Woods heads to Southern Hills for PGA Championship practice round

Tiger Woods flew to Oklahoma on Thursday for a practice round at Southern Hills, the first step in deciding whether he can play in the PGA Championship.

The 18-hole practice round while walking came three weeks before the start of the PGA Championship being held May 19-22 at Southern Hills in Tulsa.

Golf Channel reported that Southern Hills head pro Cary Cozby caddied for Woods on Thursday. After the practice round, the PGA of America posted a photo on Twitter of Woods and Cozby looking at the yardage book.

Tulsa TV station KOTV showed an overhead shot of Woods putting. He was wearing a black compression sleeve on his right leg. Ken MacLeod, publisher of “Golf Oklahoma” magazine, was at Southern Hills and one photo he posted show 10 members of the Oklahoma PGA Junior League who were being honored gathered on the 18th green as Woods teed off on No. 10.

Woods made a remarkable return to golf at the Masters following his Feb. 23, 2021, car crash outside Los Angeles that shattered bones in his right leg and ankle. In his first time competing and walking a course, he made the cut for the 22nd straight time, though he tired on the weekend and his limp was more noticeable in rounds when he shot 78-78. He finished in 47th place out of the 52 players who made the cut.

Southern Hills last hosted a major in 2007, when Woods won the PGA Championship for the second straight year and fourth time overall. That week featured his lowest score in a major, a 63 in the second round.

Woods left Augusta National unsure of when he would play next, although he confirmed he would be at the British Open at St. Andrews this summer.