Tiger Woods knew he was likely playing out the string of his final round of the 2019-20 season, and he did just that.
Woods played steady, if unspectacular, golf on Sunday, shooting 1-over-par 71 in the final round of the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club. It was the first time in 10 years that he failed to break par in all four rounds (the last time was the 2010 WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone CC).
Woods opened with rounds of 73-75-72, which left him in 55th place entering Sunday and teeing off early in the morning. He needed to shoot a low one to have any hopes of finishing in the top 30 on the FedEx Cup point standings to advance to the Tour Championship next week at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
“I played a little better today, which was nice,” he said. “I didn’t finish off the round the way I want to, but overall I played much better than I had the previous three days.”
Woods jumped out to a quick start on Sunday, making birdies at two of his first four holes. He dropped his first shot with a bogey at 9, but got the stroke back with a birdie at 11. Woods was skating along with pars until he made a sloppy bogey at the par-5 15th hole. He was in the front greenside bunker in two, but caught it heavy and took three putts from 20 feet. He failed to make a birdie on a par 5 all week. At the par-4 17th, he blocked his tee shot into a creek and made double bogey, one day after making triple there.
Woods, who won the Tour Championship in 2018, will have to make do by prepping at home for the U.S. Open in two weeks at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.
“I would much rather have rest than rust,” Woods said.