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| Tiger Woods’ US PGA rust thrown into sharp relief by Brooks Koepka’s power | Tiger Woods’ US PGA rust thrown into sharp relief by Brooks Koepka’s power |
| (2 months later) | |
| Comparisons to Tiger Woods are not so much a well-worn path as proven worthy of ridicule. It is legitimate for young players to have aspirations to reach the status of Woods, arguably the finest to ever lift a club, but history does not reflect well on those afforded the prefix of “Tiger-esque”. He has never been typical, let alone easily replicated. | Comparisons to Tiger Woods are not so much a well-worn path as proven worthy of ridicule. It is legitimate for young players to have aspirations to reach the status of Woods, arguably the finest to ever lift a club, but history does not reflect well on those afforded the prefix of “Tiger-esque”. He has never been typical, let alone easily replicated. |
| When Woods offers the comparison, perhaps we should take note. He had the box seat as Brooks Koepka set a 36-hole major championship scoring record – by two – at Bethpage Black on Friday. Just 128 shots: amateurs this weekend the world over will use that up in a single round. In marching into a seven-shot lead by the time of a redraw, Koepka also ensured that if he does not successfully defend the Wanamaker Trophy, he will have suffered one of the most serious major capitulations of all time. | When Woods offers the comparison, perhaps we should take note. He had the box seat as Brooks Koepka set a 36-hole major championship scoring record – by two – at Bethpage Black on Friday. Just 128 shots: amateurs this weekend the world over will use that up in a single round. In marching into a seven-shot lead by the time of a redraw, Koepka also ensured that if he does not successfully defend the Wanamaker Trophy, he will have suffered one of the most serious major capitulations of all time. |
| Brooks Koepka untouchable at US PGA as Woods misses the halfway cut | Brooks Koepka untouchable at US PGA as Woods misses the halfway cut |
| Woods, who, in his youthful pomp was accustomed to obliterating courses and fields in the manner now the domain of Koepka, nodded in approval. “He’s driving it 330 yards in the middle of the fairway,” said the 15-times major winner. “He’s got nine irons for approach shots when most of us are hitting five irons or four irons and he’s putting well. That adds up to a pretty substantial lead. | Woods, who, in his youthful pomp was accustomed to obliterating courses and fields in the manner now the domain of Koepka, nodded in approval. “He’s driving it 330 yards in the middle of the fairway,” said the 15-times major winner. “He’s got nine irons for approach shots when most of us are hitting five irons or four irons and he’s putting well. That adds up to a pretty substantial lead. |
| “Relative to the field, I was about that long, early in my career. When you’re able to hit the ball much further than other players, and get on the right courses where setups like this is penalising if you are a little bit crooked; if he does miss it, he misses on the correct sides and he’s far enough down there to where he was able to get the ball on the green. He had the good angles [into greens]. He then did all the little things right. | “Relative to the field, I was about that long, early in my career. When you’re able to hit the ball much further than other players, and get on the right courses where setups like this is penalising if you are a little bit crooked; if he does miss it, he misses on the correct sides and he’s far enough down there to where he was able to get the ball on the green. He had the good angles [into greens]. He then did all the little things right. |
| “To get to where he’s at, to go to the Challenge Tour, the European Tour, he paid his dues. He found a game and a dedication that he needed to play well and he’s doing that. | “To get to where he’s at, to go to the Challenge Tour, the European Tour, he paid his dues. He found a game and a dedication that he needed to play well and he’s doing that. |
| “Everyone’s different. Everyone peaks differently and does things differently, and he’s found what he needs to do for himself. What is he, 29? He’s got many more years ahead of him where he can do this.” | “Everyone’s different. Everyone peaks differently and does things differently, and he’s found what he needs to do for himself. What is he, 29? He’s got many more years ahead of him where he can do this.” |
| Suddenly, Koepka’s pre-tournament assertion that he could reach double digits in major wins from a present position of three does not look so ridiculous. | Suddenly, Koepka’s pre-tournament assertion that he could reach double digits in major wins from a present position of three does not look so ridiculous. |
| Only weeks ago, onlookers spoke effusively about Woods’s own longevity after his memorable fifth victory at the Masters. Widespread disappointment was inevitable, then, as Woods exited Bethpage at the halfway point. His US PGA statistics made grim reading: 126th in driving accuracy – 153rd on Friday – 97th in driving distance, 113th in putting strokes gained. Woods found 21 from 36 greens in regulation. | Only weeks ago, onlookers spoke effusively about Woods’s own longevity after his memorable fifth victory at the Masters. Widespread disappointment was inevitable, then, as Woods exited Bethpage at the halfway point. His US PGA statistics made grim reading: 126th in driving accuracy – 153rd on Friday – 97th in driving distance, 113th in putting strokes gained. Woods found 21 from 36 greens in regulation. |
| That Woods carried obvious rust from having not played competitively in a month hardly requires further explanation. There were similarities to last autumn when, having won the Tour Championship, Woods was a noticeably jaded figure at the Ryder Cup. Victories appear to take a lot out of him physically. He smiled when claiming it was a “nice problem to have” that donning the Green Jacket maybe came at a cost to his US PGA buildup. | That Woods carried obvious rust from having not played competitively in a month hardly requires further explanation. There were similarities to last autumn when, having won the Tour Championship, Woods was a noticeably jaded figure at the Ryder Cup. Victories appear to take a lot out of him physically. He smiled when claiming it was a “nice problem to have” that donning the Green Jacket maybe came at a cost to his US PGA buildup. |
| “I’m the Masters champion and 43 years old and that’s a pretty good accomplishment,” said Woods when asked about the scale of his US PGA dejection. “It’s just the way it goes. I made too many mistakes and just didn’t do the little things I need to do. I had a couple of three-putts, I didn’t hit wedges close, I didn’t hit fairways. I did a lot of little things wrong.” | “I’m the Masters champion and 43 years old and that’s a pretty good accomplishment,” said Woods when asked about the scale of his US PGA dejection. “It’s just the way it goes. I made too many mistakes and just didn’t do the little things I need to do. I had a couple of three-putts, I didn’t hit wedges close, I didn’t hit fairways. I did a lot of little things wrong.” |
| Then, crucially, the physical assessment. “There’s no reason why I can’t get up to speed again and crank it back up,” he said. “I’ve got to start feeling a little bit better first before that happens. We’ll do that first and then start cranking it back up again. I just wasn’t moving the way I needed to. That’s the way it goes. There’s going to be days and weeks where it’s just not going to work.” | Then, crucially, the physical assessment. “There’s no reason why I can’t get up to speed again and crank it back up,” he said. “I’ve got to start feeling a little bit better first before that happens. We’ll do that first and then start cranking it back up again. I just wasn’t moving the way I needed to. That’s the way it goes. There’s going to be days and weeks where it’s just not going to work.” |
| Although Bethpage is not alien to him, Wood’s familiarity with Augusta National was a significant factor in his Masters glory. The lead-in to that event, whereby he could plan for the season’s first major months in advance, was another benefit. | Although Bethpage is not alien to him, Wood’s familiarity with Augusta National was a significant factor in his Masters glory. The lead-in to that event, whereby he could plan for the season’s first major months in advance, was another benefit. |
| That the US PGA in its rescheduled date arrived within weeks was not in Woods’s favour, even before a bout of sickness that restricted his practice. The US Open comes next month, but Woods’s deep knowledge of Pebble Beach affords him an advantage. So, too, will be the non-requirement to grind for no reward over the last two rounds at Bethpage, as could have transpired had Woods fallen inside the cut line, but in a different tournament to Koepka and those closest to him. | That the US PGA in its rescheduled date arrived within weeks was not in Woods’s favour, even before a bout of sickness that restricted his practice. The US Open comes next month, but Woods’s deep knowledge of Pebble Beach affords him an advantage. So, too, will be the non-requirement to grind for no reward over the last two rounds at Bethpage, as could have transpired had Woods fallen inside the cut line, but in a different tournament to Koepka and those closest to him. |
| Woods can dine out on the Masters for a considerable time yet. What followed illustrates that he is still fallible. Koepka is moving in completely the opposite direction, by Woods’s own acknowledgement. | Woods can dine out on the Masters for a considerable time yet. What followed illustrates that he is still fallible. Koepka is moving in completely the opposite direction, by Woods’s own acknowledgement. |
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