Poor tee shots led to an opening-hole bogey before dropping another shot at the fifth, but the 42-year-old bounced back with a birdie at the sixth. He kept his patience, chipped in for eagle at the turn, and then finished with a handsome approach to 12 feet on the par-5 eighth and a 20-foot birdie putt on the ninth. He guided the delicate putt home for another birdie, moving to five under and into a tie for 19th. It was also his first tour event since spinal fusion surgery last April, which, he said, eliminated all of his pain.
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Ryan Palmer leads the tournament at 11-under.
Spain’s defending champion Jon Rahm, who could seize the world number one ranking from Dustin Johnson with a victory, carded a six-under 66 and was alone in second on 134.
Day’s final round of 2-under 70 lifted him from a share of fifth place to sudden death on a day where only two players shot in the 60’s.
Woods, who moved to joint 39th from 65th after registering four birdies and two bogeys, told Sky Sports: “My feels are all off, they’re all different now”. The double-bogey occurred on the par-4, 459-yard 13th hole and the bogey occurred on the par-3, 214-yard 8th hole, his 17th of the day.
“I grinded my way around the golf course today”, he said of the North Course, which used to play a few shots easier than the South until Tom Weiskopf’s renovation in 2016 made it longer and tougher.
Tiger Woods’ competitive comeback was marred somewhat by a familiar cry on the golf course on Sunday, when a fan obnoxiously yelled just as he was taking a putt.
“I tried as hard as I possibly could out there”. They matched birdies in the dark on the par-5 18th, and then had no choice but to return Monday morning to decide the longest playoff in the 67-year history of the event.
Woods, who started his round on No. 10, birdied the par-4 No. 5 to get to even par for the first time since early in his round.
“I was grinding my way around the golf course today”, Woods said after signing for a one-under-par 71.
“I was trying to miss the ball on the correct sides because I knew I didn’t have it. I got off to a good start and was able to ride that momentum all the way through the round”.
“Overall I thought I did pretty well this week”, he added.
“[I’m] very pleased, after not playing for a couple of years and then coming out here on the tour and really playing a solid four days”, Woods said on the CBS broadcast (h/t Sporting News” Christopher Devine). A lovely wedge shot from 116 yards left him a 12-foot putt that he drilled for a three on his fifth hole of the day after starting on No. 10 of Torrey Pines’ South Course.
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Woods’ tie for 23rd at 3-under by tournament’s end Sunday didn’t blow anyone away with the otherworldly things you grew to expect from him when he dominated the game.
