Woods: "I Have Enough Competitiveness for Majors"..."See You in the PO~"

2020 Season First Major PGA Championship "Tied 37th Finish", New Putter Successful, Expecting 3 Consecutive Weeks Participation

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Next mission: the Playoffs (PO)."

The 'Returned Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA, photo) finished tied for 37th place (1-under 279) at the PGA Championship, the first major of the 2020 PGA Tour season, which concluded on the 10th (Korean time) at Harding Park TPC (par 70) in San Francisco, California. He expressed confidence, saying, "I succeeded in various attempts and felt I was competitive enough." Originally scheduled for May, the event was postponed by three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Woods won the Masters in April last year, marking his 15th major victory, and reached Sam Snead's (USA) record of 82 PGA Tour wins by winning the Zozo Championship in October. His pursuit of the all-time records of 16 major wins and 83 PGA Tour wins is still ongoing. He started well with 2-under on the first day but shot 2-over on both the second and third days, falling out of contention. Although he used a new putter, his putting numbers soared, indicating he needs time to adjust.

He slightly lengthened the Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS model he had used for a long time to reduce lower back pain during putting. It is encouraging that he averaged just 1.50 putts per hole with 'stingy putting' on the final day, shooting 3-under. Woods also explained, "If a few putts had dropped early in the second round and also in the third round, there would have been a chance in the fourth round," adding, "I'm satisfied that I only had one three-putt."

The next tournament is likely the PO, which kicks off on the 20th. Starting with the first event, The Northern Trust, 70 players compete in the second event, the BMW Championship, and only 30 survive to the final third event, the Tour Championship, in a 'survival game.' The PGA Tour significantly revised the PO system last year, awarding 'stroke bonuses' such as 10-under for the No. 1 seed based on points ranking after the second event, and the third event champion receives a whopping $15 million (1.78 billion KRW) in prize money, making it a 'money festival.'

For Woods, playing three consecutive weeks is a variable. He warmed up with a tie for 9th at the Farmers Open in January but felt back pain during the Genesis Invitational in February, causing him to miss top-tier matches like the Arnold Palmer and The Players in March consecutively. He also finished tied for 40th at last month's Memorial Tournament. He vowed, "I will train my body to prepare for this." Due to COVID-19, the major schedule is congested, with two majors still remaining: the US Open on September 17 and the Masters on November 12.