Tiger Woods has promised to “fight until the end” following a disappointing performance at the 106th US PGA Championship, which prompted increased calls for the 15-time major winner to quit.
The 48-year-old, who won this major at the Valhalla venue in 2000, missed the cut on seven-over, with his performance in placing 133rd in a 156-man field that included 20 club players arguably best summed up by the two triple-bogey sevens he carded in three holes early in his second round.
Woods fell six shots short of qualifying for the weekend’s final two rounds, and after finishing last of those who made the cut at last month’s Masters, it was unavoidable that social media would be flooded with those pleading with Woods to call it quits.
Nick Bradley, who previously coached Justin Rose, Sir Nick Faldo, and Paul McGinley, agreed with Colin Moontgomerie’s conclusion after the Masters. “I just wish Tiger had gone after he waved on that Swilken Bridge in St Andrews a couple of years ago,” Montgomerie told TalkSport last month. “He’s continued going, and he believes he can do it, but it’s clear now, both physically and mentally, that he can’t. There is a right moment to depart and a wrong time, and I believe he is delaying it for a little too long.”
Bradley made a reference and connection to Muhammad Ali’s unwillingness to hang up his gloves in the early 1980s. “Ali was born in Kentucky and fought for another two years after he should have quit,” Bradley stated. “Tiger Woods is in Kentucky and needs to retire before his final bookend is considered equal to Ali’s.” There is no shame in admitting that you have lost a step.
The main difference, of course, is that Ali was putting his health at risk by returning to the ring. Without a doubt, Woods’ body is ravaged from repeated back surgeries and the devastating injuries he sustained in a car accident three years ago, which nearly cost him his right leg. However, he is unlikely to endanger his life by continuing.
It is Woods’ right to leave on his own terms, and he currently insists that an exit is not imminent, despite the fact that his records sheet shows that in the seven official tournaments in which he has played since being dragged from that wreckage in Los Angeles in February 2021, he has only signed off in the final round twice, with a best finish of 47th place.
When asked why he keeps fighting so hard, even if it’s a lost cause, as the last 14 holes on Friday clearly were, Woods said, “Just keep fighting.” Keep the pedal to the metal, fight, grind, and work hard to post the best score possible. That is all I can do. It’ll be a lot of work, but I’ll persevere to the end.”
“I just need to play more.”
There were really some positives for Woods to take away from Vahalla, beyond the fact that he came so close to converting his first competitive hole in 27 years on the eighth. Woods drove well, and his fitness appeared to have improved significantly since Augusta.
“Yeah, I need to clean up my rounds, but physically, yes, I am better than I was a month ago,” he replied. “I still have a ways to go. Hopefully, my team and I can do that before Pinehurst and head into the US Open.”
The problem is that he only has three weeks till he heads to North Carolina for his national championship, so how much can he accomplish in that time? Woods is in a conundrum because, while his game is not tournament sharp, his leg and back will not enable him to tee it up more frequently.
“It will, in time,” Woods said when asked if he thinks his golf game would improve. “I just need to play more.” Unfortunately, I haven’t played many tournaments, and there aren’t many tournaments on my schedule. Hopefully, everything will come together during my home practice sessions so that I am ready for Pinehurst.”
That seemed to be a long chance, even for this famed odds-defying figure. Woods also argues, albeit with some exaggeration, that his role in attempting to broker a peace agreement between golf’s warring factions is tiring.
“If you ask any of the [PGA Tour] player directors, we just don’t sleep much,” he stated. “There are many late evenings and Zoom calls at weird hours of the night, as well as a large number of emails to read. These are all things I signed up for as a player director and ways I can contribute, and maybe we can have a bigger influence.”
Perhaps Woods’s most ambitious goal for 2024 is to prove that he can participate in all of this year’s majors, with the Open taking place five weeks later at Royal Troon. It’s been half a decade since he’s played all four in a season. That may be a minor victory for the icon, who is currently rated 807th in the world.
