Tiger Woods gets frustrated when putts don't fall, but all is not lost at Players
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By Steve DiMeglio March 17, 2019 4:04 pm Follow	@Steve_DiMeglio
By Steve DiMeglio | March 17, 2019 4:04 pm	Follow @Steve_DiMeglio
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tiger Woods bounced out of his courtesy car in good spirits Monday, the sun at his troublesome back, some hop in his step.
The pain in his neck that forced a withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational a week earlier was gone. Ahead was The Players Championship, the PGA Tour's flagship event, the next step in his journey to Magnolia Lane and the Masters.
His mood was a tad different as he left the premises on a cloudy Sunday.
Not that Woods was demoralized. Far from it. But he was left with thinking about what could have been, frustrated the results didn't match his play, dejected by an uncooperative putter – despite having zero three-putts over the 72 holes – and disappointed that he hit the first page of the leaderboard just once.
He closed on his best note – a 3-under-par 69 – and with his previous rounds of 70-71-72, he finished at 6 under and well behind the leaders. His chances of winning basically ended in the second round when he dunked two balls into the water on the par-3 17th, the island green that is the course's signature hole.
From 146 yards, he made a quadruple-bogey 7 and went from two shots out of the lead to off the leaderboard. He spent the rest of the tournament playing catch-up on the strenous TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course, but he failed to create momentum and ignite sustained roars despite driving the ball superbly.
"I was close to getting over the hurdle and getting things rolling, and unfortunately, I made a 7 over at 17," Woods said. "I missed a few putts that I could have very easily got the momentum going that could have gotten me on a run. I was close. I know that the score doesn't really indicate that.
The early call from @TigerWoods. ☝#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/gwFwk2xv3P
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"This is probably the most stressful golf course you ever play when there's wind out here. It just, the wind swirls and you have fairways that are tough to hit and then you have the greens that are tough to hit and put it in the right sections, and if you don't, you're going to be standing on your head hitting some shots."
There were only a couple of those type of shots, but Woods' head was spinning nevertheless throughout the four rounds. That's what happens when you hit putt after putt after putt and watch the ball fail to disappear time and time again.
His 117 putts over 72 holes indicate a bad week with his faithful Scotty Cameron Newport 2, but Woods wasn't ready to bust it over his knee. He recently started working on his putting with coach Mike Killen, who was here this week during the practice rounds, and likes where that part of his game is going.
"I'm frustrated at lipping more putts out than I think I have in a very long time," Woods said. "Just one of those weeks where just nothing really got rolling enough to get me going."
Woods will spend the upcoming week working in the gym and working on his game. The following week, although he hasn't officially committed, he'll be in Austin, Texas, for the World Golf Championship-Dell Technologies Match Play. He's never been to the site of the tournament, the Austin Country Club, and he hasn't played in the match play event since 2013.
Woods won the event three times, but back in those days, the tournament featured a single-elimination format. The current structure has players set up in pools of four, with each guaranteed to play three matches before elimination rounds.
If he were to win, he'd play seven matches before heading north to Augusta for the Masters a week later. That doesn't, however, concern Woods.
"No, I got a week off after that," he said. "I'm hoping that I can play all the matches. That would be great."
He thinks it's an ideal prep for the first major of the season, the final tune-up to keep his Masters engine in top form.
"It's right on track," Woods said of his game heading forward. "I'm able to shape the golf ball both ways, which I'm going to need there. Just need a few more putts go in, but that's about it." Gwk
Players Championship, Tiger Woods, Digital Edition
Steve DiMeglio
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Former regional correspondent on Capitol Hill. Covered Major League Baseball for six years. Golf reporter since 2007 for USA TODAY and Golfweek. Covered events from the White House to the House that Ruth Built to the Home of Golf in St Andrews.
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