Four-time former PGA Championship winner Tiger Woods is not only fighting gremlins in his game but biting mosquitos all about this week’s Whistling Straits host venue.
Woods was sporting a few ‘mossie’ bites on his arms following an early Tuesday morning practice and showing he’d lost none of his human appeal with a ‘plague’ of few hundred of fans up early to walk the Lake Michigan shoreline with the former long-time World No. 1.
“I’ve never seen mosquitos like these up here,” he said.
“I live in Florida and we go out in the evenings and you may get bitten, but up here you get eaten alive.
Tiger Woods not only is fighting his game but menacing mosquitos during a practice round ahead of the 97th PGA Championship. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“I’ve also been to Australia a few times where the flies can get pretty bad but then the flies ‘down under’ don’t bite unlike the mosquitoes up here.
“All I can keep doing is continually rubbing ‘Bug Off’ on my arms and face.”
Woods will tee-up Thursday having slumped further down the World Rankings to 278th and not only as he seeks a first Major triumph in over eight years but a first win in more than two seasons.
However while Woods has his own issues, new European Tour CEO Keith Pelly’s first official statement has already caused shockwaves on both sides of the Atlantic.
The inclusion of golf into the 2016 Olympics has meant a revamp of the PGA Tour schedule and with the big change being shifting the last week’s WGC – Bridgstone Invitational next year to two week’s after the U.S. Open and three week’s before The Open.
It’s meant the event will now clash with the 100th staging of the French Open and with Pelley announcing the European Tour will not co-sanction and not afford World Ranking or Ryder Cup points to the 2016 Bridgestone Invitational.
News of the decision hit new WGC – Bridgestone Invitational winner Shane Lowry like a ton of bricks and just two days after the delight in capturing the biggest win of his career.
“I don’t what I am going to do and it’s definitely a show of strength from the European Tour.”
European Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke has been drawn into the debate and advising if any player should be close to qualifying for the European Team then they should consider contesting the French Open that week.
