SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods didn’t bag No. 83.
But in his 2020 debut, he put in a productive week at Torrey Pines in the Farmers Insurance Open, setting the stage on this seaside theater for a compelling upcoming campaign. While his record ninth victory eluded him at Torrey Pines, he got into contention and put in some serious work dialing in his new driver and golf ball.
After rounds of 69-71-69, Woods began Sunday’s final round five shots behind pace-setter Jon Rahm. He would have been closer to the lead if, after getting within two shots of the top spot after his opening nine holes in the third round, he hadn’t stalled on the inward nine, playing the stretch in 1 over.
On a raw, cloudy Sunday morning, Woods began his pursuit of the title on the wrong side of par, missing the green on the first hole of the South Course for a bogey. Looking for a bounce back birdie, Woods nearly rebounded with a bounce back eagle. After a solid drive, his approach from 141 yards hopped once and then for a split second disappeared into the cup. The ball, however, spun back out of the cup and came to rest 11 inches away for a tap-in birdie.
But in his quest for a record 83rd PGA Tour title – he won his record-tying 82nd to stand alongside Sam Snead in the Zozo Championship in Japan in his last PGA Tour start in 2019 – Woods couldn’t convert excellent chances to cut into the lead and never got the red sweater going.
His eagle attempt from 18 feet on the sixth hole burned the edge. Then he missed a birdie chance from 7 feet on the seventh and from 12 feet on the eighth. A drive into the rough hurt his chances for birdie on the par-5 ninth.
Then a three-putt bogey on the 10th from 60 feet dropped him six shots behind the leader and basically ended his chances for a win.
Woods closed with a birdie to shoot a 2-under-par 70 to finish at 9 under. He was in a tie for eighth when he signed his card.
Still, it was a good week of work for Woods. On Tuesday, Woods spent more than 90 minutes on the back of the range banging one golf ball after another to find his “feels” for the driver and ball. And with each passing round, Woods said his feel for both improved.
“There were a couple times that with the new ball, it was going through the wind a little bit better and I’m trying to get a feel for that,” Woods said. “I missed my numbers a few times out there the last couple days and need to clean that up.
“I switched drivers this week and I’ve driven it a little bit better. The ball’s been going through the wind a little bit better and I’ve got to get my feels dialed in for that. I don’t have to quite lean on it quite as much, it’s not going to kick up quite as much. All the numbers that I’ve missed so far the last few days have all been into the wind.
“I was able to get some more out of some of my clubs, which I, especially into the wind, normally have to lean on just a touch and keep that shaft angled a little bit, but this ball’s going through the wind a little bit better. I felt like I picked up maybe probably a quarter of a club in my irons, which was nice, without sacrificing any spin around the greens.”
Woods will take the next two weeks off before returning to the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles. The tournament benefits Woods’ foundation and he hosts the event.
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