PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Last week Tiger Woods referred to Oak Hill’s putting surfaces as “spotty,” and wondered “how much they’re able to speed them up with kind of a lack of grass.”
Following two abbreviated nine-hole rounds this week on the Donald Ross design, the world No. 1 sounded much more upbeat regarding the greens for this week’s PGA Championship.
“They have definitely got up to speed . . . they are close to 11-plus now (on the Stimpmeter),” he said on Tuesday. “There’s not a lot of base to it. Obviously the greens have a little bit of sand underneath. But the balls aren’t ripping back because of that. They are just kind of digging in and kind of rolling, so it’s a little bit different than we played last week.”
Woods has struggled with green speeds this season, specifically at the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship, which might explain the extra work he put in on Monday less than 24 hours removed from his victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
Woods spent most of Monday, when he played the front nine with Steve Stricker, hitting approach shots, chipping and putting.
“Get a little bit more feel for that, and obviously I’ll do more of that today and tomorrow,” he said.