Coming off his first major win since 2008, Tiger Woods opened as the favorite to win the PGA Championship this weekend at Bethpage Black in Farmington, New York.
So far, Woods is off to a rough start.
Through the first day of the PGA tournament Thursday, Woods finished 2-over par — tied for 69th place. Woods shot a 72 on a day in which his game was full of inconsistencies.
Woods, who won the Masters last month, didn’t play well through his first nine holes — recording two double-bogeys, one on 10 and another on 17, in the process. He went into the second half 3-over par.
But it appeared his fortune was about to turn when Woods moved to the front nine. Over the first four holes, Woods birdied twice and sank a 31-foot eagle to get back to 1-under.
The rally, however, was short-lived. Woods fell apart over the last five holes, recording bogeys in three of them.
Woods is seeking his 16th major. There are still three days left in the PGA Championship, but he’ll have to play significantly better in order to catch leader Brooks Koepka.
Koepka finished the round with a commanding 7-under par — shooting a course-record 63 to grasp the lead. Through 18 holes, Koepka went without a bogey.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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