Tiger Woods started his goodbye to Firestone with a roar, but ended with a wimper on Sunday.
Woods made it back to Firestone for one final go-round, favored by so many to get that first win in five years.
Things didn’t quite work out.
In fact, there was virtually a Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson match on Sunday. They played just a group apart with Mickelson playing right behind Woods.
By day’s end, Woods had to birdie the 18th hole to keep from shooting 40 over the final nine at Firestone, a far reach from his glory days. His 34-39 added up to 73 and Mickelson nipped him by three shots.
Do we really need a $10 million match between these two?
Woods finished even par and tied for 31st. Mickelson’s 70 earned him a tie for 24th at three-under.
“I don’t think I’m that far off,” said Mickelson, as he heads for the PGA Championship this week at Bellerive. “”Where I’m giving up shots is my short-iron play.” As for Bellerive, Mickelson got in some play there early this past week. “The golf course is wonderful,” he said. “The guys who win will shoot low, the guys who don’t will shoot over par.”
As for Woods, he wasn’t happy at all. “Things certainly could have gone better,” he said of his final 18 at Firestone. “It is what it is. I’m going to miss this place.”
AYO — All You Others: Putnam Wins
When the best players are at one of these WGC events, the PGA Tour provides a place to play for AYO — All You Others.
That was the Barracuda Championship at the Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno and your winner is Andrew Putnam with 47 points in the Stableford format — whatever that is.
Putnam edged Chad Campbell by four.
