Tiger Woods is attempting to engage in again-to-back events for the very first time this year, hoping to make upcoming week’s 30-gentleman Tour Championship discipline — which would indicate a few straight tournaments for the initial time due to the fact 2018.
It is not an quick job, as deficiency of play and so-so success in 2020 have still left Woods needing a significant 7 days at the BMW Championship to advance in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“I have to perform very well, I have to make my way to East Lake I have not done so nonetheless,” Woods reported Wednesday at Olympia Fields (Illinois) Golfing Club, internet site of the BMW Championship. “I need to have a very good 7 days. If I never, I go house. It really is a huge 7 days for me. I’m wanting forward to obtaining out there and competing.
“This golfing course is established up extra like a U.S. Open up than a typical tour occasion. It truly is the playoffs, and it’s meant to be difficult.”
Olympia Fields was web site of the 2003 U.S. Open won by Jim Furyk. Woods is just one of just 4 players in this week’s industry who competed in that match. Woods tied for 20th and said he did not keep in mind significantly about the training course from 17 decades in the past. He played a 9-gap follow round Tuesday and was envisioned to see the relaxation of the training course on Wednesday.
He will have to have to grasp it swiftly in get to have the result required to engage in one more 7 days in this 2019-20 year.
Woods, 44, is 57th in FedEx Cup points following actively playing just six events this year, a person a victory at the Zozo Championship in Oct. He requires to be among the the top rated 30 soon after this 7 days to advance to the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
To do that, Woods will need to have a minimal of a sixth-place end, but mainly because there is no lower this 7 days and all who complete will acquire points, Woods is looking at additional like a fourth-place finish or greater to go on.
That is going to demand a stage-up in perform from what we’ve observed at the Memorial Match, PGA Championship and Northern Belief. In all a few gatherings, Woods was fundamentally out of competition at the halfway point.
All features of his sport have endured at periods, despite the fact that final 7 days at TPC Boston he was fantastic off the tee and improved around the weekend. He hit 16 greens in regulation Sunday and shot 66, his very best score of the 12 months.
“I have to get the ball in enjoy right here and set that ball in the right spots,” he said. “This is established up much more like a [U.S.] Open. With the weather conditions as hot as it is intended to be, this tough is only heading to get extra challenging. It is not a golf class wherever I feel like you can overpower it with driver everywhere. Fully distinct setup.”
The very last time Woods performed consecutive months was in December at the Hero World Obstacle in the Bahamas adopted by the Presidents Cup in Australia. At the latter party, where by Woods was the United States playing captain, he skipped the Saturday enjoy mainly because of back stiffness.
The previous time he played consecutive tour activities was early in 2019 at the Genesis Invitational (tie for 15th) and the WGC-Mexico Championship (T10). But following the latter party, Woods experienced neck stiffness and skipped his future start off.
He has not played 3 consecutive weeks since the 2018 FedEx Cup playoffs, when the structure had four gatherings, like a few in a row. He tied for sixth at the very last of 3 straight ahead of the tour experienced a 7 days off. He then won the Tour Championship for his 80th PGA Tour victory.
Woods would like to get back there because, “I have some terrific reminiscences there.” He also admitted he had some difficulty bringing his sport to the study course in his a few starts because the resumption of enjoy due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“A single of the reasons why I delayed it and failed to appear back and enjoy previously is we just didn’t know how the protocols have been heading to be, and was our sport heading to be safe to appear out below, or have been we all going to get sick,” he said. “I have just now performed adequate tournaments to attempt to have an comprehension and experience for what’s likely on. With any luck , I can get it going this 7 days.”
Woods tees off at 1:14 p.m. ET Thursday with Carlos Ortiz and Bubba Watson. They begin enjoy at 2:09 p.m. Friday.
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