Tiger Woods birdied his first four holes on Sunday at the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust, ultimately signing for a 5-under 66.
Tiger Woods didn’t bring his A-game to TPC Boston on Friday or Saturday, but he certainly had it early on Sunday.
The 15-time major champion got off to a blistering start, making birdie on the first four holes of his final round at the Northern Trust, the first of three events in the PGA Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup Playoffs. Woods signed his name to a 5-under 66, walking off the course 6-under for the tournament, T-58.
The 44-year-old briefly cooled off with a pair of pars before sandwiching a lone bogey on No. 8 between two more birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 to make the turn at 5-under 31 (6 under for the tournament).
The back nine at TPC Boston is considerably more difficult than the front, especially the stretch of Nos. 10-14. Woods was blemish-free on the back nine, making par on every hole.
The two-time FedEx Cup champion (2007 and 2009) will ride this momentum to Olympia Fields Country Club just outside Chicago for next week’s BMW Championship.
Follow Tiger Woods’ final round at the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust with shot-by-shot updates.
The road to a record third FedEx Cup title has been a bumpy one for Tiger Woods this week at TPC Boston.
The 15-time major champion made the weekend cut directly on the number at the Northern Trust, the first of three events that comprise the PGA Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs. In an All-Star pairing with world No. 3 Rory McIlroy on Saturday, both players left their A-games at home as Woods shot a 2-over 73 and McIlroy a 3-over 74.
The only two players to win multiple FedEx Cup titles, Woods and defending-champion McIlroy are paired together again on Sunday morning, teeing off at 8:55 a.m. ET. Follow Woods’ final round, shot by shot.
Here’s everything you need to know for the final round of the PGA Tour’s The Northern Trust at TPC Boston.
Eighteen holes to go at TPC Boston.
The field was cut to 70 on Friday night at the Northern Trust, the first event of the PGA Tour’s season-ending three-week FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Now it’s a chase to see who exactly moves on to next week’s BMW Championship outside Chicago. Dustin Johnson is currently leading that race, and will take a five-shot lead into the final round. Harris English and Scottie Scheffler, however, remain within striking distance.
Check out the tee times for the third round of the Northern Trust below.
TV, streaming information
All times are listed in Eastern.
Sunday, Aug. 23
PGA Tour Live on NBC Sports Gold: 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (featured groups)
PGA Tour Live on ESPN+: 2:30-6:30 p.m. (featured holes) Golf Channel on fuboTV (watch for free): 12:30-2:30 p.m. CBS: 2:30-6:30 p.m. PGA Tour Radio on SiriusXM: 2-7 p.m.
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Dustin Johnson grew his Northern Trust lead with a third-round 64, a day after his round of 60, at TPC Boston.
NORTON, Mass. – The law of averages says that over time things even out, but Dustin Johnson did not go to law school while he was at Coastal Carolina University.
The 36-year-old arrived here at TPC Boston, site of this week’s Northern Trust, averaging just over four birdies per round in PGA Tour events this season. On Friday, when he shot 60, Johnson made seven, to go along with two eagles.
The law of averages would say that Johnson should cool off on Saturday, and while it’s true that he did not shoot another 60, even before rain forced play to be suspended at 3:45 p.m., with Johnson in the ninth fairway, he had four circles on his card.
No, he didn’t shoot another 60, but he did shoot 64 thanks to six birdies and another eagle. The 2016 U.S. Open winner is at 22 under and will take a five-shot lead into Sunday over both Harris English (66) and Scottie Scheffler (67).
Louis Oosthuizen shot 68 and will begin the final round of the Northern Trust in fourth place, seven shots behind Johnson.
“I’m in a great position and like where I’m at, but I’m still going to have to go out and shoot a good score,” Johnson said.”You can go low out here, and guys are going low every day, especially with the conditions we have.”
Scottie Scheffle (front) and Dustin Johnson walk to the fifth tee during the third round of the Northern Trust. (Photo: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)
English applied some pressure to Johnson on the back nine, pitching in on the 14th hole from 42 feet away to reach 19 under, one off Johnson’s lead at that time.
“(My) irons have been awesome all week this week, and I feel like it’s a great mid-iron golf course,” English said. “I had my putting going today, as well. So, kind of everything was clicking. I felt like I managed it pretty well, and short game was good. Tough finish, not the finish I was looking for but felt like I got a lot of momentum going into tomorrow.”
Yeah, about that finish.
English pushed his tee shot on the 176-yard par-3 16th to the right and then missed a 7-footer for par. Then, after his approach to the 17th came up 75 feet short, his first putt ran 8 feet beyond the cup, and he missed the comebacker for par.
Johnson, on the other hand, finished like Secretariat. He made an 18-footer for birdie on 17 and then eagled the 18th hole after hitting his approach shot from 219 yards to 40 feet and making a twisting putt.
"COME ON EAGLE! COME ON EAGLE!" @DJohnsonPGA finishes the round with an eagle
“Obviously I did what I wanted to and drove it in the fairway, knocked it on the green, and obviously making that putt is a bonus,” he said. “It was a pretty tough putt up and over a ridge and breaking a lot. But had perfect speed on it and it went in.”
After play on Sunday, the players ranked No. 70 or better on the FedEx Cup points list will be eligible to compete next week at the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Golf Club outside Chicago.
Several well-known players – including Jordan Spieth, Harold Varner and Graeme McDowell – missed the cut at the Northern Trust and started the week ranked higher than No. 70 on the FedEx Cup points list. Their 2019-20 PGA Tour seasons are done. Sunday will be a big day for many other well-known pros who arrived at TPC Boston ranked higher than No. 70 and who made the cut.
Harry Higgs, who started the week at No. 72, is helping himself by shooting 67-66-66. There are 18 more holes to be played, but he is projected to move up to 34th, while Alex Noren came here in the No. 78 spot and is projected to No. 54th.
On the other side of the coin, Rickie Fowler needs to go low and hop over more players. He came to the Northern Trust ranked No. 88 in FedEx Cup points and is projected to rise to No. 96. Zach Johnson, a two-time major winner, started at No. 104, but he is T-29 after three rounds at TPC Boston and is projected to only rise to No. 93.
Tiger Woods tells Rory McIlroy that it is the first time he’s ever made a putt on the green with the flagstick in his life.
There’s a first time for everything.
Tiger Woods was – to use a popular expression – today years old when he made a putt on the green with the flagstick in the hole.
It’s hard to believe, but remember, until a year ago, doing so was deemed a penalty until the Rules of Golf were revised in an effort to speed up play. Since the rule change, there have been several studies conducted to determine whether it is an advantage to leave the flagstick in or not, and Adam Scott and Bryson DeChambeau were among the early adopters. The spread of COVID-19 and golfers not wanting to touch the flagstick has made leaving the flag in a popular choice among recreational golfers, but most professionals seem to be set in their ways.
For Woods, his moment came during Saturday’s third round and credit to PGA Tour Live for picking up the audio. After tapping in for par at 17 with the flag in, Woods told playing competitor Rory McIlroy, “That’s my first time.”
McIlroy, with a lilt of surprise in his voice, responded, “Ever?”
“Ever,” Woods said as he broke into a big smile.
“Thank you,” Woods added. “You saw me pause there for a little bit.”
In the midst of raking a bunker, caddie Joe LaCava interjected and said, “If he was 3 under, no chance, Rory.”
Laughter ensued.
After the round, our David Dusek caught up with LaCava, who claims Woods may have holed a putt on the green with the flagstick in before, and just doesn’t remember it. But one thing is for sure: This is the first time Woods ate lunch on a picnic table outside of the media tent with his fellow competitor post-round. As Bob Dylan once sang, “The times, they are a-changin.”
Tiger Woods left his A-game at home on Saturday morning, stumbling down the leaderboard at the PGA Tour’s Northern Trurst.
Tiger Woods may have his trust Scotty Cameron putter back in the bag this week, but it sure isn’t working the way it used to.
Woods struggled again on Saturday during the third round of the Northern Trust, the first of three events in the PGA Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs. The two-time FedEx Cup champion couldn’t get anything going on Moving Day at TPC Boston, signing for a disappointing 2-over 73 and walking off the course 1 under for the tournament in 68th place. He’s only ahead of Saturday’s playing partner Rory McIlroy, who shot 3 over to fall back to even, and Matt Jones, who brings up the rear after a 5-over 76 dropped him to 2 over for the tournament.
The scorecard doesn’t look great, but that doesn’t mean Woods didn’t have his opportunities to score. On the front nine alone, Woods missed two birdie putts from four feet on Nos. 1 and 7 and a seven-footer on No. 4. When he made a bad shot, he compounded mistakes, like on the par-3 third when he duffed his second shot from the rough or the par-4 12th, where he three-putted for bogey from 28 feet. He also missed six greens from the fairway (including the par-5 18th, where he had 215 yards to the pin).
Woods won’t win a record 83rd PGA Tour title this week, and his hopes for a record third FedEx Cup title took a hit, as well. The 15-time major champion will have an early tee time on Sunday and a shot to right the ship before heading to Chicago for next week’s BMW Championship at Olympia Fields.
Follow along as Tiger Woods looks to make a Moving Day jump up the leaderboard alongside Rory McIlroy at the Northern Trust.
Tiger Woods hasn’t had his best stuff in his return to the PGA Tour this week at the Northern Trust, but he’s been just good enough to make the weekend.
The 15-time major champion made the cut directly on the number at 3 under after a 3-under 68 on Thursday and a ho-hum even-par 71 on Friday at TPC Boston in the first of three events that comprise the Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs.
Woods, a two-time FedEx Cup champion, is back in action early on Saturday morning, teeing off alongside defending FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy. Follow Woods’ round with shot-by-shot analysis below.
Hole 4 – Par 4
Driveable par 4 here at the fourth at just 301 yards. That’s a 3-wood here for Tiger, aiming this one right and landing in the fairway area near the green. Great angle at the pin, plenty of green to work with, great shot. Good effort here rolls this one to about eight feet for another birdie chance. Yikes, another just dead miss. Wasn’t much to this one, just missed it. Par.
TIGER ON THE DAY: Even thru 4 (3 under overall).
Hole 3 – Par 3
Leaves this one short on the first par 3 of the day, finding the rough just beyond the bunker that guards the front of the green. Oh man, he didn’t even get this one to the green. Duffed his chip and then almost holed-out for par. Bogey. Nothing to see, just a really bad second shot.
TIGER ON THE DAY: Even thru 3 (3 under overall).
Hole 2 – Par 5
YAHTZEE! Tiger smokes this one 325-yards down the middle of the fairway. Great shot off the tee leaves just 203 yards to the flag but he tugs this one a little left. Maybe he tried to fade it in to the green, but if so, didn’t move an inch. He’s safe but flirting with the water hazard, and will have a simple pitch-and-putt to make birdie. Nifty little pitch here on the second rolls to four feet once again. Let’s see if he can convert this time. Of course he can, he’s Tiger Woods. Should be consecutive birdies but he’ll take the one.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under thru 2 (4 under overall).
Hole 1 – Par 4
Moving Day, let’s get it. Iron off the tee here for Tiger and it’s right down the middle of the fairway. The Big Cat struggled to hit greens from the short stuff yesterday, we’ll see how he fairs with his ballstriking today on the first. Tiger must’ve had a big breakfast because he’s licking his chops after this tasty approach. He lands it hole-high and spins it back just a bit, leaving a four-footer for birdie. Wow, that’s an awful putt and a real missed opportunity. Left it outside the cup the entire way. Par.
After missing the cut at the Northern Trust, several big names who started the week ranked higher than No. 70 in FedEx Cup points are out.
NORTON, Mass. – The numbers don’t play favorites, and after missing the cut at the Northern Trust, several well-known golfers who started the week ranked higher than No. 70 on the FedEx Cup points list have now been eliminated from the playoffs. Only players ranked 70 or better are eligible to play in next week’s BMW Championship.
While it is not official yet, Phil Mickelson will almost assuredly finish worse than 70th on the FedEx Cup points list. Mickelson started the week at No. 67 and missed the cut. As of Friday night, he is projected to move to 76th, and the Hall of Famer has already said that he plans to play the PGA Tour Champions event that starts on Monday.
Among those golfers who will not be moving on are:
Jordan Spieth – The winner of the 2015 FedEx Cup, Spieth entered the Northern Trust ranked No. 100 on the point list, but his 71-69 performance left him one shot over the cutline.
Harold Varner III – Started the week at No. 73 and missed the cut after shooting 71-69
Shane Lowry – Despite playing in eight tournaments after the PGA Tour restarted in June, the 2019 British Open champion entered the week at No. 122 on the FedEx Cup points list. He missed the cut at TPC Boston by two shots.
Lucas Glover – The 2009 U.S. Open champion entered the week at No. 115 on the FedEx Cup point list and shot 70-75.
Brandt Snedeker – The 2012 FedEx Cup winner struggled after the PGA Tour restart and started the week at No. 98. he shot 73 and 72 at the Northern Trust to miss the cut.
Graeme McDowell – This was the eighth event for the 2010 U.S. Open champion, who started the week at No. 113 on the point list. Since the tour restarted and after shooting 77-72, he missed the cut for the sixth time.
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