On Saturday, it was a heartbreaking day for fans who learned the news that Tiger Woods had withdrawn from the PGA Championship after posting his worst-ever score in 2022 PGA Championship. Woods made five consecutive bogeys in a major for only the second time (along with the first round of the 1996 U.S. Open), the legendary player made his only birdie of the round with a 37-foot putt on the par-4 15th.
The game was more than he could garner, and after carding a 9-over 79 in the third round, the former World No. 1 golfer told a pool reporter at Southern Hills Country Club that he was going to assess whether to return to the course and play the final 18 holes on Sunday.
“Well, I’m sore. I know that is for a fact,” Woods told a pool reporter. “We’ll do some work and see how it goes.”
Weather conditions were not helpful to the situation as temps dipped into the mid-50s, rain fell and gusting winds brought even more dreadful play. It was challenging conditions for almost all the contenders on Saturday. 46-year-old Woods was contenting in only his second tour event since he was seriously hurt in a roll-over car crash back in February 2021.
“Tiger Woods has informed us that he is withdrawing from the 2022 PGA Championship,” PGA of America president Jim Richerson said. “We admire Tiger’s valiant effort to compete here at Southern Hills and wish him the best as he continues to recover from his injuries.”
Woods finished his third round tied for 76th, at 12 over, and was 21 shots behind leader Mito Pereira. The decision to withdraw is not logged into the history books of Woods’ performance, as it marks the first time he has ever withdrawn from a major championship as a professional. In 1995, he withdrew from the U.S. Open after the second round as an amateur player due to a wrist injury. However, it has not been the case since he exited after shooting 75 in the opening round of the 2019 Northern Trust, this is the first time he has withdrawn from a PGA Tour event
Lacking in commitment to compete in the next major, the U.S. Open, which is scheduled for June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, the 15-time major champion, acknowledged that he planned to play in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland on July 14-17. If this will still happen, we shall see.
Woods struggled at the Masters and he endured the cold, wind, and rain at the PGA Championship. But at each event his scores were far below his peak performance levels. at Augusta National in April, he made the cut, yet, posted scores of 6-over 78 in each of the last two rounds, representing his worst scores in his career at the venue.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Woods played 321 rounds in majors from 1995 to 2020 and posted just five scores of 78 or worse. He has three such scores in seven rounds in majors this year.
With an additional five weeks for his leg to heal and get stronger, Woods was hoping for better results at Southern Hills. But he struggled in the two rounds in which he had morning tee times. Saturday’s dramatic weather change didn’t help his chances.
“It’s difficult to watch Tiger play at this stage, where he is at the mercy of his body, playing on the strength of one leg. He has a legacy in the game that will always be admired and I hope that he gets good advice from those closest to him going forward,” said Debert Cook, publisher of African American Golfer’s Digest.
