Perhaps this is the new normal for Tiger Woods. Or is that the new abnormal?
Woods struggled mightily during his opening round Thursday at the Memorial, shooting a woeful 40 over his first nine holes that included a tee shot that sailed so far right at the 18th hole, no one saw it go out-of-bounds. Four bogeys and a double, two birdies and two pars added up to 40.
Give Woods credit, he fought hard, shot a 33 on the front, his second nine and finished with a 73 that left him tied for 86th on a course he has totally dominated in the past.
Woods was afflicted with the dreaded “army golf” syndrome, missing his tee shots left and right. He hit only four fairways.
“He struggles with the driver and I think it’s pretty much between his ears,” observed tournament host Jack Nicklaus.
“Mentally beat up,” was how Woods described himself after the effort that left him without a lot to say. “I didn’t play very good at all,” he lamented.
It was also an historical day for the Woods family. His niece, Cheyenne, clipped him by 10 shots, put up a 63 to take the first round lead at the LPGA’s Manulife Classic in Canada.
New high for Cheyenne, another low for Tiger.
Welcome to the new (ab)normal.
