Tiger Woods is back on the course at the PGA Championship but needs a great round on Friday to ensure he’s around this weekend.Matthew PostinsMay 17, 2024 8:00 AM EDTTiger Woods has fond memories of Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., where he won the 2000 PGA Championship, the third leg of his famed “Tiger Slam.”On Thursday, he returned to the course after a long layoff and ended with a 1-over par 72 in the first round that puts him in danger of missing the cut.The 15-time major champion and four-time PGA Championship winner is seeking to at least make this weekend’s play. Since his Masters win in 2019, he has missed the cut or withdrawn in six of his last 11 starts. He didn’t play in all of 2021 due to a car accident that left him with significant injuries.His 72 left him 10 shots back of first-round leader Xander Schauffele, who fired the lowest round in PGA Championship history with a 62.Woods started on No. 10 on Thursday morning and had difficulty finding the fairway as he sandwiched a birdie on No. 13 between bogeys on Nos. 11 and 15.One-over par at the turn, Woods posted a birdie on No. 3, a par-3, and No. 7, a par-5, to put him one-under-par for the round.But he ran into trouble on the last two holes, posting bogeys on both. On No. 8 he three-putted from 49 feet after a solid tee shot on the par-3, while on No. 9 he three-putted from 28 feet after reaching the par-4 in two shots.Woods, who has had several back surgeries and missed most last season due to ankle surgery, has played in just two events in 2024. He started the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Golf Club in Los Angeles in February, but he withdrew during the second round due to an illness.After that, he only played on competitive round before returning to the Masters, a member-guest at the Seminole Club in Florida.At Augusta National, Woods made the cut but finished in an unfamiliar spot — last place. He finished at 16-over 304, which included a third-round 82 which basically took him out of any chance of contention. Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers a variety of sports for Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
