Woods hobbles to opening 74 at PGA Championship

TULSA, Oklahoma: Tiger Woods struggled mightily within the opening spherical of the PGA Championship on Thursday (May 19) at Southern Hills Country Club the place he performed by vital discomfort over his closing holes and could have loads of work to do to make the lower.

Woods, in his second begin since a February, 2021 automotive crash that just about ended his profession, regarded good early however pushed his physique to its limits and it price him as he gritted his tooth in ache in the direction of the tip of his opening four-over-par 74.

“Yeah, my leg is not feeling as good as I would like it to be,” Woods advised reporters after ending his spherical 9 photographs behind clubhouse chief Rory McIlroy. “We’ll start the recovery process and get after it tomorrow.”

Woods began on the again 9 and his proper leg was clearly troubling him by the point he bought to the par-four seventh. He had a slight limp as he approached the inexperienced at his penultimate gap earlier than grimacing and reaching for his again after his remaining tee shot.

The 15-times main champion, taking part in in a high-profile group with McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, was two beneath by 5 holes however the errors began to pile up because the day went on and he carded 5 of his seven bogeys on his second 9.

“I got off to a great start and didn’t keep it going. I really didn’t give myself any looks for birdie,” stated Woods. “I was struggling trying to get the ball on the green, and I missed quite a few iron shots both ways. It was a frustrating day.”

Woods, who received the PGA Championship when it was final held at Southern Hills in 2007, stated he’ll bear remedy and take ice baths in a bid to scale back irritation in his proper leg earlier than returning on Friday for his 2.36pm ET tee time.

“I just can’t load it. Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, and walking hurts, and twisting hurts,” Woods stated when requested how the sore leg impacts his swing. “It’s just golf. I don’t play that, if I don’t do that, then I’m all right.”