Bethpage: Tiger Woods launched his quest for a 16th major title, and a possible return to world number one, with a PGA Championship practice round in cold and rainy conditions. The 43-year-old American, who snapped an 11-year major win drought by capturing last month’s Masters, toured the front nine at Bethpage Black in just under 2 1/2 hours ahead of Thursday’s start to the year’s second major tournament. “I feel good,” Woods told Golfweek on Monday. “Got a couple more days of work to get in and I’ll be ready to go.”
Woods hopes to pull within two of the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus and take a fifth PGA crown, which would match the career record hauls of Nicklaus and Walter Hagen. “To tie Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus with five wins would be a very special accomplishment,” Woods said. With a victory, Woods would also match the all-time career US PGA wins record of 82 by Sam Snead. Woods, whose career had been jeopardized by years of nagging back pain before 2017 spinal fusion surgery, won the 2002 US Open at Bethpage Black and shared sixth in the 2009 US Open, but those were in warmer mid-June conditions.
This marks the first PGA Championship since 1948 to be played in May after the event was shifted this year from its traditional August spot in golf’s lineup. Woods practiced four times last week, including an 18-hole session at the Long Island public layout last Wednesday, two days after accepting the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a White House ceremony. The in-depth shotmaking session at Bethpage was the first time Woods had seen the facility since the 2012 US PGA Barclays tournament. Sixth-ranked Woods is among five players with a chance to top next week’s rankings.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson, defending champion Brooks Koepka, England’s second-ranked Justin Rose, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Woods all have a chance at the top spot. Johnson, Rose, third-ranked Koepka and fourth-rated McIlroy could take number one with a triumph while Woods would need to win, have neither Rose nor Koepka finish second alone and have Johnson finish worse than solo 11th place. Woods, who has not been world number one since March 2013, has spent a record 683 weeks atop the rankings.