There was extra ache than good points for Tiger Woods on Day 1 of the PGA Championship

Tiger Woods is enjoying golf once more, one thing that appeared unlikely a yr in the past. However enjoying good golf goes to be an entire different mission.

Woods shot a 4-over 74 to open the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Okla., noticeably wincing on most of his pictures in his ultimate few holes Thursday.

“My leg is not feeling as good as I would like it to be,” he stated.

It has been simply 15 months since Woods suffered accidents to his leg so extreme that medical doctors advised him amputation was on the desk. The 46-year-old stated his restoration Thursday night time would contain “lots” of therapy and ice baths. His purpose is to cut back the irritation in his leg to have the ability to put together for Friday.

“I just can’t load it,” Woods stated. “Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, and walking hurts, and twisting hurts. It’s just golf … if I don’t do that, then I’m all right.”

The 15-time main winner began his spherical in as idyllic a approach as attainable, knocking his opening-hole method to inside three toes of the outlet and draining the birdie putt. He added one other birdie on the par-3 14th — Woods began on the again 9 — however bogeyed 4 of his subsequent six holes.

He’s 9 pictures again of chief Rory McIlroy and may have some work to do Friday simply to make the minimize.

Woods, who performed the weekend on the Masters in his final begin, stated he didn’t have a pointy iron recreation Thursday and struggled to hit his spots.

“I didn’t get the ball very close. I got off to a great start and didn’t keep it going,” he stated. “I really didn’t give myself any looks for birdie. It was a frustrating day.”

Canadian struggles

Regardless of loads of optimism for the Canadian crew this week at Southern Hills Nation Membership, none of Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners or Mackenzie Hughes completed underneath par Thursday.

Hadwin’s 3-over 73 was the low Canadian effort. He was 1 underneath after 4 holes however made three bogeys in a row, beginning on No. 12.

Conners, who got here into the week having completed within the prime 20 in 5 of the final six majors, shot a 6-over 76. He hasn’t recorded a rating that top at a significant for the reason that 2020 U.S. Open, when he shot 76 within the second spherical.

Hughes began off regular sufficient, sitting at even par by way of 5 holes, however struggled to shut his day. He completed with a 7-over 77.

The Daly eating regimen

The opening anecdote of Tiger Woods’ pre-tournament information convention was about John Daly’s hydration effort the final time the PGA Championship got here to Southern Hills.

It was 42 levels with the humidity on Thursday that week. Woods performed behind Daly and requested him what number of waters he had.

“No,” Daly replied, “I had 13 Diet Cokes.”

Instances change, some folks don’t. Daly, who play within the PGA Championship so long as he need, because of his no-one-would-have-predicted-it win in 1991, arrived on the primary tee Thursday, plopped a big McDonalds cup into the holder of his energy cart, and off he went. The cup, people assume, had Food regimen Coke in it, though Daly declined to talk to media on-site.

He was an actual menace on the leaderboard for a lot of the morning. He hit the opening shot of the 104th PGA Championship and birdied his first gap. He struggled coming in, although, bogeying 4 of his ultimate 5 holes and ending with a 2-over 72.

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