In the first round of the US Open 2024, Tiger Woods faced a challenging day on the course, struggling to capitalize on his strong driving game. Despite hitting his drives with consistent accuracy, Woods found himself grappling with his iron play and putting, leading to a round that left him with much to improve on. Although Tiger was able to start his round with a birdie, the problems began at the end of the first half of the course. One bogey after another landed on Woods’ scorecard. After 18 holes, the 15-time major champion is on four over par and will have to fight for the cut on Friday.
Tiger Woods struggles on the first day of the US Open 2024
THE MODERATOR: Tiger, give us an opening statement about your round today.
TIGER WOODS: Well, I didn’t hit my irons particularly well. Didn’t putt that great. Drove it on the string all day. Unfortunately I just didn’t capitalize on it.
Q. Tiger, the greens here are pretty nuance. Sometimes you have to play away. Was it more you being conservative with your approach shots or were you not hitting them in the spots you wanted to?
TIGER WOODS: Both. I was somewhat conservative in some of my end points. Then again, I didn’t hit the ball very well either. It added upped to quite a bit of distance away from the flag.
It’s not where I wanted to be on a lot of the holes. It just ended up being that far away because I wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be.
Q. Different setup than a usual U.S. Open. There’s no rough. Native areas. Do you like that kind of test as opposed to what we’re used to seeing?
TIGER WOODS: Well, depends on the golf course. This golf course is all about the greens. The complexes are just so difficult and so severe that, I mean, I think 1-under par is only in fifth. There aren’t that many scores that are low.
It’s hard to get the ball close. In most golf courses you play, you hit shots into where it’s feeding off of slopes into flags, whereas collecting. Here everything is repelling. It’s just hard to get the ball on top of the shelves.
You know if you miss it short side, it’s an auto bogey or higher. Being aggressive to a conservative line is I think how you need to play this particular golf course.
Q. You’ve spoken a few times this year about trying to increase your overall number of holes played and shots taken. Do you feel like your game is accumulating as the year goes on or something more a week-to-week basis?
TIGER WOODS: I’m physically getting better as the year has gone on. I just haven’t been able to play as much because I just don’t want to hurt myself pre, then I won’t be able to play in the major championships.
It’s pick your poison, right? Play a lot with the potential of not playing, or not playing and fight being not as sharp.
Q. Tiger, similar note. Physically you got time now before tomorrow.
TIGER WOODS: Yeah.
Q. What can you do between now and then to make some adjustments and what are you going to be able to do?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I’m hoping I don’t get too tight in the car ride back, that maybe I can hit a few. I can get tight in air-conditioning. Get back there, there’s usually no point.
I’d like to hit a few putts. My speed was not quite there. I think I 3-putted, what, two or three times today. If I clean that up, if I get a couple iron shots not as loose as I did, I’m right there at even par.
It can go so far the other way here, the wrong way. It’s just so hard to get back. This is a golf course that doesn’t give up a whole lot of birdies. It gives up a lot of bogeys and higher.
I thought I did the one thing I needed to do today, which is drive the ball well. I did that, I just didn’t capitalize on any of it.
Q. Felt like you were hitting your irons good coming in, practice days?
TIGER WOODS: They were okay. It wasn’t as good as I’d like. I was pretty one-dimensional early in the week, which is interesting. I was drawing the ball a lot. Now I’m cutting the ball a lot. Welcome to golf (smiling).
Q. Is there anything about the course conditions today that surprised you?
TIGER WOODS: No. The greens are right where they want ’em. A lot of the pins were right up on the crest of the green. A lot of the pins were — if you dumped the ball in the middle of the green, it was into the grain then downgrain, into the grain and then downgrain. That’s how the golf course is going to be set up. We know that going in here. Just a matter of putting the ball in correct spots and just making a bunch of pars and occasionally a birdie here and there, it can be done.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.
TIGER WOODS: Thank you.
"Being aggressive to a conservative line is I think how you need to play this particular golf course."
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2024
Hear more from @TigerWoods on his opening round 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/bK5Bqijxzl