AUGUSTA – Next up for Tigers Woods – the PGA Championship.
Woods said on Sunday following his fourth round at the Masters – his 100th overall here – that he intends to play the other three majors this year.
“I’m going to do my homework going forward at Pinehurst, Valhalla and Troon, but that’s kind of the game plan,” Woods said after finishing the tournament at 16-over par, last in the field of those who made the cut.
The PGA Championship will be played at Valhalla Country Club May 16-19. The U.S. Open will be played at Pinehurst No. 2 June 13-16. The British Open will be played at Royal Troon July 18-21.
Woods made the cut at the Masters, at 1-over par, to set the record for consecutive times qualifying for the weekend at 24 straight. However, he shot 82 and 77 on Saturday and Sunday. The third-round score was his worst-ever at the Masters.
Coming into the Masters, Woods has played only the Genesis Invitational, where he withdrew in the second round after six holes due to influenza. He played a total of 24 holes before getting around Augusta National for four rounds. His last tournament before Genesis was last year’s Masters, where he withdrew in the third round.
Mickelson makes history of his own
Phil Mickelson made the cut at the Masters, his 101st at a major, and his now third all-time. He has a chance to tie Gary Player (102) at next month’s PGA Championship. He moved out of a tie with Tom Watson (100).
Jack Nicklaus is the all-time leader in cuts made at majors at 131.
“If you’re going to contend on the weekend, you’ve got to get there,” Mickelson said Sunday following his final round at the Masters. “That’s part of the battle. I feel like physically I’m in -- I don’t have any injuries, knock on wood, and I’ve been able to practice and play as much as I need to, and then in a slightly different way -- I don’t need to hit as many balls as I did when I was younger, but I need to hit them with a little bit more intent and focus.”
Kirk, Straka tie for low Bulldog
While Scottie Scheffler and Ludvig Aberg while battling it out for the green jacket, two Georgia Bulldogs were battling it out for low Bulldogs honors at the 2024 Masters.
Call it the red jacket.
Coming into Augusta National’s famous back 9, UGA alums Chris Kirk and Sepp Straka were neck-and-neck for low Bulldog honors. In the end, that’s right where they ended, tied at 2-over-par 290 over 72 holes.
It’s just as well, as far as both are concerned.
“You always want to be low Bulldog, but I’m always rooting for Kirk,” said Straka, who carded an ever-par 72 in Sunday’s final round two groups ahead of Kirk. “He’s a good dude. Hope he makes a few birdies coming in.”
Alas, Kirk did not. A three-putt bogey on 16 kept him from laying sole claim to low Bulldog.
For a while there, it looked like Kirk was going to run away with it. He birdied three straight holes on 8 through 10 before a bogey at the treacherous 11th blunted his momentum.
If he could have kept it up, Kirk possibly could’ve finished in the top 12, which comes with an automatic invite to next year’s Masters. As it went, he’ll have to settle for an inside-Top 20 finish, his best in five Masters.
Other than a missed cut in 2016, Kirk plays well at Augusta. On Friday, he went from not knowing whether he’d made the cut to shooting Saturday’s low round of 68.
“I played some great golf yesterday; I played okay today,” Kirk said. “Would liked to have gotten a few more on the back nine there, but the course is playing so difficult. … It was definitely a day where I feel like I could have gotten it a couple under instead of 1-over.”
Of the four UGA alums that survived this year’s cut, none of them had a realistic shot at any titles. The other two Bulldogs that played all four rounds at Augusta National this week were Harris English and Russell Henley. They finished at 4-over and 7-over, respectively.
Two-time champion Bubba Watson and reigning British Open champ Brian Harman each missed the cut.
Kirk said all the “Dawgs” stay aware of what their brethren are doing. As most of them move on to Hilton Head next week, it’s a never-ending competition.
“We want to beat each other, but we pull for each other, as well,” Kirk said.
Welcome back LIV, for a week
Much was made this week of the Masters featuring the first full-talent golf field in some time with LIV Golf players in the field.
There were 13 and nine made the cut, which was 6-over par.
Tyrell Hatton said the reception he received was welcoming -even as he had a few nerves messaging fellow Ryder Cup competitors on both sides.
“I have friends on the PGA Tour, and it was so nice to see them,” Hatton said. “It’s only been a couple of months, but it’s great. I get on well with quite a few of the guys. It was a warm reception coming back.
“In some ways you’re always a bit nervous coming back, but yeah, I think when I messaged the group chat, to the Ryder Cup chat, to tell the lads that I was going, I was nervous sending the message. Obviously, I was nervous joining LIV, as well. But the messages that I got back was like really positive and made me feel at ease. … I’m looking forward to seeing them again next month at the U.S.PGA.”
Here are how the LIV Golf players fared:
Bryson DeChambeau: -2 (T-6)
Cameron Smith: -2 (T-6)
Tyrrell Hatton: Even (T-9)
Patrick Reed: +1 (T-12)
Joaquin Niemann: +4 (T-22)
Phil Mickelson: +8 (T-43)
Jon Rahm: +9 (T-45)
Brooks Koepka: +9 (T-45)
Sergio Garcia: MC
Bubba Watson: MC
Charl Schwartzel: MC
Dustin Johnson: MC
Adrian Meronk: MC
A green like concrete
It’s no secret that the greens at Augusta National get tougher as the week goes on.
That was certainly the case this week. Just ask Camilo Villegas.
Villegas birdied his last three holes in the final round on Sunday. It was some feat considering the 17th green.
“Seventeen is like concrete, that green,” Villegas said. “It’s going to be very interesting to watch the boys coming in in the afternoon. I tried to fix my ball mark on 17, and I couldn’t. I could barely put the tee in.”
- Chip Towers and Chris Vivlamore contributed to this report.
