Tiger Woods has made an interesting prediction regarding how some will fare on the greens at Pinehurst No. 2 at this week’s US Open.
Tiger Woods will be in the field for the third major of the year, and there will be plenty of eyes on how the 15-time major champion gets on as his appearances between the ropes become increasingly rare.
Woods finished in a tie for third when Pinehurst No. 2 hosted the 1999 US Open, before going one better at the same course six years later. He missed 2014 due to injury.
Of course, Pinehurst is known for being one of the toughest and most thorough tests in the game, with Martin Kaymer the only player to ever finish a US Open at the North Carolina course on a score better than -1.
Tiger Woods predicts some will send putts off greens at US Open
It will be a fascinating test after Xander Schauffele set the record for a major championship score to par at the PGA Championship at Valhalla last month.
And Woods is expecting many to struggle, suggesting in his press conference that he thinks plenty of players will make some pretty costly mistakes on the greens.
“It’s all different, I played under bent grass, so now having Bermuda, it’s very different, it’s grainy. We didn’t have the grain on the greens in those major championships and they were softer than they are now. I know the surrounds were burnt out in ’05, but the greens were not like what they are now,” he said.
“That’s very different and the shot selections around the greens are more plentiful this year, from putting it to wedging it, as you said, six or seven irons and I’ve used long irons and woods around the greens, and I’ve seen a number of guys do the same thing.
“There’s a lot of different shot selections, and the grain’s going to play a big part of it, and the last few days, playing practice rounds, I’m guilty as well as the rest of the guys I’ve played with, we’ve putted off a lot of greens. And it depends how severe the USGA wants to make this and how close they want to get up to those sides. But yeah, I foresee, just like in ’05, watching some of the guys playing ping-pong back and forth. It could happen.”
Tournament could regain title of being golf’s ultimate test
It is not too often that the world’s best players are made to look a little foolish, so it would brilliant to see them really put to the test this week.
Just one US Open in the last 10 has seen its winner finish over par, so it would be exciting for the tournament to not become a birdie-fest.
Of course, the majority of the best shots should be rewarded, but the US Open has so often been the ultimate test of a player’s game; putting it right under the microscope and cranking the pressure up.
Certainly, if anyone sees Scottie Scheffler send a putt off the green this week, it will make them feel a lot better about some of the mishaps they experience in their golfing lives.
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