Tiger Woods Shoots 77 in Ireland Pro-Am; First Public Round Since PGA in May
Tiger Woods shot 77 on Monday in the opening round of the two-day JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland, where an all-star lineup of pros showed up for the charity event.
Woods was playing golf in public for the first time since a third-round 79 at the PGA Championship in May, where he withdrew prior to the final round. It was also his first time playing golf in Europe since he missed the cut at the 2019 British Open at Royal Portrush.
Next week is the 150th Open, to be played at St. Andrews, where Woods won in 2000 and 2005.
Xander Schauffele, coming off a victory at the Travelers Championship, leads with a 64 on the par-72 Adare Manor course in Limerick, Ireland. It is the site of the 2027 Ryder Cup.
The event had a pro in each group with three amateurs who played a scramble.
“The team’s doing great,’’ Woods said during a mid-round interview. “Just don’t look at our scorecard. But we’re having fun.’’
According to various reports, Woods rode a golf cart at times and looked as he has when walking, with a slight limp that can impact his swing. Temperatures were cool, so an afternoon tee time helped, but Woods was 43rd out of 50 players. While he drove it well, his iron play was not up to his standards and his short game was not sharp.
Of course, it is a pro-am, and Woods over the years has played the with less intensity. It is also unclear how much time he was able to devote to the game since withdrawing from the PGA on May 21.
Woods birdied the 10th hole and chipped in for an eagle at the 12th. He also had six bogeys and a double bogey.
Others competing in the tournament are all the major champions from this year: Scottie Scheffler (75), Justin Thomas (72) and Matt Fitzpatrick (78).
Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Dustin Johnson are among other players competing. The event concludes Tuesday.
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