Gary Woodland has been a bomber pilot since he turned pro in 2007. But it’s not the showy length of the tee that brings him comfort at the end of the day.
“Putting makes everything better,” he said Thursday. “I sleep better. I eat better. Everything is better when you make putts.”
Woodland was in for a carefree evening Thursday after his opening-round 66 at the Tour Championship, placing him but a shot back of co-leaders Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler.
» Photos: First round of Tour Championship at East Lake
He’s had quite a few of those in this playoff season. In fact, four of his past five rounds have been 66.
All credit goes, he said, to the work he has been doing with putting shaman Phil Kenyon, who may have been the most honest coach Woodland has ever encountered.
“He’s the first one who told me he didn’t like what he saw with my (putting) stroke,” Woodland said. “Everybody always told me I had a good stroke – and he told me he didn’t like it.”
All he needed to change was everything.
“We made some setup changes, grip changes, all of the above,” Woodland said.
“He told me pretty much everything I’ve done my whole life was wrong.”
Putting had been nature’s way of keeping Woodland, a three-time PGA Tour winner, grounded. There would be no stopping him if he mastered both the longest and the shortest clubs in his bag.
While always among the top dozen on Tour in driving distance, Woodland never has been in the top 80 in strokes gained putting. That’s not the same guy who canned a 40-footer for eagle on the par-5 sixth hole Thursday, or who finished the day in the top half of the 30-man field (12th) in strokes gained putting.
“(Putting) has been kind of my Achilles’ heel for a long time, and now it’s starting to feel like a strength of mine,” he said.
Sleep tight, sir.
The Phil fail; the Phil rally: There were two Phil Mickelson's competing at East Lake on Thursday.
Front-Nine Phil was bad Phil. He went out in a 5-over 40, which included a bogey-double bogey-bogey finish on the front.
He then, thankfully, tagged out with Back-Nine Phil, who put together a spotless close – two birdies, seven pars, a 33, and a total lack of angst.
Alas, rules require that both Phils’ scores count. His 3-over 73 put him in a three-way tie for last.
Ryder Cup sneak peek: As well as providing an excellent earning opportunity for the world's wealthiest golfers, this Tour Championship also provides a helpful form chart for next week's Ryder Cup. Eleven of the 12-man U.S. team are playing here this week, along with half the European squad.
Four of the pairings Thursday happened to throw together a member of each team. Had they been embroiled in match play this day, the U.S. would have gone 2-0-2.
Tiger Woods over Tommy Fleetwood, 2-and-1.
Rickie Fowler over Jon Rahm, 1-up.
Both Bryson DeChambeau vs. Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson vs. Francesco Molinari, all square.
Call it an omen, if you wish.
Biggest FedEx Cup movers, both good and bad: All the math majors out there, there may be some interest in the volatile FedEx Cup points race after the first round.
By taking a share of the first-round lead, Tiger Woods moved up 18 places to stand No. 2 in points currently. Co-leader Rickie Fowler moved up 20 places to No. 3.
Mickelson lost the most ground, eight spots, from No. 14 to No. 22.
If the tournament ended Thursday, Justin Rose would have displaced Bryson DeChambeau as FedEx Cup front-runner (DeChambeau’s first-round 71 being quite costly).
But it doesn’t end Thursday. It will all change Friday. More volatility is guaranteed, for those who enjoy complex number puzzles.
