Tiger: ‘I’m really not that far away’
Golfer says he’s proud after firing an even-par 70 at the Honda Classic
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Other than tangling with a lemonade stand after a wayward drive and turning a potential birdie into a double bogey with an errant approach shot, Tiger Woods was delighted to put his signature on the scorecard after Thursday’s first round of the Honda Classic.
“I feel like I’m really not that far away,” Woods said after firing an evenpar 70 that left him four shots out of the lead set by Webb Simpson and Alex No- ran. “I’m starting to really get a feel for scoring again and scoring in tournaments, and today was a day that I’m very proud of because I missed the ball in the correct spots.”
Woods went on to say he didn’t miss the ball in correct spots last week when he missed the cut in the Genesis Open. But his trip around the windswept Champions Course at PGA National Resort and Spa — his seventh round on the PGA Tour since his latest comeback — was “easily” the best he’s hit the ball, he
said, since returning from spinal fusion surgery.
“I had to hit a lot of knock-down shots. I had to work the golf ball both ways, and occasionally downwind, straight up in the air,” he said. “I was able to do all that today, so that was very pleasing. … It was a tough day out there for all of us, and even-par is a good score. It easily was my best ball-striking day.”
Statistically, Woods hit seven of 14 fairways in regulation and 10 of 18 greens. On the difficult greens that Woods described as “scratchy,” he took 25 putts.
He recovered nicely throughout the round, starting on the 12th hole — his third of the day. His drive way left wound up behind a lemonade stand, but after his caddie, Joe LaCava, moved the stand with help from a volunteer, Woods blasted an iron just over the green and saved par.
He wasn’t as fortunate on the par-5 third hole. He had 165 yards to the flag stick but tugged his approach into a greenside bunker and took four shots from there to hole out.
“Yeah, one bad hole today. That’s the way it goes,” he said.
On the next hole, however, he said he hit his best shot of the day, a striped 2-iron into the middle of the fairway. From there he made birdie, finishing off the red number with a short putt, one of many he made.
“I felt like I had good touch, but more importantly I made a lot of the key short putts for par, and especially today it was really tough,” Woods said. “Some of those putts were a little bit bouncy, and the guys in the afternoon are going to have their hands full.”
All the players will have their hands full the rest of the tournament, too, as
the greens aren’t expected to improve by a discernible measure, the winds are expected to howl and the course will firm up under the abundant sunshine.
Woods has never missed consecutive cuts in back-to-back weeks and has put himself in position to ensure he doesn’t this week.
He’ll continue to work on all facets of his game and look to build up reps.
“I’m trying to get better, more efficient at what I’m doing, and also I’m actually doing under the gun, under the pressure of having to hit golf shots, and this golf course is not forgiving whatsoever,” he said. “All that considered, I was very happy with the way I hit it today.”