Tiger Woods is again in motion, and right here is how he’s doing on the PGA Championship

All the eye on the primary day of the PGA Championship was going to be on the group of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. It was the largest group of the day, essentially the most starpower on the property.

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Whereas McIlroy placed on a present — taking pictures 5-under 65 — the star of stars is all the time Woods. And given that is simply his second occasion again since a single-car crash in February 2021 that nearly price him his proper leg, the questions remained: How will he do? And would the leg maintain up?

Woods struggled his technique to an opening-round 74, which put him 9 strokes behind McIlroy. This is the way it went down:

No. 10: Par 4, 376 yards

There are nonetheless 71 holes remaining, however the first gap of Woods’ PGA Championship couldn’t have gone any higher. He striped a 3-wood 339 yards, which, in fact, got here with a membership twirl.

Tiger tees off.@TigerWoods | #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/k9MFJqAcu3

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2022

He then completely executed somewhat wedge from 95 yards to three toes. That putt was proper within the middle, and he started his tour round Southern Hills with a picture-perfect birdie.

Dialed in early.@TigerWoods | #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/3G9mL1fSy6

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2022

Rating: Birdie

Complete: 1 below

No. 11: Par 3, 173 yards

Woods took a conservative method on his second gap of the day, hitting a strong 8-iron into the center of the inexperienced. He lagged his birdie putt as much as kick-in vary. Two holes in, and no drama to date.

Rating: Par

Complete: 1 below

No. 12: Par 4, 461 yards

The stinger made its first look at this PGA Championship. Woods drilled a low iron off the tee. In the meantime, Spieth and McIlroy hit drivers. The distinction? Woods’ tee shot traveled 273 yards; Spieth hammered his 328 yards and McIlroy pounded his 354 yards. From 195 yards, Woods managed an ideal method that by no means left the flag. Woods slammed his 20-footer for birdie by means of the break and needed to accept par.

Rating: Par

Complete: 1 below

No. 13: Par 5, 632 yards

First driver of the day from Woods seemed as clean as all of the swings that preceded it. Woods unleashes one 353 yards down the left facet. Once more, although, he sat properly behind the tee photographs of Spieth and McIlroy, who each tried to get dwelling in two on the par-5. Woods laid as much as a snug yardage – he had 85 yards for his third shot – after which made an enormous mistake. He airmailed somewhat wedge – just about the identical shot he stuffed on the first gap – into the again bunker.

That could be the worst wedge shot you will ever see Tiger hit. #LongAndWrong

— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) May 19, 2022

Woods scrambled for par due to an ideal bunker shot. However given the place he was after 2 photographs, that was extra stress than he needed on the thirteenth.

Rating: Par

Complete: 1 below

No. 14: Par 3, 230 yards

Throughout an extended wait on the tee, Woods polished off a big sandwich that had social media buzzing.

what’s in tiger’s sandwich? unsuitable solutions solely pic.twitter.com/ehvuFiMOq7

— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) May 19, 2022

As soon as the wait was over and the late breakfast was achieved, Woods stepped up and hit one other crisp iron. He rolled dwelling the 13-footer for his second birdie of the spherical. He is not the most popular participant in his group, although. McIlroy dropped a 25-footer for his third birdie in a row.

Rating: Birdie

Complete: 2 below

No. 15: Par 4, 417 yards

Nothing about this gap went properly for Woods. He tried to hit one other stinger off the tee, however this one leaked proper into the tough. The second shot tumbled into the entrance bunker. The blast from the sand sailed manner too far. Two putts later and Woods walked away along with his first bogey of the event. In the meantime, McIlroy’s heater continued with a fourth consecutive birdie.

4 straight birdies for Rory.

The final time Rory McIlroy had 4 birdies in a row within the opening spherical of a serious? 2014 PGA Championship, his final main win.

— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) May 19, 2022

Rating: Bogey

Complete: 1 below

No. 16: Par 4, 522 yards

Woods has all the time made certain to suppose his manner round a golf course, particularly at main championships. He knew what he was doing along with his tee shot on the sixteenth, hitting a comfortable minimize that stopped just a few yards wanting the golf green bunker. From there, he hit a secure iron to the center of the inexperienced and two-putted for a par on the monstrously lengthy par-4.

Rating: Par

Complete: 1 below

No. 17: Par 4, 371 yards

Positive, the seventeenth is the shortest par-4 on the course, nevertheless it had the gamers’ consideration. Why? The wind picked up. “That is as robust as it has been,” McIlroy stated to caddie Harry Diamond. Woods, after a secure stinger off the tee, had simply 113 yards left. Usually, he would have been disenchanted with what occurred — a wedge that settled on the perimeter, 15 toes from the outlet. However with that wind, that method was tremendous. Yet another revolution and the birdie putt would have dropped. As an alternative, it sat simply off the sting.

Rating: Par

Complete: 1 below

No. 18: Par 4, 491 yards

One other good drive by Woods. However he was not blissful along with his second shot. Virtually immediately after affect, he angrily swung his membership backward and slammed it into the bottom. He knew what was coming. The pull-hook on the method bounded into the again bunker. To make issues worse – a lot worse – Woods appeared to limp greater than he had all day as he walked as much as the ultimate inexperienced of this facet. He hit an iffy bunker shot and got here away with a bogey for an even-par first 9. However now all consideration shifts to his well being and the way that surgically repaired leg will maintain up.

Rating: Bogey

Complete: Even

No. 1: Par 4, 451 yards

Woods’ second 9 did not begin properly. It is by no means good when a tee shot involves relaxation proper behind a tree. With no different alternative, he couldn’t even attempt to hit the inexperienced. He laid up quick and left, then hit an OK pitch into the inexperienced. However the finish end result was a second consecutive bogey and third in 5 holes. As robust as he seemed in the beginning, Woods’ sport has began to fall off as he has gotten deeper into his opening spherical. Plus, he heads to the second gap, his eleventh of the day, 5 photographs behind McIlroy, who’s the chief.

Rating: Bogey

Complete: 1 over

No. 2: Par 4, 480 yards

There are two distinctly various things taking place on this group: McIlroy is scorching; Woods is fading. McIlroy rolled in one other birdie, his fifth of the day, whereas Woods raced his birdie putt from a mile away 10 toes previous the outlet. Woods could not convert and it was one more bogey, his third in a row.

Rating: Bogey

Complete: 2 over

No. 3: Par 4, 444 yards

With nearly the whole lot going unsuitable, Woods desperately wanted one thing good to occur. And it lastly did. He break up the golf green along with his tee shot. The method shot was even higher. He managed the trajectory and spin with the wind swirling, and the ball settled in 4 toes from the outlet.

Rating: Birdie

Complete: 1 over

No. 4: Par 4, 377 yards

Woods missed the golf green with an iron; McIlroy hit the center of the golf green with a driver. Woods had 148 yards left for his second shot; McIlroy had 43 yards. Woods discovered the greenside bunker along with his method; McIlroy spun a low wedge to 10 toes. Woods hit a horrible bunker shot that does not maintain the inexperienced; McIlroy two-putts. Woods made bogey; McIlroy walked away with par.

Rating: Bogey

Complete: 2 over

No. 5: Par 5, 656 yards

Hey, a par! No huge deal, proper? Besides that the top end result on the fifth marked the primary par for Woods in six holes. It had been a string of bogeys and birdies going again to the seventeenth, Woods’ eighth gap of the day. Whereas most professionals head to a par-5 chasing birdie, at 656 yards, this one will not yield almost as many as different par-5s the professionals play. Facet notice: McIlroy did make birdie — one other one.

Rating: Par

Complete: 2 over

No. 6: Par 3, 226 yards

Woods took a surprisingly aggressive line off the tee. Not too many balls have been ending up left of the outlet location. Although his velocity had been good on the greens all day, his birdie putt from the perimeter got here up 2 toes quick. Larger information: McIlroy made his first bogey.

Rating: Par

Complete: 2 over

No. 7: Par 4, 443 yards

This might have been dangerous — and that has nothing to do with Woods almost making one other bogey earlier than saving par. His tee shot went manner, manner proper. Since he was so huge off the tee, he ended up within the tough closest to the adjoining fairway. As he weighed his choices, he almost obtained hit with a tee shot coming at him. He flinched because the ball went proper previous him and settled just a few yards away.

Rating: Par

Complete: 2 over

No. 8: Par 3, 220 yards

Woods began strolling somewhat slower, with a extra pronounced limp as he made the flip. However after hitting his tee shot on the eighth, there was no masking the ache. He grimaced. He limped some extra. The ball ended up within the bunker. He hit one other terrible bunker shot – it was a theme all through his opening spherical – and made one other bogey.

Rating: Bogey

Complete: 3 over

No. 9: Par 4, 395 yards

Woods hit yet one more poor shot. And as soon as extra, he favored his leg after he was achieved. His method to his last inexperienced of the day sailed lengthy. His chip didn’t attain the inexperienced. By the point he was achieved, he posted a bogey.

Rating: Bogey

Complete: 4-over 74