FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – The first PGA Championship in May in 70 years probably felt more like an Open Championship in July for Tiger Woods on Monday.
Woods braved an early nine-hole practice round at Bethpage Black before heavy rain cut short the field’s preparations; it was a familiar feeling for Woods.
He won the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage and finished tied for sixth when the brutish layout hosted the national championship in ’09. Both events were impacted by various weather delays.
But if the course and conditions feel familiar, the difference this time is in expectations.
To be clear, there were expectations when he won at Bethpage in ’02 and when he came up short in ’09 to Lucas Glover. He was the top-ranked player in the world on both occasions. It’s just different this time.
His victory at last month’s Masters ended a major-championship drought that had stretched back more than a decade. Even after his triumph at last year’s Tour Championship, there remained skepticism he could win his 15th major championship title. All those doubts were washed away with a convincing performance at Augusta National.
Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships doesn’t seem so far out of reach any longer, and the quick turnaround, with the PGA Championship’s move to May, can only help Woods’ chances. No one rides momentum better than Tiger, and his record on the most demanding of public layouts justifies his status as this week’s betting favorite. But if the conditions at Bethpage seem soggily familiar, it’s important to point out that this is a different Tiger.
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When Woods won at Bethpage in ’02, he was seventh that week in fairways hit. During his top-10 performance in ’09, he was 21st in accuracy off the tee. As impressive as he was last month at Augusta National, and he was impressive, his driving wasn’t the best. He ranked 47th in the field in fairways hit, with a particularly poor 7-of-14 performance on Thursday. That dovetails with his season average of 64 percent, which ranks 70th on the PGA Tour. The Black Course demands a lot from players, and missing fairways is the easiest way to play yourself out of contention.
There’s also something to be said for the unknown. Although Woods made a scouting trip to Bethpage last Wednesday for some on-the-ground work, he has otherwise kept an exceedingly low profile post-Augusta.
He skipped the Wells Fargo Championship, which has been a staple of his schedule when he’s been healthy, and he told reporters on Monday that he didn’t play any serious golf for nearly two weeks following the Masters.
For a player who has endured as many injury-induced starts and stops in his career as Woods, some saw his decision to bail on Quail Hollow as a reason for concern, but he made it clear after last season that his schedule going forward would be different.
“As I said, I’m not going to play as much as I did last year. I played a little bit too much last year because I kept trying to qualify for World Golf Championships and events in the playoffs,” Woods said at Augusta National when asked about his upcoming schedule. “The tournaments I do play in, I’ll be fully invested and committed to playing and trying to win.”
This is just the sixth time in his career that Woods has not played an event since the previous major, but rest over readiness, at least the kind of readiness you get from on-site tournament practice, is probably not a bad option for a 43-year-old with a surgically repaired back.
“Being well-rested is more important than anything,” Woods’ caddie Joe LaCava told Golfweek. “Winning the Masters took a lot out of him. Playing another tournament, wherever it might have been, I don’t think it would have been a setback, but it would have taken a lot out of him. Probably wouldn’t have done him any good because he would have been too tired. When you’re tired, there’s no need to play.”
Considering the history of majors at Bethpage and this week’s weather forecast, being rested might end up being the best preparation.