Tiger loses ground to leaders at Bay Hill

LOS ANGELES – Two months after nearly winning the PNC Championship alongside his son, Tiger Woods is still unable to give a timetable for his return to the PGA TOUR. Woods’ play at the PNC was better than many expected after his horrific car crash last February, but he said any progress made since December was not significant enough to forecast a return to competition. “I wish I could tell you when I’m playing again,” Woods said Wednesday from The Riviera Country Club, where he is hosting The Genesis Invitational. “I want to know, but I don’t. My golf activity has been very limited. I can chip and putt really well and hit short irons very well, but I haven’t done any long stuff seriously. I’m still working. “I’m still working on the walking part. My foot was a little messed up there about a year ago, so the walking part is something that I’m still working on, working on strength and development in that. It takes time.” Woods suffered multiple fractures in his right leg and shattered his ankle last February in Los Angeles in the days following The Genesis Invitational when his vehicle jumped a median and rolled over into a ditch. There were serious concerns at the time that the 82-time TOUR winner might lose the limb. “To be able to have my right leg still here, it’s huge,” said Woods, who turned 46 in December. “I still have a lot of issues with it, but it’s mine and I’m very thankful for that. “What’s frustrating is it’s not at my timetable. I want to be at a certain place, but I’m not. I’ve just got to continue working. I’m getting better, yes, but not at the speed and rate that I would like. You add in the age factor, too. You just don’t quite heal as fast, which is frustrating.” His play at the PNC boosted hope of a larger comeback, perhaps even for the Masters in April. But Woods pointed out he had the benefit of riding in a golf cart on his way to a runner-up finish with Charlie behind John Daly and his son, John II. Woods was also recovering from a fifth back surgery prior to the accident. The combination of ailments makes hitting longer shots more difficult. “I have seen progress. I’m a lot stronger than I was then, I’m able to hit more shots… I can play weekend warrior golf, that’s easy. But to be able to be out here and play six rounds of golf, a practice round, pro-am, four competitive days, it’s the cumulative effect of all that. I’m not able to do that yet. I’m still working on getting to that point,” Woods said. “Don’t forget when my back was bad, when we had rain delays and had to reactivate everything and go back out there again. I’ve still got that issue, too. I’ve got a long way to go. … (Playing) gave me hope to be able to play with my son again and to be able to have fun with him and have those moments, … but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be back out on TOUR playing anytime soon.” Woods did remain committed to making a comeback at some point. He needs just one more TOUR win to take sole possession of the PGA TOUR wins record he currently shares with Sam Snead. “It’s been tough, but I’ve gotten here, I’ve gotten this far and I still have a long way to go. Each and every day’s a fight and I welcome that fight. Get up in the morning, let’s go a few more rounds,” Woods said. “I wish I could spend more time on the range digging out of the dirt. … But that’s not realistic at this point. Will I come back? Yes. Will I come back and play a full schedule? No. … I can play certain events here and there, but on a full-time level, no, that will never happen again.”

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Sometimes, nearly a football field is between his drives and those of big hitters like Bryson DeChambeau or Rory McIlroy. At 63, Bernhard Langer can still keep up with the young guys, especially at Augusta National.

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While the primary objective to PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live is to win real money, it’s still virtuous to test your patience and establish guidelines from which to learn. Otherwise, the only activity in which you’re participating is a dart-throwing contest with your eyes closed. Scores will be whizzing all over the board at the Shriners Children’s Open. It’s not the Barracuda Championship, which uses Modified Stableford scoring that turns over a leaderboard more than any other format, but TPC Summerlin will host a 144-man shootout during which truly anything is possible, or at least as closely to that hyperbole as it gets in golf. As Rob notes in his analysis for his R1 Leader below, two of the three par 5s are located on the inward side of TPC Summerlin. Overall par is 35-36—71, so the side of the draw that closes on 18 stands a better chance of slingshotting around guys on the opposite side in real time. So, there’s that, too. Most of all, since only five gamers cash, have fun. When you do, you can’t lose and crashing the top five is a bonus. Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers. For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here. TOURNAMENT TO WIN Glass … Adam Svensson (+10000) Jumped in on Sepp Straka at +800 last Sunday and rode him until he bucked me off. There’s always time to reevaluate this selection, so take a chance. My chance is going with the Canadian birdie machine. Only two players made more birdies last season and he sat T26 with just over four per round. Short track will help but he hits plenty of fairways and GIR to factor. And if he doesn’t, I’ll find somebody who does! Rob … Harry Hall (+20000) I know, I know, but the flexibility to change the pick at pretty much any time strips away the absurdity that it presents. So does the fact that shootouts can be indiscriminate. There’s nothing analytical about it, either. He’s a UNLV product who finished T8 in his tournament debut (as a non-member) a year ago. You also know the story of how he had just popped the question, so he was newly engaged at the time. With nothing but great vibes in Vegas, he’s the ideal swing for the fence on the first pitch. And hey, it’s not like he hasn’t connected before. He picked off a pair of wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in the last 16 months. The feels and knowhow of winning are the same no matter the circuit. TOP 10 Glass … Adam Hadwin (+500) Another Canadian! Another Adam! Please read Horses for Courses for his impressive numbers at TPC Summerlin. The window for the Top 10 doesn’t open as frequently as I would hope, and with a busy weekend on tap, I’m going to lean to the chalkier side of the tracks. Rob … Emiliano Grillo (+400) Since I continue to find myself browsing in the vicinity of this value when the window is open on weekends, I’ll open in the same aisle in case I can’t get back to it. The Argentine has been outstanding since reversing his form on the greens. It yielded a pair of T2s late last season and a T5 last week in Mississippi. Since he’s No. 6 in my Power Rankings for the Shriners, I’m putting my coins with my keyboard is. TOP 20 Rob … Rickie Fowler (+210) I laid out the classic combination of factors for why he’ll have a good week in Draws and Fades. I’ve spread my shares for him across numerous considerations this week. This bet is the optimal spot to turn him loose in PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live. Glass … Scott Piercy (+420) Hoping to set it and forget as the Las Vegas resident knows this place as well as anyone, and the results have followed. Of his 12 starts, he’s cashed T32 or better in 10 of them. I’m willing to roll the dice here especially after closing with 67 last week for T19. Keep rollin’! ROUND 1 LEADER Glass … John Huh (+8000) First 3-ball off tee No. 10, so let’s go! Posted 63 to open on debut in 2012 and went one better with 62 in 2016. Hasn’t posted a round in the 60s in six rounds this season, but I’m hoping he remembers the form he had when he posted 61 to open the Wyndham Championship in August! Rob … Robby Shelton (+6000) Not that Glass was targeting a guy opening on the back side of TPC Summerlin where two of the three par 5s are located, but I dig the angle for the sole purpose of the positive juices that can start flowing early. Shelton goes off No. 1 in the penultimate threesome of the morning wave, so it’s probably going to backfire, but I love the fit. He’s one of my Sleepers in part because in two appearances at the Shriners, he’s scored 69-68-67-68-67-67-68-69. And while only two tournaments are complete this season, he cashed in both. Considering that he was the only multiple winner on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2022, I’ll consider the absence of a opening slide (to which guys like Justin Suh and Carl Yuan have not been immune) as a plus. Basically, I just hope Shelton runs into one, but that’s always the idea with this prop. NOTE: While Glass and Rob typically stick with their selections as detailed in Pick ‘Em Preview, they are allowed the right to make changes at any time. Responsible sports betting starts with a game plan. Set a budget. Keep it social. Play with friends. Learn the game and know the odds. Play with trusted, licensed operators. CLICK HERE to learn more at HaveAGamePlan.org.

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