Tiger hits a new low in storied career
Misses cut again after shooting career-worst 82
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tiger Woods never shot a score this high in his 1,267 official rounds as a pro.
He never looked more lost on a golf course.
Woods hit wedges fat and thin, but never close. He hit one drive into the water, another into the base of a desert bush. And when he missed a 10-foot par putt on his final hole Friday in the Phoenix Open, he had the worst score of his career — an 11-over 82.
The rowdiest event on the PGA Tour goes into Super Bowl weekend without Phil Mickelson as well. He had his worst round on the TPC Scottsdale in six years.
Martin Laird carried on nicely without them. Once the rain stopped,
Laird played his best golf and he doesn’t think that was a coincidence. He ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch until making his first bogey of the tournament on his final hole for a second straight 5-under 66.
That gave him a two-shot lead over Daniel Berger (69), with Justin Thomas (68) another shot behind. Both 21-year-old rookies received sponsor’s exemptions. A trio of Masters champions — Bubba Watson (71), Zach Johnson (70) and Angel Cabrera (69) were in the group four shots behind.
Woods was in last place when he headed home to Florida to try to fix a game in disarray, even behind Arizona club pro Michael Hopper, who had yet to tee off. It was the first time in Woods’ career that he missed the cut in consecutive PGA Tour events, the most recent one in August at the PGA Championship.
About the only thing he didn’t lose was his sense of humor.
“I’m just doing this so I don’t get fined,” Woods said with a smile as he faced the media, repeating Marshawn Lynch’s only line at Super Bowl media day.
Even so, this round might have been more painful than getting his tooth knocked out last week in Italy.
His previous worst score was an 81 in the third round at Muirfield in the 2002 British Open, where he caught the brunt of whipping rain in 40 mph wind. There was only a light drizzle in the Valley of the Sun, and Woods hit a low point in his career.
He attributed his shocking play to his latest swing change, which he described in December as “new but old,” although this game resembles neither. He left Sean Foley during his four-month break to fully heal from back surgery and now has California-based Chris Como as a swing consultant.
“I was caught right between patterns, just old pattern, new pattern,” Woods said. “And I got better, more committed to what I was doing on my back nine and hit some better shots. But still got a lot of work to do.”
He scrapped plans to go to the Super Bowl and headed home to Florida to practice before returning next week to Torrey Pines.
Nothing was uglier than the par-3 fourth hole when his tee shot went over the green. The chip was difficult because he short-sided himself and was only 35 feet from the flag. Woods hit it 47 yards, the ball shooting low and hot all the way across the green and into a front bunker. He blasted out to 20 feet and two-putted for double bogey.
Jordan Spieth, playing in the group with Woods and Patrick Reed, had a 68. Both are among several young players who grew up watching Woods dominate golf with 14 majors and 79 wins on the PGA Tour. They did not see him shoot 82.
“Sure, it’s odd,” Spieth said. “But it’s his second tournament in six months. He’s really revamping his golf swing and just seems like he needs some more repetitions.”