only familiar in its look — tree-lined, a few elevated greens, fairways framed by rough that can cover the top of his shoes and quick, contoured greens.
But then, it’s not familiar to many at the second of three FedEx Cup postseason events. Woods, Charles Howell III, Adam Scott and Paul Casey are the only players who competed in that 2003 U.S. Open (Woods tied for 20th). Bryson DeChambeau won the 2015 U.S.
Amateur at Olympia Fields, which featured five other players in the BMW Championship field, including PGA champion Collin Morikawa.
Harris English won a college tournament here a decade ago.
“I remember how great a test it was,” English said. “It’s just a tough golf course. I don’t think you’re going to see the scores like you did last week. ... It’s going to be a good warmup for the other tournaments coming up, with the Tour Championship and then the U.S. Open.”
Last week was Dustin Johnson overwhelming the field and the course at the TPC Boston, winning by 11 shots and finishing at 30-under 254.
That put Johnson atop the FedEx Cup standings, and he’s not likely to fall far. For some, this week is about improving their position going to the Tour Championship, which features a staggered start to par. The No. 1 seed starts the week at 10 under, down to even par for the final five players.
Because of the shorter season from having lost three months to the coronavirus pandemic, the points count only triple instead of quadruple, and movement isn’t as severe. The top 20 or so are locked into East Lake.
Among those on the bubble are Tony Finau at No. 29, and players like Patrick Cantlay (No. 37) and U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland (No. 39) who have ground to make up.
For Woods, the math is simple. He needs a top finish or he has two weeks off ahead of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, which wouldn’t be the worst dilemma he has faced.
Woods played the nine back alone Tuesday afternoon at Olympia Fields, and he played the front nine Wednesday morning with Rory McIlroy.
If he doesn’t make it to East Lake, it sounds as though this might be a good tune-up for Winged Foot.
“I have to get the ball in play here and the put the ball in the right spots,” he said. “This golf course is set up more toward an Open than it is anything else.”