With Tiger Woods out in the early-morning wave of Thursday’s first round of the PGA Championship, Boston golf fans were hoping for a strong showing by the world’s 30th-ranked player. Woods started the week on the bubble of the FedEx Cup playoffs and may need some help from others — in addition to a sound finish at the Atlanta Athletic Club — to qualify for Boston’s Deutsche Bank Championship.
Woods has twice taken home the $10 million FedEx Cup jackpot. But, in this year’s fifth running, he needed a big week just to qualify for the first of four playoff events, The Barclays.
At 129th in FedEx Cup points, and having ruled out participation in next week’s Wyndham Championship, Woods must play himself into the top 125 to make it to The Barclays. The Deutsche Bank is the second leg of the PGA Tour’s season-ending elimination tourney and Woods would have to ascend to the top 100 to tee it up at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass., over Labor Day weekend.
Woods likely needed a finish of 14th or higher this week to make the FedEx Cup cut, according to Helen Ross of PGATour.com. The golfer himself was unconvincing when he said he planned to take home another trophy Sunday night.
“A ‘W,’” Woods, shrugging his shoulders, told reporters Wednesday about his expectations for the 93rd PGA Championship. “Do you want me to elaborate? A nice ‘W,’” he said, laughing.
That doesn’t mean Woods was resigned to missing the playoffs. He talked about reassessing his caddie situation with an eye toward the rest of the 2011 season.
“After this event I’ll sit down and really look at [who would replace the fired Steve Williams] hopefully going to the playoffs,” said Woods.
Woods, whose trajectory for winning his 15th major veered dramatically off course when Y.E. Yang came from behind to beat him at this very event two years ago, has won the PGA title five times.
(Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. Check her out on the Waggle Room, Boston Golf Examiner, National Golf Examiner, and GottaGoGolf websites. You may also follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer.)
Related posts:
- Tiger Woods needs strong play at Barclays golf tourney to advance to Deutsche Bank Championship
- Tiger Woods returns but will he play in Boston?
- Deutsche Bank Championship: Tiger Woods in, looks beyond Boston
- The Barclays 2010: Will the real Tiger Woods please play through?
- Tiger Woods likes his chances at TPC Boston despite lagging in FedEx Cup points
