Tiger Woods will head into his sixth season next year without a Major victory after a continuing disappointing effort in the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
Woods failed to break 70 for a third day running in signing for a three over par 73 for a four over par tally.
It left the 14-time Major winning trailing 13 shots behind fellow American Jim Furyk and with the knowledge Woods has never won a Major Championship coming from behind.
Therefore Woods will head to next April’s Masters and into a sixth year since his 14th and last Major triumph – 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.
Tiger Woods informing the media details of his third round 73. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
In addressing his third round effort Woods admitted: “It’s hard for me. I didn’t play very well today. I didn’t start very good and didn’t finish very good. The bookends weren’t good, and in the middle I was grinding.”
Woods got off to a poor start bogeying the first and third holes that set the tone for a disappointing round before another packed gallery. His only birdie came on the par-3 11th, and he followed that up with bogeys at 16 and 17.
“It’s not joyous, that’s for sure,” he said.
“I just seem to be a fraction off. When I do hit a good shot, it’s really good but then when I hit a bad shot it’s really bad.”
Woods has yet to break par in two PGA Championships at Oak Hill. His best round was an even-par 70 on Friday. Still, he had nothing but praise for the course.
“It’s a fantastic golf course,” he said. “Unfortunately, I just haven’t put it together at the right time.’’
He traces his problem to mechanics.
“Sean and I were talking about it last night,” he said of swing coach Sean Foley. “I just haven’t got my takeaway right. It’s off. Consequently, the whole pattern is off. I’m a fraction off, and a fraction off on a setup like this is going to cost me.”
Woods was asked if he was surprised he didn’t play better considering he blew away the field at last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, where he won by seven strokes.
“It’s golf,” he said.
“You don’t play well every week. Unfortunately, it happened to be this week.”
