US PGA Championship: Tiger Woods misses cut at Valhalla
Last Updated: 09/08/14 10:19am
Tiger Woods missed the cut at a major for the fourth time in his professional career after again struggling with his game in the second round of the US PGA Championship.
The former world No 1 knew he was facing a battle to make the weekend when he teed off at rain-sodden Valhalla after opening with a three-over 74 on Thursday.
His participation had been in doubt until Wednesday after he withdrew from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday due to back spasms.
And his back problems appeared to have resurfaced when he grimaced after hooking his tee shot on the seventh hole.
That followed a double bogey on the previous hole and a number of missed short putts over the opening holes.
Woods eventually laboured to a bogey on the seventh and there was speculation that he could call it a day after completing the front nine.
However, he continued to play on the back nine, albeit within himself, and he closed in a positive manner with birdies at the 15th and 18th, either side of a bogey at the 16th.
Five shots adrift of cut
That left him with another 74 and his six-over score was five shots adrift of the cut mark.
It was tough. I hit a lot of shots out there. Seventy-four of 'em. It was a long day. I tried as hard as I could but unfortunately did not play well. Consequently a pair of 74s is not very good.
Tiger Woods
The last time Woods failed to make it to the weekend at a major was the 2011 US PGA Championship in Atlanta and he also missed the cut at the 2009 Open and 2006 US Open.
Woods said: "I tried as hard as I could. Unfortunately, I just didn't play well. A pair of 74s isn't very good.
"It was tough. I hit a lot of shots out there. Seventy-four of 'em. It was a long day. I tried as hard as I could but unfortunately did not play well. Consequently a pair of 74s is not very good."
Asked if his body was telling him on the course he should withdraw, Woods continued: "It was telling me on the range it probably was not a good idea but I am not exactly a non-stubborn person.
"It was sore. It went out on me on the range so I just had to play through it. When I was warming up I hit a four iron and felt the same thing I had last week. It's a matter of getting through it."
The 38-year-old's injury problems and poor form are a concern for US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson and he was asked about what he would tell Watson with regards to his participation at Gleneagles next month.
"I don't know, he hasn't called yet," replied Woods.
