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    Tiger Woods' Toughness Praised by Fans After Making Cut at 2022 PGA Championship

    Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVMay 20, 2022

    TULSA, OK - MAY 20: Tiger Woods hits his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship at the Southern Hills on May 20, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)
    Darren Carroll/PGA of America

    Tiger Woods isn't going to win the PGA Championship. On Friday, he flirted with missing the cut, shooting a one-under 69 to move to three-over for the tournament. He clearly was battling through pain the entire day, trying to will himself over the cut line. 

    But he fought like hell, and golf fans and pundits alike absolutely adored him for it:

    Dan Rapaport @Daniel_Rapaport

    I shouldn't be as surprised, but Tiger is fighting *like hell* for no reason other than that's all he knows how to do. He has nothing to prove. Nothing to really gain by squeaking by the cut. In significant pain. But his pride won't let him mail it in. One of a kind person.

    Jason Logan @jasonSCOREGolf

    Second tournament in almost two years, limping, outside the cutline and desperately needing a birdie and <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> is slinging a big draw with a wedge into a pin. ❤️

    Braylon Edwards @OfficialBraylon

    <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> Putting right now is insane…all things considered. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FIGHTER?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FIGHTER</a>

    Scott Quessenberry @ScootsyQ

    Man Tiger is HURTIN. Dude is as gritty as they come that’s for sure!!!!

    Jack Murphy @JackMurphy219

    Tiger is such a grinder… I love this more than when he dominated

    Dan Hicks @DanHicksNBC

    Watching <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> grind it out, especially now, is still one of the great things in all of sport.

    Garry Frank @GFrankTV

    Tiger. Never. Quits. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PGAChampionship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PGAChampionship</a>

    Jason Sobel @JasonSobelTAN

    Really impressive that a guy with 15 major championships who still maintains that his only reason for competing is to win will grind out a Friday afternoon cut line while playing in pain.

    Porter Larsen @Larsen_ESPN

    Damn, Tiger is WORKING for these pars right now <br><br>Some great saves down the stretch as he looks to hang around the cut line

    Kyle Porter @KylePorterCBS

    Watching Tiger absolutely rip people apart in his prime was great fun and terrific entertainment. Watching him proudly grind his way to a made cut at a major he has no chance of winning on nothing but stingers and resolve is a far more emotionally inspiring performance.

    He was also in noticable pain Thursday, when he shot four-over and could be seen limping at points on the course. 

    "I just can't load it," he told reporters after that round regarding his surgically-repaired and still-recovering right leg. "Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, walking hurts and twisting hurts. It's just golf. I don't play that, if I don't do that, then I'm all right."

    That right leg, injured in a car crash in Feb. 2021, kept him out of competitive play until this year's Masters, where he finished 47th and struggled through the weekend. At those Masters, simply playing was a triumph, and there was no guarantee he would participate in this year's PGA Championship in Tulsa. 

    But he chose to play, and on Friday he chose to fight.

    PGA TOUR @PGATOUR

    Early dart from <a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> 🎯 <a href="https://t.co/JFbYYivhuT">pic.twitter.com/JFbYYivhuT</a>

    Tiger Woods' Toughness Praised by Fans After Making Cut at 2022 PGA Championship
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    PGA Championship @PGAChampionship

    Hear the roar. 🐅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PGAChamp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PGAChamp</a> <a href="https://t.co/98JXorp7Nb">pic.twitter.com/98JXorp7Nb</a>

    Justin Ray @JustinRayGolf

    Still one of the craziest stats in sports<br><br>Tiger Woods in majors as a pro<br><br>More wins (15) than missed cuts (11)<br><br>He'll play the weekend at Southern Hills

    And that's the main takeaway from Friday—that even in a tournament where he isn't in contention, the fight and grit he displayed nonetheless made him one of the central figures of the event. 

    The golf world, as always, orbits around Tiger.