Aug 2, 2018
Tiger grinds out opening 66 at Firestone
Tiger Woods wasn’t great off the tee, his play into greens was mediocre and his putter was average, but add it all up and in many ways it was vintage Tiger at the opening round of the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational, Bob Weeks writes.
By Bob Weeks
He wasn’t necessarily great off the tee and his play into greens was merely mediocre. His putter? Also average after a slow start.
But add it all up and Tiger Woods was pleased after grinding out a 4-under 66 at Thursday’s first round of the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational.
It was, in many ways, vintage Woods. Not the kind of vintage for a guy who would run up the leaderboard and then run away from the field. Rather, it was the player who could take a lacklustre day and turn it into something that looked good on the leaderboard.
“It’s nice to shoot rounds like I did at the Open and like I did today, put together rounds where I may not feel the best but I’m able to post a score,” he stated. “That’s how you win golf tournaments. You’re not going to have your best all four days.”
In his prime, Woods was able to score well even when his game was misfiring. He was a master at preventing rounds from getting away, even when he wasn’t hitting it that well. He could turn a round that looked like a 74 into a 69 with great shots at key times. Thursday’s opener was another one of those days.
Woods hit only half of the 14 fairways at Firestone Country Club, a place where he’s won eight times. He managed to find the first six fairways he played but just one the rest of the round.
On his final hole of the day, the ninth, Woods drove it into a fairway bunker and ended up making his only bogey.
He managed to find 13 of the 18 greens but his putter, while not awful, didn’t capitalize on some early opportunities for birdies.
Still, the 66 was his lowest opening round this year and just the second time he’s broken 70 in his first 18 holes. He’s four shots back of the lead of Ian Poulter who is at 8 under.
The conditions were ripe for scoring as soft greens kept the players in attack mode most of the day. Warm temperatures, expected to increase as the week goes on, also had the ball flying extra long distances. The result saw 45 of the 71 players in the field shoot under par rounds.
“It’s going to be one of those weeks, especially if it gets as hot as they’re predicting, where we’re going to be bunched,” said the 14-time major champion. “At least this time I'm not as far back, but tomorrow I've got to go get it.''
This is the last time this tournament will be held at the Akron, Ohio, club, which has been a fixture on the PGA Tour schedule. Next year, this World Golf Championship event will be held in Memphis, Tenn., and a Champions Tour event will come to Firestone.
Woods is hoping that he can end things here on a high note.
“I’ve had so many great memories here,” he said. “I hope I can have one more.”