Tiger Woods made a vintage Sunday charge at Bay Hill before bogeying two of his final three holes and settling for a final-round 69 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The eight-time API winner was 5 under on the day and just one off the lead when he sniped his tee shot at the par-5 16th out of bounds to the left. He bogeyed both 16 and 17 before making a scrambling par at 18 to finish the week 10 under par, in a tie for fifth.
“I didn’t commit to it,” Woods said of his drive at 16, where he attempted to fly his ball over the fairway bunkers, rather than hitting a cut or laying back. “And that’s on me for not committing.”
Starting five off the lead, Tiger got rolling with with a laced 2-iron and a par at No. 1.
Tiger is off and running on Sunday.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/7gHFCuuDGr
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
Woods hit the green at the par-3 second but left himself a 50-foot birdie putt and a 6-footer to save par, which he walked in.
Walking in the par putt at No. 2. pic.twitter.com/zuSGZmVL3z
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
A two-putt 4 at the par-5 fourth gave Woods his first birdie of the day and moved him to 8 under for the week. Apparently energized, Tiger pulled driver at the short par-4 fifth and unleashed this violent swing.
#Fused pic.twitter.com/ljbHxJqCt2
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 18, 2018
A pitch from the thick rough hit a sprinkler head and stopped on the apron, leading to this birdie try, which fortunately hit the pin but unfortunately didn’t fall.
Looking to pick up another stroke – or two – at the par-5 sixth, Woods took his drive 317 yards over the water and hit this second shot from 227 yards to 13 feet, leading to another two-putt birdie when his eagle try burned the right edge.
Eagle putt coming up.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/9jziRuLss8
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
Tiger gets it to 9-under.
He's 4 shots back. pic.twitter.com/cAZtM14SlJ
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
Returning to his trusty 2-iron, Tiger found the fairway at the par-4 eighth and then threw this dart from 176 yards to 6 feet and rolled in his third birdie putt of the day to move to 10 under.
54 of 54 so far this week inside 9 feet.@TigerWoods has this 6-footer for coming up.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/2iGEVTxT6T
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
Still perfect. four shots back.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/F4cAeqJh4l
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
His momentum was slowed by his first bogey of the day at No. 9, the product of an errant drive and its ensuing complications. As a result, Woods made the turn 2 under on his round, 9 under for the week, and still five off the lead, like when he started the day.
Drive on 9 is approximately 824 yards off-line right. Approximately.
— Tiger Tracker (@GCTigerTracker) March 18, 2018
Slides by. Bogey. That’s deflating. Turns at -9 and needs to go lights-out coming home to have any chance.
— Tiger Tracker (@GCTigerTracker) March 18, 2018
But Woods wouldn’t wait long to make up for his mistake, immediately responding with another flagged iron and birdie at No. 10.
Moving on up the leaderboard.@TigerWoods gets the back nine started off right. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/BLFrJl6voB
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
He continued his assault on Bay Hill’s par-5s at the 12th, getting up and down from the sand for a birdie-4 that moved him to 11 under par, just two off the lead.
Another GREAT bunker shot. Another.
Tiger Woods is just two back. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/7yVr7hHgrA
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
This roll at 13 giving him his third birdie in four holes, and the charge was officially on, as Woods was suddenly just a shot back.
A vintage Sunday charge.@TigerWoods is 3 under thru four holes on the back nine. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/0aePOvXVrC
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 18, 2018
Just when it looked like Woods was primed for a late run at his 80th PGA Tour victory, Woods stepped to the tee at the par-5 16th, where he had missed wide right three days in a row, and ripped his drive out of bounds into a backyard miles left.
Uh oh. This is left…
— Tiger Tracker (@GCTigerTracker) March 18, 2018
Tiger picked the absolute worst time to stop going right on 16. Mercy.
— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) March 18, 2018
He made 4 on his second ball for a bogey-6 and dropped another shot at the par-3 17th, ending his chances.
There were highs, and there were lows. But in the end it’s a 3-under 69 today to finish the week at -10.
Next stop: Augusta.
— Tiger Tracker (@GCTigerTracker) March 18, 2018
Source: Internet
