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Tiger Struggling to Make Cut after Opening 74
Westwood Shares PGA Lead
LOUISVILLE, August 8, 2014 (AFP) - Lee Westwood birdied his last four holes to grab a share of the lead Thursday at the PGA Championship, with top-ranked Rory McIlroy one back after his own four-birdie run.
Britain's Westwood, eight times a top-three major finisher but yet to hoist a trophy, matched his best round in a major with a six-under par 65 at Valhalla to finish level with Americans Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell atop the leaderboard.
And 14-time major winner Tiger Woods struggled to find greens and fairways in shooting a 74, sharing 109th and in jeopardy of missing the cut without any trouble from the back injury that threatened to sideline him this week.
It was 41-year-old Englishman Westwood who stole the show, opening with a 20-foot birdie on the 10th hole and overcoming a double bogey at the first with birdies on five of his last six holes, closing with a 40-foot birdie putt at the ninth.
"It's my lowest round in a major," Westwood said. "I've played better rounds of golf but I was really pleased with today.
"I played well, hit a lot fairways, putted nicely. I gave myself a lot of chances. All in all there was no real weaknesses out there."
Westwood's only other major 65 came in the third round of the 2011 US Open at rain-soaked Congressional Country Club.
After taking two shots to escape the rough for a double-bogey disaster at one, Westwood responded with a three-foot birdie at the fourth, added a 14-footer at six, then drained birdie putts of six and 16 feet ahead of his epic closer.
His lone triumph this year came at the Malaysian Open a week after finishing seventh at the Masters, but a big key to his successful start this week was his final-round 63 at last week's World Golf Championship event in Akron, Ohio.
"That gave me some confidence coming into this week," Westwood said.
McIlroy, who won last month's British Open at Royal Liverpool and last week's World Golf Championships event, lived up to his favorite's billing by also battling back after a double-bogey disaster.
He made the turn three-under, then began the back-nine double bogey-bogey.
"It sort of knocked me off track," McIlroy said. "Walking to the 12th tee I was muttering a few things to myself."
McIlroy responded with birdies at the 12th through 15th holes, three putts from inside five feet plus a 30-footer at 14, and a two-putt birdie from 30 feet at the par-5 18th left him on the leaders' heels.
"You have to take what you're feeling inside and turn it into a positive," McIlroy said. "I was hot. It's trying to use that fire as fuel to sort of propel yourself forward.
"It was great. I think it just shows where my game is mentally right now as well that I was able to do that."
McIlroy played in a threesome of this year's major winners, with Masters champion Bubba Watson and US Open champion Martin Kaymer each firing 70s.
Joining McIlroy on 66 were Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Italy's Edoardo Molinari and Americans Chris Wood and Jim Furyk, who was last year's PGA runner-up.
Defending champion Jason Dufner, nagged by a neck injury, withdrew after a triple bogey at the 10th that put him eight over. And another potential US Ryder Cup player, sixth-ranked Matt Kuchar, did not start due to back spasms, the same problem that Woods overcame to play.
- Woods struggles -
Woods, who turns 39 in December, sprayed shots beyond cart paths and into deep rough time and again. He made bogeys at the par-3 11th and 14th after missing the greens and woeful tee shots led to bogeys at the first and second.
The lone birdie for Woods came when he holed out for birdie on a 34-yard shot from the fairway at the 16th.
"It wasn't very good," Woods said. "A lot of bad shots. I didn't play as well as I wanted to, and I didn't get a putt to the hole. That's not a good combo."
Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson opened with a 69 and said playing partner Woods "played with a lot of heart."
Unheralded co-leader Chappell, still seeking his first PGA title, has yet to crack the top nine in 24 starts this season.
Co-leader Palmer, seeking his first victory since 2010, chipped in for birdie from 35 feet at the fifth and led at seven-under before a four-foot par miss at eight.
"A little disappointed," Palmer said. "But excited to be (leading) for the first time."
US and British Open runner-up Rickie Fowler fired a 69 with British Open co-runner-up Sergio Garcia on 70 and world number two Adam Scott of Australia on 71.
Dufner Withdraws from PGA
LOUISVILLE, August 7, 2014 (AFP) - Defending champion Jason Dufner, who has been battling a nagging neck injury, withdrew from the 96th PGA Championship after only 10 holes of his opening round Thursday.
The 37-year-old American who outdueled Jim Furyk in last year's final round at Oak Hill to win his first major title was eight-over par through 10 holes when he decided to pull out.
Dufner, who stands in position to qualify for the US Ryder Cup team, had been troubled by bulging neck discs that limited his head and shoulder mobility.
After starting with a double bogey and following with bogeys at the second and third holes, Dufner took a bogey at the sixth and endured a triple-bogey nightmare at the par-5 10th that pushed him to walk off the course.
Dufner becomes the latest setback for the US Ryder Cup team that will try to reclaim the trophy from Europe next month at Gleneagles.
He stood eighth in the points chase entering the year's final major at Valhalla, the last qualifying event for the US roster.
The Americans also saw Matt Kuchar, assured a berth on qualifying points, withdrew Thursday with back spasms.
And Tiger Woods withdrew from an event last week with back spasms and is barely back from a layoff of nearly four months following back surgery to ease a pinched nerve.
Tiger Struggling to Make Cut after Opening 74
LOUISVILLE, August 7, 2014 (AFP) - Tiger Woods shook off back spasms in only three days to play in the 96th PGA Championship, but his struggles off the tee could have him out by the weekend.
Looking less like a 14-time major champion and more like a 38-year-old with a recent history of nagging injuries, Woods fired a three-over par 74 Thursday to stand nine strokes off the pace.
"It wasn't very good," Woods said. "A lot of bad shots and I never got a putt to the hole. I hit all my lines. Just for some reason I thought they were going to be a little bit quicker and I didn't make the adjustment well enough.
"I had plenty of looks to turn my round around and post something even par, even under par."
More in danger of missing the cut than making a run at the lead, Woods was confident the gap would close Friday.
"If I get under par for two rounds, that will be right in the ball game," he said.
Spraying shots beyond cart paths and into dense rough, Woods showed no outward sign of the back spasms that forced him to withdraw from the last round of a World Golf Championships event Sunday.
Asked if he thought that injury contributed to his weak play Thursday at Valhalla -- a course where he won the 2000 PGA title -- Woods replied, "It is what it is. I have the same opportunity as everybody else and just didn't get it done."
Woods underwent back surgery March 31 to ease a pinched nerve but also said the setback, which kept him sidelined nearly four months, didn't hurt him in round one.
"It's a little stiff," Woods said of his back. "The surgery part is fine. That's all good."
Woods had been confident on the driving range before the round began.
"On the range, my swing was dialed in," he said. Unfortunately, I didn't carry it to the golf course."
Woods began on the 10th tee and took early bogeys on the par-3 11th and 14th, each time missing the green and a 13-foot putt but he holed out from 34 yards for his lone birdie.
"I didn't hit a good shot but at least had a good chance," Woods said. "I just didn't know if I could carry it far enough with that ball being buried."
Woods took bogeys at one and two thanks to exceedingly errant tee shots, a curse and club slam into the ground following the second bad miss, then parred his way to the clubhouse.
Scores after Thursday's opening round of the 96th PGA Championship at par-71 Valhalla Golf Club:
65 - Kevin Chappell (USA) 32-33, Lee Westwood (ENG) 32-33, Ryan Palmer (USA) 34-31
66 - Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 31-35, Jim Furyk (USA) 31-35, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 32-34, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 32-34, Chris Wood (USA) 32-34
67 - Mikko Ilonen (FIN) 33-34, Jerry Kelly (USA) 32-35
68 - Joost Luiten (NED) 33-35, Ian Poulter (ENG) 35-33, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 33-35, Shane Lowry (IRL) 33-35, Danny Willett (ENG) 34-34, Shawn Stefani (USA) 35-33, Matt Jones (AUS) 35-33, Noh Seung-Yul (KOR) 34-34, JB Holmes (USA) 33-35
69 - Nick Watney (USA) 35-34, Jamie Donaldson (WAL) 34-35, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 35-34, Kevin Streelman (USA) 35-34, Rickie Fowler (USA) 34-35, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 35-34, Jimmy Walker (USA) 36-33, Jason Day (AUS) 34-35, Phil Mickelson (USA) 32-37, Russ Henley (USA) 34-35, Alexander Levy (FRA) 35-34, Graham DeLaet (CAN) 34-35, Steve Stricker (USA) 35-34, Cameron Tringale (USA) 34-35, Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 35-34
70 - Patrick Reed (USA) 34-36, Colin Montgomerie (SCO) 35-35, Brendon Todd (USA) 32-38, Brendon de Jonge (RSA) 34-36, Stephen Gallacher (SCO) 34-36, Ernie Els (RSA) 36-34, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 34-36, Justin Rose (ENG) 33-37, Charley Hoffman (USA) 35-35, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 36-34, Bubba Watson (USA) 33-37, Martin Kaymer (GER) 33-37, Hunter Mahan (USA) 36-34, Luke Donald (ENG) 31-39, Richard Sterne (RSA) 34-36, Zach Johnson (USA) 34-36, Tim Clark (RSA) 35-35, Chris Stroud (USA) 35-35, Daniel Summerhays (USA) 37-33
71 - Robert Karlsson (SWE) 36-35, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 37-34, Billy Horschel (USA) 34-37, Brian Stuard (USA) 35-36, Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 35-36, Brian Harman (USA) 37-34, Kevin Stadler (USA) 33-38, Brendan Steele (USA) 34-37, Pat Perez (USA) 36-35, Jordan Spieth (USA) 35-36, Adam Scott (AUS) 35-36, Brooks Koepka (USA) 37-34, Marc Leishman (AUS) 37-34, Marc Warren (SCO) 35-36, Scott Stallings (USA) 33-38, Jonas Blixt (SWE) 34-37, Scott Brown (USA) 34-37, Erik Compton (USA) 34-37, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 36-35, Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 34-37, Bill Haas (USA) 35-36, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 34-37, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 32-39, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 34-37, Jason Bohn (USA) 35-36
72 - Freddie Jacobson (SWE) 32-40, KJ Choi (KOR) 34-38, Stewart Cink (USA) 36-36, Shaun Micheel (USA) 35-37, Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 35-37, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 35-37, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 34-38, Gary Woodland (USA) 36-36, Tom Watson (USA) 35-37, Kenny Perry (USA) 36-36, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 34-38, Davis Love (USA) 35-37, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 36-36, Steve Schneiter (USA) 35-37
73 - Roberto Castro (USA) 37-36, Charles Howell (USA) 37-36, George Coetzee (RSA) 36-37, Matt Every (USA) 35-38, Ross Fisher (ENG) 36-37, Kim Hyung-Sung (KOR) 35-38, Ryan Helminen (USA) 37-36, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 38-35, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 36-37, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 34-39, George McNeill (USA) 35-38, Webb Simpson (USA) 34-39, Ryan Moore (USA) 36-37, Scott Piercy (USA) 37-36, Branden Grace (RSA) 35-38, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 35-38
74 - Koumei Oda (JPN) 37-37, Jamie Broce (USA) 37-37, Rich Beem (USA) 37-37, Harris English (USA) 35-39, Tiger Woods (USA) 37-37, Eric Williamson (USA) 35-39, David Hearn (CAN) 36-38, Keegan Bradley (USA) 35-39, Chris Kirk (USA) 38-36, Hideto Tanihara (JPN) 37-37, Paul Casey (ENG) 35-39, Kevin Na (USA) 33-41, Steven Bowditch (AUS) 36-38, Rod Perry (USA) 38-36, Ben Crane (USA) 36-38, Chesson Hadley (USA) 36-38, Ben Martin (USA) 34-40
75 - Russell Knox (SCO) 36-39, Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 36-39, Rory Sabbatini (RSA) 35-40, Bob Sowards (USA) 35-40, Stuart Deane (USA) 38-37, Yang Yong-Eun (KOR) 33-42, John Senden (AUS) 37-38
76 - John Daly (USA) 40-36, Rob Corcoran (USA) 36-40, Will MacKenzie (USA) 35-41
77 - Michael Block (USA) 40-37, David McNabb (USA) 37-40
78 - Brian Norman (USA) 41-37, Mark Brooks (USA) 38-40, Jason Kokrak (USA) 40-38, John Huh (USA) 39-39, Johan Kok (USA) 40-38
79 - Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 40-39, Matt Pesta (USA) 38-41, David Tentis (USA) 41-38, Darren Clarke (NIR) 38-41
80 - Boo Weekley (USA) 40-40, Jerry Smith (USA) 40-40, Matteo Manassero (ITA) 37-43
81 - Dustin Volk (USA) 39-42, David Hronek (USA) 40-41
82 - Angel Cabrera (ARG) 39-43
83 - Frank Esposito (USA) 40-43, Jim McGovern (USA) 41-42
84 - Aaron Krueger (USA) 42-42
WD - Jason Dufner (USA) 40