Tiger Woods' 3rd-Round Struggles at PGA Championship Stir Debate About Future
May 21, 2022
A day after Tiger Woods gritted his teeth and fought his way to a one-under 69 to make the cut at the 2022 PGA Championship, his body failed him.
Woods shot a nine-over score of 79 in Saturday's third round, one of his worst-ever scores in a major championship. The 15-time major winner carded seven bogeys against just one birdie and put up an ugly six on the par-three sixth that served as the nadir of his tournament.
Social media was buzzing with concern as Woods clearly struggled to physically make his way through the round.
Kevin Van Valkenburg @KVanValkenburgThey don't think about their old selves the way we do. They're obsessive about their craft, and they keep obsessing internally even as the skill diminishes. People thought it was sad to watch Jordan struggled. He didn't five a single f---. He liked competing. It's all he knew.
Woods is playing in his second tournament since coming back from a February 2021 car crash that nearly led to the amputation of his right leg.
Both tournaments have followed a similar script, featuring solid-enough Thursdays and Fridays before his body failed him over the weekend. At the Masters, Woods managed to stay afloat well enough to finish in 47th place.
At the PGA, Woods is currently in a tie for 76th. Sepp Straka is the only player who made the cut who has a lower overall score.
It's been both admirable and difficult to watch Woods try to tough it out and compete at the highest level while still clearly moving in a diminished state. His pure determination is what made him arguably the greatest athlete of his generation.
That said, it's clear Tiger is going to see this through and push his body to the brink—for better or for worse.