PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – For the second straight year, Tiger Woods eagled the 18th hole in the final round of the Honda Classic. Unlike a year ago, though, Sunday’s closing eagle merely served as a highlight on an otherwise forgettable day.
After three straight rounds of even-par 70, Woods carded a 4-over 74 Sunday despite the closing eagle, undone by a lost ball on the sixth hole and two shots into the water on the back nine.
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‘The penalty shots certainly added up,’ said Woods, whose round also included two birdies, two double bogeys and four bogeys. ‘This was a round where I felt like I should have shot about even par, maybe one or two under.’
Having finished his third round Saturday before winds kicked up for the afternoon wave, Woods was forced to play nearly all of his final round amid gusty conditions.
‘It’s really hard to shoot a low number out there today,’ he noted. ‘The wind is blowing the balls on the green a little bit, and it’s affecting chip shots. It’s tough out there.’
According to Woods, his approach shot to the home hole – along with his second to the difficult 10th hole – were ‘probably two of the best 3-irons I hit all year.’ Sunday, though, his eagle on the 72nd hole did not mean quite as much as it did a year ago.
‘It lowered my score by two,’ he stated simply when asked about the impact of the closing eagle. ‘That’s about it.’
Woods noted that the chance for a repeat of last year’s stunning finish – an 8-under 62 that ultimately moved him into a tie for second – went out the window early in his final round.
‘I think I passed 62 somewhere around 12,’ he added.