Again stiffness limiting Tiger; ‘greatest to be sensible’

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The reminiscences for Tiger Woods at Liberty Nationwide are tainted with some robust moments, and he is not off to the best begin this week for the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Woods spent many of the again 9 of his pro-am spherical Wednesday simply chipping and placing as he skilled stiffness and soreness throughout his early morning warm-up session and didn’t wish to take any probabilities previous to the beginning of the Northern Belief, which begins Thursday.

“It is best to be sensible about it,” Woods stated afterward. “That is type how it’s; some days I am stiffer than others.”

And that continued a standard chorus from Woods in his 4 event begins since successful the Masters in April.

He missed the reduce on the PGA Championship, tied for ninth on the Memorial Event, tied for 21st on the U.S. Open after which missed the reduce three weeks in the past at The Open, the place he by no means appeared to get on observe within the chilly climate.

Temperatures through the FedEx Cup playoffs will likely be significantly hotter, and that figured to assist the 43-year-old Woods, who is almost two full seasons into his comeback from spinal fusion surgical procedure that rejuvenated his profession and noticed him seize his 80th PGA Tour title final September on the Tour Championship and his 15th main title at Augusta Nationwide.

However Woods has by no means seemed utterly proper on a golf course since. All was effective throughout a nine-hole Tuesday observe spherical with Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Harold Varner. Woods then attended a dinner with gamers within the working to make the U.S. Presidents Cup workforce that he’ll captain in December.

“It was nice,” Woods stated. “As I’ve stated to you guys all yr, that is how it’s. Some days I am stiffer than others. Yesterday I used to be on the market hitting it nice. Driving it on the market with Brooksy and D.J. In the present day, I am stiff. Hopefully I am not that means [Thursday].”

A 7 a.m. pro-am time Wednesday was delayed 30 minutes by climate, and Woods did not really feel nice warming up. He thought briefly about withdrawing from the pro-am, however he determined he was adequate to go and hit a number of good photographs through the first 9 holes earlier than deciding to restrict what he did over the again 9.

Woods completed second at Liberty Nationwide in 2009 on the event then often known as the Barclays, lacking a playoff by a shot. He was second to Adam Scott right here in 2013, when he fell to the bottom on account of again ache after hitting a shot to the 13th gap through the last spherical.

That was one of many first situations of obvious again bother for Woods, who lower than a yr later had the primary of 4 again procedures that each one however detailed his seasons from 2014-17. Throughout that point, Woods performed simply 24 worldwide occasions, with 4 withdrawals and 5 missed cuts.

Then, two years in the past, in one among his first public appearances following his again surgical procedure in April of 2017, Woods was an assistant captain for the U.S. Presidents Cup workforce at Liberty Nationwide and stated in late September he “didn’t know what my future holds” so far as his golf profession was involved.

Woods returns to Liberty Nationwide this week ranked 28th within the standings for the FedEx Cup, which has been revamped this yr with simply three occasions. He’s assured of taking part in in subsequent week’s BMW Championship, which is for the highest 70 gamers. He probably wants one first rate end to guarantee himself a spot within the 30-player Tour Championship.

If he makes it to East Lake in Atlanta, it will likely be the primary time he has performed three straight tournaments for the reason that playoff run final yr in September. He has not performed two straight occasions since he tied for 15th on the Genesis Open adopted by a tie for 10th on the WGC-Mexico Championship in February.

“Sure, there’s concern, hopefully due to the pressures I’ll be dealing with, hopefully put myself in rivalry,” he stated. “That is why it will get tough. In the event you’re lacking cuts, who cares. You are taking weekends off and a pair further days of relaxation.

“However I am making an attempt to get myself the place I am in rivalry, the place it takes a toll on you, and that is what I wish to really feel. I wish to really feel that kind of tiredness, the place I’ve an opportunity to win. That is a very good feeling.”

Ever since successful the Masters, Woods appeared a lock to be a taking part in captain on the Presidents Cup in Australia, however hedged on that Wednesday, saying he isn’t a lock to choose himself.

The highest eight within the factors standings via subsequent week’s BMW Championship robotically qualify, with Woods getting 4 captain’s picks that he’ll make on Nov. four.

“I am like all of them, all the blokes within the room,” Woods stated, referring to the dinner with potential gamers on Tuesday. “Guys … can nonetheless win these two occasions and hop into the highest eight, or play nicely with the [fall] occasions that we’ve and get a decide.”

Woods begins the primary spherical on Thursday with J.T. Poston, who gained the Wydham Championship on Sunday and Scott Piercy at 7:43 a.m.