For a while, it looked as if things were going to go very
badly for Tiger Woods at the 2018 Tour Championship. Woods bogeyed the
first holed he played and didn't look all that adept over the few holes
after that. However, birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 righted the ship, and when
he birdied Nos. 12 and 14 on the back nine, all of a sudden he was in
contention.
After getting to 3 under through 14 and mixing it up
with players atop the leaderboard like Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy and
Gary Woodland, Woods scattered a few pars and came to the par-5 18th
hole. He pummeled a 319-yard drive down the left side of the fairway and
followed that with a 250-yard shot to 28 feet. He jarred that putt, his
28th of the day, for an eagle. Woods touched off a 5-under 65 in style
and grabbed a share of the lead with Fowler.
This should not be super surprising. Despite not winning
this season, Woods is ranked in the top 10 in strokes gained overall and
has finished in the top 10 in four of the last seven tournaments he's
played. Despite a poor start -- and a poor Round 1 scoring average
overall this year -- a correction to what we have come to expect from
Woods in 2018 seemed inevitable. Now we'll see if it lasts. Woods
opened the BMW Championship two weeks ago in similar fashion with a 62.
He stalled out from there and couldn't quite close out what would have
been his first win since 2013. This is a new week, though, and Woods looks fresh after the week off.
"My body has gotten better," Woods told Steve Sands of Golf
Channel. "It's taken a little time. I'm trying to figure out not only
swing changes but also equipment. I'm trying to hit a moving target a
little bit out there with my game. Everything has evolved. I feel
completely different than I did at the beginning of the year." Woods
finished the day third in the field in strokes gained from tee to green
and sixth in putting. Making 28-footers for eagle on the final hole
will boost the latter category. Making a 26-foot birdie at the fifth to
get going in the right direction didn't hurt either. And now Woods
co-leads a pretty mammoth 30-player field going into the second day. "You're
not going to get an exemption into this event," Woods told Golf
Channel. You have to earn it. You have to get into the top 30. You have
to be consistent. You have to be one of the guys who have had a good
year. I've earned my way back. All things considered, it's been a huge
success."
It was a stunning Round 1 finish for what looked like it
could have been a day gone awry early. Woods won this event at East Lake
back in 2007, and everything about his statistical profile in 2018 says
he should have had a win already in 2018. Maybe it comes this
week. Maybe, in his final start of the season, Woods caps off what has
already been a pretty great year. Maybe the Ryder Cup sendoff on Sunday
evening is Tiger shooting something low and besting Rory McIlroy and
Justin Rose before they head to Paris and he tries to do it all over
again.
Kyle Porter began his sports writing career with CBS Sports
in 2012. He covers golf, writes poetry about Rory McIlroy's swing, stays
ready on Tiger watch and loves the Masters more than anyone you
know....
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