Tiger Woods' US Open ended in a spectacular fashion.
Darren Riehl/GOLF
PINEHURST, NC — The kids weren't yelling at themselves singing.
And if you've heard a group of kids before, you know that a song can be a powerful propellant.
But on Thursday afternoon at the US Open, it looked like the tune wouldn't fit.
“TI-GER TI-GER TI-GER,” cried for the better part of 15 minutes straight from the practice green at Pinehurst No. 2, altering pitch and volume based on the proximity of their subject, Tiger Woods. After an opening-round 74 at the national championship, Woods told reporters his hope was to “hit a few” on the course, as long as his back wasn't strained on the short drive from the 10th tee box back. the clubhouse.
His plans didn't include an autograph session, and if you've ever been around Tiger even once in a major tournament you know he's likely to get sidetracked, even by the best efforts of these singing kids. Woods' eyes focus differently during big weeks – the kind that don't leave much room for writing. But these kids were like that tirelessly, their firmness can be shaken by the apparent lack of interest in their target.
They sang and sang and sang. And after what felt like a moment, Woods stopped swinging. He turned to caddy Lance Bennett, took his putter out of his bag and started walking.
“I'll hit a few,” he said.
The children filled a crescendo as Woods drills the ground with his putter, up a small hill to the practice green. In a thousand other moments like this in his pro-major career, Woods kept his eyes straight ahead, his gaze fixed, his attention elsewhere. But for some strange reason, that all changed Thursday at the US Open. He looked directly at the leader of the children – a small boy, maybe 8 years old, with white gray hair and a red striped shirt – and walked towards him.
If you were hoping to catch a new version of Tiger Woods at the US Open, Thursday's round at Pinehurst No. 2 did not do much to persuade you.
Woods looked the same way he did three months ago on a sweltering Thursday morning in North Carolina. His ball speed was brilliant, his upper body was smooth, his movement was smooth and aggressive, and his results were incredibly inconsistent. Officially, he shot four on Thursday, nine shots clear of the lead set by Patrick Cantlay (and later matched by Rory McIlroy), but from up close it was even more frustrating. Woods passed away his best driving day of the year, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and putting himself in scoring position throughout the morning on a day when many players found the conditions incredibly easy. However, he finished 111th in the field in putting average (with a trio of three putts) and lost more than two shots on the field in his approach game.
“It wasn't as good as I would have liked. I had one side earlier in the week, which is interesting. I was drawing football a lot. Now I'm cutting the ball a lot more,” Woods said after his round, a wry smile creeping across his face. “Welcome to golf.”
And welcome to the frustration that defined Woods' 2024 season. The driver it was a problem all year, and it was big Thursday; the instruments were large, and very bad. The putter was very cold and red hot at times. In other words, everything is there – not all at once.
“It's your poison, isn't it?” Woods said Thursday. “Play hard and you have a chance not to play, or if you don't play and fight you won't be as sharp.”
But, if you're hoping for a new version of Tiger Woods at the US Open, here it is after Thursday's round was very intense.
It started on the practice range, where Woods' back held up well enough on the short shuttle back to the clubhouse that he was able to hit balls for 15 minutes. after his cycle ended – a rarity in his life in a car crash. He seemed encouraged by what he found after a few minutes of alone time with his instruments and the swing of one driver, who was on the same line as one of his drivers of the day and produced a one-word answer: Yes.
But he seemed more interested in what was happening around him, as his good friend Justin Thomas was grinding away whatever funk left him after shooting a seven-over 77 on Thursday. As Woods put his clubs back in his bag, Thomas' grief could be heard in the distance.
“That's right therefore square here,” said Thomas, frustrated and chuckling as he pointed to the golf course. “But outside There It goes a million miles.”
If you've seen Tiger in a major tournament before, you know that he doesn't spare much time to feel sorry for fellow competitors who are struggling. You may have heard, the well-documented legacy of ignoring everything (again everyone) without winning.
But for some strange reason, Thursday was different. As Thomas blasted a few balls into the ether, Woods took a few quiet steps behind him, watching his downswing motion closely. He stopped Thomas after the third or fourth throw, and a short conversation ensued.
The two worked together for a while and Woods gave a few tips, a little session that might not have been remarkable at all if it wasn't Thursday at the US Open and he wasn't Tiger Woods.
He left after a few minutes of chatting with Thomas, and he seemed happy. His gaze had softened now, and his pace had begun to slow. A long recovery lay ahead, followed by many more hours of physical therapy before it was Friday afternoon. If things didn't go well, he would face this practice three times.
The grind had begun, and the placement session was still on its way.
But then it was time to see the boy wearing the red striped shirt.
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