Tiger Woods at The Match on Saturday.
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In the pregame protection for The Match on Saturday, Justin Thomas stated that early in his profession it took him a couple of rounds with Tiger Woods earlier than he gathered the metal to ask Woods what he considered Thomas’ recreation. When Thomas lastly inquired, Woods didn’t sugarcoat his evaluation: “You don’t have near enough shots.”
In the years since that dialog, Thomas has received 15 instances on the PGA Tour, together with two main championships, established himself as one of many recreation’s elite shotmakers (did you see him make par Saturday night time utilizing solely a 5-wood?!) and ascended to such heights that, nicely, he made the (very) quick checklist to play alongside Woods on this 12 months’s Match. Â
Indeed, at present the extra urgent query will not be concerning the state of Thomas’ recreation however that of Woods’.
The Match broadcast evaluation: Hits, misses from primetime golf beneath the lights
Josh Sens
The Match represented the primary time we’ve seen Woods hit a ball in competitors since he missed the lower by 9 on the Open Championship in July. Woods was imagined to play the Hero World Challenge two weeks in the past within the Bahamas however was sidelined with plantar fasciitis.
Here are 4 issues we discovered in his much-anticipated return.
1. He nonetheless has velocity
It took Woods all of 1 swing to show that his swing continues to be loaded with pop. His ball velocity along with his opening drive, with which he almost drove the inexperienced, was a zippy 178 mph. Earlier within the night time, on the vary, Woods cranked a tee shot at 182 mph, which caught the eye of Brandel Chamblee, who was watching from dwelling. “What in the holy golden bell did I just see???” Chamblee tweeted.
Each of Woods’ 5 driver swings within the contest have been north of 175 mph. Later within the spherical, Thomas revealed that when he was hitting with Woods at dwelling in Jupiter Island, Fla., a couple of weeks in the past, Woods “got one to 185.” That’s severely quick. Most spectacular is that he’s doing it with depleted energy in his decrease physique and presumably much less floor pressure than earlier iterations of his swing. Woods’ swing at present appears armsier than his strikes of yesteryear and extra reliant upon upper-body power.
Still, Woods two most fun swings of the night got here not with a driver however with an iron in his hand. In the Match’s one-club problem gap — a 450-yard-plus par-4 — Woods’ membership of selection was a 5-iron. Instead of enjoying down the green, he opened his physique up at a 45-degree angle and played a slinging draw that thrilled followers at dwelling.
With his second shot, Woods executed an analogous exhausting hook. Fun stuff. Woods’ second-best iron shot was his tee shot on the par-3 eighth, which he parachuted over the flagstick to fifteen toes.
This isn’t to say Woods’ recreation was notably sharp, as a result of it wasn’t, and that was absolutely, partially, as a result of…
2. He hadn’t played in additional than 2 weeks
Woods revealed early within the telecast that, earlier than Saturday, he hadn’t hit a ball in two and a half weeks. So, yeah, rust was inevitable. On the par-4 2nd, Woods hit a chunky method that got here up woefully quick. “Play hard, partner,” he joked to McIlroy. On the subsequent gap, a par-3, he dumped his tee shot quick in a bunker.
Even Woods’ placing, on Pelican GC’s wickedly quick greens, was iffy. Woods has made a legendary profession of holing putts when he completely has wanted them. But that wasn’t the case Saturday. One of his greatest efforts got here from behind the sixth inexperienced, after Match announcer Brian Anderson bravely joked on the telecast that Woods was getting a stroke on the opening, a barb that Woods and the opposite gamers heard by means of their earpieces.
Tiger Woods jokingly jabbed by Match announcer after sluggish begin
Alan Bastable
Woods traditionally has used any digs at his recreation as motivational gas, and as his 20-ish-foot birdie strive tracked towards the opening, this appeared to be one other Tiger Moment (TM). Alas, his ball caught the left fringe of the cup and motored previous. He and McIlroy nonetheless salvaged an unlikely tie on the opening, however that was solely due to a beneficiant concession of McIlroy’s putt and missed shortie from Thomas.     Â
3. He seemed uncomfortable
Woods, to no shock, didn’t look spry. With the gamers in carts, he averted having to tempo the fairways however was clearly laboring even on his quick walks to and throughout the greens. He didn’t appear to be a participant match to deal with 4 rounds on, say, the hilly terrain of Augusta National. “Ranger Rick” is how Woods referred to himself on a podcast earlier within the week, suggesting he can go blow for blow with any participant on the vary, however on the course, when strolling is concerned, not a lot.
“How’s the foot?” Match analyst Charles Barkley requested Woods as Woods drove his cart up the first gap.
“It’s still attached,” Woods joked. “It’s all good.”
Credit to Woods for maintaining a humorousness about his restoration. As he has described the method, it’s been an absolute grind, with the plantar fasciitis including one more layer of issues. One of the massive questions for 2023: Will Woods get himself again right into a place the place he can stroll 7,200 yards for 5 – 6 consecutive days? Saturday night time indicated he (as soon as once more) has a protracted highway forward of him.
4. He was in good spirits
And why not? Golf beneath the lights! Raising cash for an necessary trigger (Florida hurricane aid)! High-stakes match play along with your buddies! Woods appeared to enjoy all of it.
One of the perfect moments got here earlier than the match when Annika Sorenstam launched her son, Will, to Woods. As Will inched towards Woods, Woods reached out his hand and with an enormous smile stated, “Tiger, good to see you!” — as if the best golfer of all time wanted to establish himself.
During the Match itself, Woods employed some lighthearted gamesmanship. On the one-club problem gap, he declined to disclose his membership choice to his opponents, even when pressed by TNT reporter Kathryn Tappen. Later within the occasion, Thomas mischievously swiped Woods’ cart key, however Woods bought the final snort. As Thomas stood over an method shot, Woods flipped his cart into reverse. As any golfer is aware of, hitting the reverse swap produces a shrill siren.
And so the night time went. A jab right here, a prank there — and, in the end, a 3-and-2 loss for Woods and McIlroy. After the primary gap, the golf was by no means competitive and, looking back, we in all probability shouldn’t have anticipated it to be. Even with the world No. 1 at his aspect, Woods seemed like an out-of-form golfer who stood little probability towards the dynamic shotmaking of Thomas and Spieth.  Â
The excellent news for Woods: He received’t have to attend lengthy to check his recreation once more in one other informal however nonetheless competitive surroundings. He and son Charlie are scheduled to play within the PNC Championship subsequent week in South Florida. The golf world, as ever, will likely be watching.
