Aug 3, 2015
Woods making progress late in season
What are we to make of Tiger Woods’ performance at the Quicken Loans? For starters, he got to play four rounds. That’s a step forward considering he missed the cut in two of his previous three starts, both of those majors.
By Bob Weeks
What are we to make of Tiger Woods’ performance at the Quicken Loans?
For starters, he got to play four rounds. That’s a step forward considering he missed the cut in two of his previous three starts, both of those majors.
He drove the ball better, hitting 36 of 56 fairways, and his iron play was improved, reaching 53 of the 72 greens in regulation. He made some great recovery shots, displayed a few silky up and downs, and had a hot putter at times. He even moved up in the Official World Golf Rankings, to 262nd from 266th.
There were still some awful shots, some head-scratchers that found remote parts of the course, but overall it appears Woods is finally starting to show signs of improvement.
Most importantly, for the first time in what seems like a very long time, he was in contention heading into the weekend, just three off the lead.
“I'm getting some speed back, which is nice,” he said after wrapping up the tournament in a tie for 18th. “I'm starting to pump the ball out there again and I know my lofts of my irons are very weak compared to today's standards. I'm hitting the ball up there with some of the bigger guys again.”
The major downside for Woods right now is that he’s running into the end of his schedule. He doesn’t qualify for this week’s World Golf Championship event and has just the PGA Championship and the Wyndham Championship left. He’s committed to the former and not the latter at the moment.
However, the lack of events doesn’t seem to bother him at the moment.
“I've got years ahead of me, that's how I look at it, not just this season,” Woods stated. “I've got years and if you would have asked me that back when I had my back surgery I would have probably -- I didn't really know. That was a rough period in my career and my life. But now I'm on the good side of it.”
Wood still seems a long way from being ready to win a tournament but considering at the start of the year he had the short-game yips and later, a driver that had no direction, he’s definitely improving.
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The most impressive performance in a major this year might just be Inbee Park’s victory at the Ricoh Women’s British Open over the weekend. Park posted a seven-under 65 on Sunday to win the major, her second of the season.
And now the debate begins as to whether she has won the career Grand Slam. Park has won the ANA Inspiration (nee Kraft Nabisco), the U.S. Women’s Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
But the LPGA now has five majors, including the Evian Championship. It was given major status in 2013. Park won that tournament in 2012.
The LPGA Tour stepped in to try and clarify the situation stating that any player who wins four majors will be deemed to have won the career Grand Slam. A player who wins all five majors will lay claim to the title Super Career Grand Slam.
She is only the seventh player to win four different majors and she’s captured six of the last 14.
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Adam Hadwin finished tied for 21st at the Quicken Loans, marking his third consecutive top-25 finish. He sits 89th in the FedEx Cup standings.
After a bad stretch where he missed the cut in five of six starts back in March through May, he’s played the weekend in six of the next eight. He’s qualified for the playoffs and as a result has locked up status for next season, his top goal coming into the year.
He’s in the field this week at the Barracuda Championship, the tournament held opposite the WGC-Bridgestone, hoping to add to his totals.
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Brooke Henderson added another $8,000 (U.S.) to her totals after her finish at the Ricoh Women’s British Open. The 17-year-old ended up tied for 61st, playing in some of the nastiest weather during the tournament.
Henderson has now compiled just over $466,000 in LPGA earnings. She’s trying to earn as much or more than 40th spot on the money list at year’s end to avoid going to Qualifying School. She likely has enough right now as that spot last year totaled $447,658 but a little more in the bank wouldn’t hurt.
She has one confirmed LPGA Tour start left at the CP Canadian Women’s Open, Aug. 20-23, although there’s a strong possibility she will get an invite to the Evian Championship, Sept. 10-13.