A big week for Woods
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Tiger Woods' tee shot was headed for the front pin when it turned hard to the left and settled at the back left corner of the par-3 fifth green at Aronimink Golf Club.
"That'll work out well for one of these days," caddie Steve Williams told him. "Just not this one."
They shared a quick laugh and walked off the tee box, resuming the pro-am round Wednesday at the AT&T National. Woods is the defending champion, yet he is somewhat in the dark.
His game remains a mystery.
The tournament falls between two of the biggest events on his golfing calendar — the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the British Open at St. Andrews, his favorite golf course in the world. Woods tied for fourth at the U.S. Open with a spotty performance. He matched a tournament-low 66 in the third round to get into contention, only to close with a 75.
Even so, it was his best week since he tied for fourth at the Masters.
"Things are starting to come around, which is nice to see," Woods said. "It's just a matter of getting more and more consistent with what I'm working on and putting together better rounds."
Another mystery is the course.
The AT&T National, where Woods no longer is the official host, is taking a two-year hiatus from Congressional Country Club, which is preparing to host the U.S. Open next year.
It found a welcome vacation home in Aronimink, which originally was designed by Donald Ross and once hosted premier championships. This is where Gary Player won his first PGA Championship in 1962, by one shot over Bob Goalby.
It is a course with sharp changes in elevation and bends in the fairways, relatively large greens and minimal water. It is not a classic Ross course from redesigns over the years, yet it has a storied history.
And while the rough has been minimal on the PGA Tour this year, especially with the shallow grooves now required, this rough is nearly as thick as players found two weeks ago at Pebble Beach.
"I'm probably taken aback by its difficulty," said Jim Furyk,.
