Among the 15 Majors, 82 wins on the PGA Tour and over 100 around the world, there have been a few disasters over Woods’ spectacular career.
Most have been as a result of back and body problems, and that strange period where he had the chipping yips, but the elements and the vagaries of links golf have also played their part.
85 – 2015 Memorial Tournament
On day three at Muirfield Village, a venue where he had won five times, Woods shot his highest score as a professional when he recorded an 85. Thirteen over par and 15 shots worse than his playing partner, Zac Blair.
Woods parred his first three holes but then followed seven bogeys, doubles at 8 and 9, and he would finish with a quadruple-bogey 8 at the last. There was one birdie – out in 42, back in 43.
Looking back, the 15-time Major winner explained: “I didn’t want to have anyone watch me play the way I was playing. Unfortunately, that’s all I had. I take pride in throughout the years, of never bagging it. I’ve tried in every single round to fight to the end. I’ve had (a few) rounds in the 80s in my career, and unfortunately, that was the highest one I’ve ever had. It didn’t feel very good. But it is what it is. I tried and, unfortunately, you on this course, hitting it as bad as I did, it just wasn’t good enough.”
For playing partner and then rookie Blair, it was still a great memory.
“He was my idol, and I tried not to expect much, but he was really nice, talked to me all day, and talked to me about fishing in Utah. The Chambers Bay US Open was coming up, and we talked about that because I had played in the US Amateur there. Some of the things he could do with a golf ball made me realise why he was the best. He was still able to do some good things. He hit some iron shots that I couldn’t believe how flush they were,” added Blair.
“Whenever I tell people the story about playing with Tiger, I always try to tell them how amazing he was toward me. He could have easily walked off. He wasn’t playing his best, and after nine holes, he could have just gone in. He stuck through it all day and really ground it out and was still really nice. That was the coolest round of golf in my entire life.”
He would finish with a 74 to finish flat last, eight shots away from the next best.
82 – 2024 Masters
The next highest effort was a 10-over 82 at Augusta National. The previous day, he had battled his way through 23 holes to make a record-breaking 24th straight cut, but then started with a front nine of 42, also his worst at Augusta, and was home in 40 shots.
“I was not hitting it very well or putting it well. I didn’t have a very good warm-up session, and I kept it going all day. Just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it. I missed a lot of putts. Easy, makeable putts – I missed a lot of them.”
There was a birdie, incredibly at the 5th, but he doubled 7 (where he chipped into a greenside bunker) and 8, and there were five bogeys on the back nine to complete the misery.
“I haven’t competed and played much,” Woods added. “I had chances to get it flipped around, and when I made that putt at five, I promptly three-putted six and flubbed a chip at seven, and just got it going the wrong way. When I had opportunities to flip it, I didn’t.”
He would sign off with a 77 to prop up the field in 60th place.
82 – 2015 Phoenix Open
Nothing went right for Tiger Woods in the early part of 201,5, but this 11-over effort coincided with his chipping problems, on the back of a load of back concerns for much of the previous season.
In total, there were six bogeys, two doubles, a triple bogey and two birdies, and he would withdraw the following week at the Farmers.
“It’s golf, we all have days like this. Unfortunately, mine was in a public forum, in a public setting.”
Woods had recently teamed up with new coach Chris Como, but he would somehow finish inside the top 20 at The Masters just two months later.
81 – 2002 The Open
We all remember this one at Muirfield, having won the first two Majors of the year, but here are a few things that most of us have forgotten.
Woods would play alongside his good friend Mark O’Meara on the third day in Scotland, having begun with scores of 70-68. Woods hadn’t played since his US Open victory at Bethpage, but the pair had been preparing on the Irish links beforehand.
Woods would tee off at 2.30 pm, the storm hit just after 2 pm, with the wind and squalls piling into Muirfield just as they were teeing off.
“It hit when we were on the putting green. By the time we got on the 1st hole, the temperature dropped, rain was coming sideways, and blowing. And gusts were over 40mph. The 4th hole, a par 3, normally we were hitting 7-irons. I hit a 2-iron, and it probably should have been a 3-wood. The next hole, a par 5, I hit driver, 2-iron, 2-iron.”
Woods and O’Meara were in the seventh group from the end, and none of those 14 players shot better than 72. The average score of those players was 76.7 – nine players broke pa,r and none teed off later than 10.20 am. Colin Montgomerie’s first three rounds were 74-64-84.
Woods was among 10 players to shoot in the 80s. He would double the 5th, left a ball in the bunker at 13 and somehow played the final four holes in one under. Two doubles, seven bogeys and a birdie at 17 added up to an 81.
“It was the hardest conditions I’ve ever played in. It was so cold. We knew there was supposed to be a little bit of rain, and wind was supposed to pick up, but no one was calling for the temperature dropping into the 30s. I remember watching the highlights afterwards and seeing Shigeki (Matsuyama) on No. 6; he was huddled behind the boards on the tee box. Freezing.”
Woods would close with a 65 to finish in 28th and just six shots out of a play-off.
80 – 2015 US Open
Chambers Bay was the setting for Woods’ opening salvo of 80 shots and, again, came in 2015. Eight bogeys and a treble on 14 meant that the then World No. 195 player would continue his miserable season as he battled swing changes and a back surgery from the previous season.
He would end the opening day 15 shots behind Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson on a week where Jordan Spieth added his second Major of the year.
To that point, Woods had only broken 70 twice that year, but this was particularly miserable, even though he managed to get the better of two players, one of whom was Rickie Fowler (81).
“I’ve gone through tough phases in each one of these things, and I’ve come out OK on the other side.
“I haven’t played enough. I haven’t had a rhythm to play. I didn’t play much last year, and I haven’t played much this year. Knee surgeries are pretty easy compared to a back surgery; the recovery time, and for some reason, it’s just a lot harder dealing with a nerve than a joint. Keep grinding and keep working.”
“The bright side is that at least I kicked Rickie’s butt,” joked Woods.
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