PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Oh what could have been for Tiger Woods in Saturday’s third round of the Honda Classic.
But oh, my, what it sure looks like it’s going to be for him the rest of the year.
Woods squandered numerous scoring opportunities throughout his round on the windswept, sun-splashed Champions Course at PGA National, the culprit being an uncooperative putter, and wound up signing for a 1-under-par 69 that looked a whole lot better in person than in the numbers.
After opening with 70-71, he sits at even par through 54 holes and remained in touch with the leaders heading into Sunday’s final round. He trails Luke List, who is looking for his first PGA Tour title, by seven shots.
“This is probably the highest score I could have shot today,” Woods said. “I really, really hit it good. I just didn't get anything to go for most of the early part of the round. I gave myself plenty of looks. I just didn't make anything and I finally made a nice par putt at 12 and made a nice one at 13.”
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The numbers say the winner of 79 PGA Tour titles and 14 majors hit 9 of 14 fairways in regulation and 13 of 18 greens. But he needed 29 putts and the putter turned a potential 64 or 65 into a 69.
“I probably miss-read about half of them,” he said. “It's tricky out there. These greens aren't exactly the smoothest in the world but the key was I gave myself a lot of looks.”
Thus, Woods’ words signaled encouragement far more than disappointment.
“I can't be that annoyed because I played really well,” said Woods, who added that he continues to figure out his new body after spinal fusion surgery and is gradually making tweaks to his swing to acclimate. “I wish I'd made a few more putts. I hit good putts. I just didn't get anything going on that front nine.
“ … This is only my third tournament of the season. It's not that many. What have I played, nine rounds of golf this year? That's not a lot. I've been pretty patient with it. I've still got some work to do. But I'm very pleased at the way I've progressed, especially this week.”
As is Joe LaCava, Woods’ caddie.
“He seems to be getting better each day,” LaCava said. “Besides two 6-irons he hit on the par-3s on the back, he was pretty much money all day. He didn’t hit it 10 feet, but he hit it pin-high consistently and hit a lot of consistent shots off the tee. … He’s hitting a little more of the stinger shots with the 3-woods and 2-irons, so you know he’s feeling decent and swinging decent when he starts hitting those shots. It’s slowly coming together. I don’t want to get ahead of myself after three good rounds. There’s still a lot of work to be done. But he seems to be trending in the right direction.”
Jason Dufner would agree. Dufner and Woods played a bunch of rounds at nearby Medalist Golf Club when the former world No. 1 was ramping up his work for his latest comeback, which has included a tie for 23rd in San Diego in the Farmers Insurance Open in January and a missed the cut in last week’s Genesis Open in Los Angeles.
The two played together again on Saturday.
“The stuff I saw at home was a little bit better than what I saw in San Diego and L.A. but I think he’s starting to get the wheels going a little bit and figuring out how to play golf again,” said Dufner, who is 1 over after a 70. “And there’s a lot involved in playing out here on the PGA Tour, more than anybody knows. Today was closer to what I saw in our casual rounds, which is a good indication that he’s on his way to playing some good golf.
“I don’t think he’s that far away. It’s probably not going to take him that long if he’s healthy. He’s a smart guy. He’ll figure out what it takes to play good golf our here. As long as he’s healthy he’s going to do some good stuff.”
He’ll need some good stuff Sunday if he’s to get his first win since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. In 2012, Woods closed with a 62 but Rory McIlroy held on for a two-shot win as Woods finished in a tie for second.
“First of all, I need to go and post a number,” Woods said. “If I can go ahead and post a number early, almost reminiscent of what I did with Rory, you never know. From what we've seen in the past, anything can happen the last four or five holes. I’ve got a shot.”
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