Asked if he met his expectations set at the beginning of the week, Scott said: “If you told me I would have shot these scores at the start of the week, I would have been very pleased”.
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Just not quite well enough.
Woods walked up the 18th knowing he’d run out of holes to catch Koepka, but the man had one more moment of brilliance to please the raucous crowd.
Eight months in his comeback from spinal fusion surgery, Woods proved beyond any doubt he has the skill to contend for a major title.
“I’m pretty disappointed with myself that I couldn’t play the last three holes better.”
That could be a good sign for a player like Schauffele.
“This was some really good golf this week”.
Four others – Koepka, 2017 PGA victor Justin Thomas, Masters victor Patrick Reed and top-ranked Dustin Johnson, had already clinched berths no matter how they fared this week.
“I’ll do some practice this week and see if I feel ready to go there and play five out of six weeks leading up to the Ryder Cup”. “I was hitting it left and right on the driving range, even with my sand wedge, so I knew it was going to be a struggle to piece the round together, but I did”.
Yet there he was on Sunday of a major championship, right in the hunt – with Woods, no less.
Scott jumps 31 places in the world rankings to 45th, while his new position of 70th on the FedEx Cup standings ensures he continues a flawless record of advancing to the US PGA Tour’s playoffs since the series was created in 2007.
He didn’t hit a single fairway – 0-for-7 – on the front nine but still made four birdies and shot 32, hitting his 9-iron from just off the cart back at the ninth hole to 10 feet for a birdie among his more remarkable feats. When he needs to do it the most he seems to perform the best.
As Woods electrified spectators by displaying the form that made him a 14-time major champion, American rival Koepka stayed calm and persevered under intense pressure to claim the Wanamaker Trophy and a top prize of $1.98 million (1.73 million euros).
“I think you want a good mix of both veterans and rookies on your team for what they bring, what they provide, but when you just mention a rookie, you know, it’s a spark”, Furyk said. When he was an assistant captain for Steve Stricker at the Presidents Cup, he noted that he was hitting only chip shots and said, “I don’t know what my future holds”.
“The golf course is playing soft, it’s gettable, you have to make birdies”, Woods said.
Poor drives kept Woods scrambling.
“That was certainly filtering back through the groups”, Scott said.
In the frenzy of excitement that greeted Tiger Woods making his final round charge, it is nearly easy to forget that Woods did not actually win anything in St Louis.
It was nearly too late before anybody paid attention to what Scott was doing. “I can’t wait to duel it out with them over the next couple of years or next however long”. I think I’m much more disciplined now, so I should be able to play every major, making sure my body’s healthy.
“It would be great if he’s (playing) on the team”, Thomas said.
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“I’m excited for the next few years”, he said.
