LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Tiger Woods had it going — at least a little bit — and then he gave it back at the end of his PGA Championship opening round Thursday at Valhalla.
Woods, playing in only his third tournament of the year, opened with a 1-over 72. But he was 1-under heading into his final two holes.
He started on the 10th tee, so Woods’ final two holes were Nos. 8 and 9 and he bogeyed both of them with a pair of three-putts.
Tiger Woods plays his shot from the 18th tee during the opening round of the PGA Championship on May 16, 2024.Getty Images
“Well, I three-whipped the last two holes,’’ Woods said. “Wasn’t very good. Bad speed on 8 — whipped it past the hole. And on 9 [I] hit it short, hit it off the heel of the putter and blocked the second one. So wasn’t very good on the last two holes.’’
Woods is tied for 85th place. The low 70 scores, including ties, make the cut to play on the weekend.
So, he’s got work to do.
He made the cut at the Masters last month and set a record for most consecutive cuts made at Augusta National at 24.
But Woods, who because of weather delays, was forced to play 23 holes on Friday of that week, finished in last place among the 60 players who made the Masters cut.
Tiger Woods looks to line up his putt on the 14th hole during the opening round of the 2024 PGA Championship.USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Woods, who won the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla but didn’t play the PGA in 2014 when it returned to the course, said he liked the way his body felt during the round.
“I am getting stronger for sure.’’ he said. “It’s just that I just don’t play a whole lot of competitive rounds. I haven’t played since the Masters. So it’s a little bit different than being at home and playing a flat Florida course.’’
He said the most difficult adjustment on Thursday was just getting into “the competitive flow.’’
Tiger Woods, here on the 16th, finished the opening round by shooting a 1-over par 72.Getty Images
The Michael Block PGA Championship magic wore off quickly on Thursday as he bogeyed his first hole and took a quadruple-bogey eight on the second to bloat to 5-over par through his first two holes.
To his credit, Block played his final 16 holes in even par after the mess on No. 2 to shoot a 5-over 76.
The club pro from Mission Viejo, Calif., captivated the golf world last year, finishing tied for 15th at Oak Hill. The finish earned him an automatic exemption into this year’s PGA. It was the best by club pro at the PGA Championship since 1974.
No club professional has made the cut at the PGA championship in back-to-back years since Illinois club pro Tom Wargo did so in 1992 and 1993. It doesn’t look like Block will be able to match that and play on the weekend.
Michael Block of the United States, Corebridge Financial Team of PGA of America Golf Professionals, plays his shot on the 12th tee during the first round of the 2024 PGA Championship.Getty Images
Jeremy Wells, one of the 21 club pros in the field this week along with Block, shot a 2-under 69 and became just the second club pro in the last 20 years to break 70 in the first round of the PGA Championship.
Justin Thomas, a native of Louisville, shot 2-under par and afterward reflected on his emotions on the first tee Thursday morning.
“It’s been a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be,’’ he said. “It’s not that I didn’t think it would be enjoyable, but I thought I would be way more nervous. I was nervous, but it’s just fun. I feel like I’ve never had this many people root for me before. So, it’s a pretty good feeling.
“I wish we had more tournaments in Louisville because I like this.’’
Among the Met Area locals, Matt Dobyns, the head pro at Meadow Brook on Long Island, shot a 5-over 76 in his fifth try to make a PGA Championship cut for the first time. Andrew Svoboda, who grew up caddying at Winged Foot, shot a 3-over 74.
