Can Tiger Woods overcome putting struggles at Tour Championship?

Question

Accepted Answer

Tiger Woods Faces Putting Challenges Ahead of Tour Championship

Tiger Woods enters the Tour Championship as the top seed in the FedExCup standings, aiming for his sixth win of the year. However, recent putting difficulties have raised questions about his ability to close out tournaments, a concern amplified by a rules violation at the BMW Championship. While Woods has the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour this season, his final-round performance has been notably weaker, ranking 118th.
Recent Putting Performance Undermines Momentum

In the two preceding FedExCup playoff events, Woods experienced significant putting struggles. Following a strong position at the Deutsche Bank Championship, his putting woes led to a drop into a tie for 65th place after shooting 72 and 73 in the final two rounds. A similar pattern emerged at the BMW Championship, where his putting faltered in the final round, causing him to slip to 11th place. Woods himself acknowledged having "five to seven three-putts" during the BMW Championship, describing it as "not a very good putting week."
Final Round Scoring Average Raises Concerns

Despite his overall success and the lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour this season (68.87), Woods' performance in final rounds presents a statistical anomaly. His average score in the final round stands at 71.43, placing him 118th on the tour. Woods believes that eliminating simple mistakes on the greens could have significantly improved his results in these crucial final rounds, suggesting a focus on precision is key.
Strong Position for FedExCup Despite Setbacks

Woods is in a favourable position at East Lake for the Tour Championship. As the top seed, a victory at this event would secure him the FedExCup and the US$10 million bonus. He has a history of success in this tournament, having won the FedExCup in 2007 and 2009. Even with a less dominant finish, his current standing provides a strong chance to claim the overall prize, with mathematically possible scenarios for winning the cup even with a lower finish.
Rules Violation Adds Another Layer of Scrutiny

Adding to the recent concerns, Woods incurred a two-stroke penalty at the BMW Championship for a moving ball, marking his third rules violation of the year. The infraction occurred on the par-four first hole, where his ball slightly shifted after his second shot. While Woods initially felt the ball had only oscillated, video review showed movement, leading to his score being amended from a double-bogey six to a quadruple-bogey eight. This incident, coupled with his putting struggles, introduces an additional element of scrutiny as he heads into the final event of the season.

Reading history

Hide →

This history is cleared when the page is closed.

Can Tiger Woods overcome putting struggles at Tour Championship?

Loading

Was this article helpful?

Helpful

Not helpful

Report an issue

1

0

0

Share with friends