It came as no surprise when Tiger Woods informed officials at the PGA Championship around 7:30 Saturday evening that he was withdrawing after struggling all day.
Woods was greeted by temperatures hovering around the 50-degree mark and high winds when he teed off early Saturday morning. It was evident right off the bat that he was struggling.
Tiger made bogeyed at the second then made a triple-bogey at the par three sixth when his tee shot came up way short and found the water. He flubbed a pitch, found the green in four and two-putted for the triple. He shot 41 over the front nine and the hand writing was on the proverbial wall.
After that bogey at nine, he made it five straight, starting the back nine with four bogeys. It looked like an 80 was in the works but a birdie at the 15th and hard-earned pars over the last three holes put Woods in with 79. At 12-over, he was tied for last and was looking at an 8 a.m. tee time.
Woods turned down interview requests after his round and left the property to contemplate his next move.
It was an easy decision, given how he struggled physically on Thursday and although he bounced back with 69 on Friday, his right leg was still causing problems. Word from Tiger’s camp Saturday evening was that he was in pain and didn’t handle the quick turnaround from Friday afternoon’s late round to Saturday’s early tee time.
This was Tiger’s first WD from a major as a professional. He withdrew from his first U.S. Open as an amateur with a wrist injury.
The season’s next major is June 16 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
