Tiger Woods said all the right things on the eve of the 2015 PGA Championship ay Whistling Straits, but putting his plan into action could be easier said than done.
Tiger Woods talks a good game, says the right things, but we’ve heard it all before. At this week’s 2015 USPGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin it would fantastic to see Woods in contention, going up against Rory McIlroy – limping yet holding his own - with Jordan Spieth in the chase to win his third major of the year, Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson in the hunt for their first and how about seeing Sergio Garcia make another major charge? It’s just that in reality, it’s hard to see Woods - the world number 278 - being part of that storyline.
“The golf course is setting up great,” started Woods yesterday, in his now typically optimistic mood. “It's a little soft with the rain we had but it's playing great. The greens are absolutely perfect. They're such a great speed and so smooth. I know they'll probably get a little bit quicker come Thursday, but overall this golf course is in perfect shape right now.
“You look at this golf course, there's plenty of room off the tee. There's plenty of room on the greens. It's just that you have to hit both of them. If you don't, then you're going to have something that's pretty ugly.”
And that is where Woods, 39 years old and preparing for his 18th PGA Championship, has trouble: finding fairways and greens. He puts in down to consistency.
“I need to be consistent on a daily level,” he says. “I just need to be a little bit better from shot to shot. It's fun just to compete, and every day is an opportunity to get better. That to me is fun. I look at the fact that it's just another opportunity to get better and try and take myself to the next level and whatever that is, it is.”
Woods’ best result of 2015 so far is a tie for 17th at the Masters. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open and at The Open at St. Andrews, although he did show signs of progress in his last tournament, finishing in a tie for 18th at the Quicken Loans National on the PGA Tour at the beginning of this month. He shot 68-66-74-68 that week and claimed his was ready to win again.
Woods can begin to prove his doubters wrong when he tees off at 8:15am (2:15pm GMT) in the first round on Thursday, grouped with two more past PGA Championship winners, Martin Kaymer and Keegan Bradley.
Story courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, the Official Car of the 2015 PGA Championship.
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