Tiger Woods score, results, highlights from up-and-down Round 1 at PGA Championship

Zac Al-Khateeb

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Tiger Woods score, results, highlights from up-and-down Round 1 at PGA Championship image

Tiger Woods didn't play his best round of golf at the PGA Championship on Thursday, and it was still good enough for a 2-under-par 68 — good for a top-20 finish.

Tiger started the day in ideal fashion, getting a birdie out of the gate on the par-5 10th hole. Three hole laters, he sunk a 30-foot birdie to go 2-under through two holes and appeared set to challenge for the top spot. He bogeyed on Holes 13 and 4, however — no thanks to an abysmal drive game — to fall back to even for the round. Yet just when it looked like Tiger would slug his way through a disappointing round, he fired off three birdies in the last six holes to go 2-under for the day.

He'll likely find several points to improve on for Round 2 (pulling on his drives, a hit-or-miss approach game and a couple of missed short putts), but Tiger at least is within striking range of leader Jason Day (5-under par through one round).

Sporting News tracked Tiger Woods' first round at the 2020 PGA Championship, including stats and highlights. Follow below for complete results.

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Tiger Woods score, highlights from Round 1

(Updates in reverse chronological order).

Hole (Par) Tiger's score (Overall) Place
10 (5) 1-under par (-1) T-3
11 (3) 1-under par (-1) T-3
12 (4) 1-under par (-1) T-4
13 (4) 2-under par (-2) T-1
14 (4) 1-under par (-1) T-12
15 (4) 1-under par (-1) T-18
16 (4) 1-under par (-1) T-20
17 (3) 1-under par (-1) T-18
18 (4) 1-under par (-1) T-21
1 (4) Even par (even) T-36
2 (4) Even par (even) T-37
3 (3) Even par (even) T-37
4 (5) 1-under par (-1) T-21
5 (4) 2-under par (-2) T-15
6 (4) 2-under par (-2) T-14
7 (4) 3-under par (-3) T-9
8 (3) 2-under par (-2) T-18
9 (4) 2-under par (-2) T-18

Hole 9: Par 4, 515 yards (par)

Shot 1: Was Tiger taking out some of his frustrations on that drive? He absolutely smoked it.
Shot 2: So-so approach with the iron gets Tiger about 25 feet from the pin. He has made it from this distance today and he'd love to finish the day with another birdie.
Shots 3, 4: Beautiful putt lands within gimme range just short of the hole. He walks it in for par to end Round 1.

Hole 8: Par 3, 251 yards (bogey)

Shot 1: Tiger is short and right on the par-3 eighth, in the bunker.
Shot 2: Chip shot lands Tiger 8 feet within the hole to salvage par. He'll want to have this to maintain his momentum.
Shot 3: He misses it — tough break. He'll look to get that one back on the ninth.
Shot 4: Bogey.

Hole 7: Par 4, 340 yards (birdie)

Shot 1: Tiger split it right down the fairway, using an iron on 7. He's 131 yards from the hole after the 217-yard drive.
Shot 2: Another iron shot gives Tiger a 13-foot look at birdie.
Shot 3: Birdie! Tiger's feeling it now — three in four holes to go 3-under for the round.

Hole 6: Par 4, 472 yards (par)

Shot 1: And Tiger's back on the fairway on the sixth, blasting it 307 yards. He's 165 yards from the hole.
Shot 2: Tiger's approach is OK: He's sitting on the front of the green about 30, 35 feet from the pin.
Shot 3: Good putt gets Tiger close, but no birdie. He'll have par coming up.
Shot 4: Par.

Hole 5: Par 4, 346 yards (birdie)

Shot 1: Tiger stripes it just off-center, 294 yards down the fairway — his first fairway since 15. He is 148 yards from the hole.
Shot 2: And a good approach lands Tiger within 20 feet for birdie.
Shot 3: Make that back-to-back birdies for Tiger! He sinks it from 13 feet out to go back to 2-under for the round. Not a bad turnaround with four holes remaining.

Hole 4: Par 5, 607 yards (birdie)

Shot 1: Left again on 4 (273-yard drive, 306 yards to the hole). Can't afford to scramble here.
Shot 2: Tiger has hacked his way out and is back on the fairway, 160 yards from the hole.
Shot 3: A beautiful lob lands Tiger at about 4 feet for birdie. Great look coming up here.
Shot 4: And he makes birdie! A much-needed shot to get Tiger back in the negative as he tackles the final five holes of the day.

Hole 3: Par 3, 185 yards (par)

Shot 1: Tiger is a little long and left on his approach — what else is new?
Shot 2: Great chip by Tiger lands him close to the pin — gimme distance.
Shot 3: And he makes par to remain even through 12 holes played. Gotta get something going on the par-5 fourth.

Hole 2: Par 4, 446 yards (bogey)

Shot 1: Another tee shot that's far left, even of the bunkers. Tiger having some issues pulling it today: That's his fifth straight.

Shot 2: Tiger's back on the fairway, but well short of the green. Not doing himself any favors on his tee or approach shots.
Shot 3: A nice pitch lot lands Tiger within 4-5 feet for par. Can't take that for granted after 14.
Shot 4: Missed it low — that's rough. Might have made it if it were maybe 20 feet out, but that'll send him back to par regardless.
Shot 5: Bogey.

Hole 1: Par 4, 393 yards (par)

Shot 1: Not a bad tee shot, lands just left of the fairway. He'll look to make up some ground here on the front nine.
Shot 2: Tiger finally gets a decent approach — his first since Hole 12 — landing at 15 feet for birdie.
Shots 3, 4: Tiger gets a decent look but misses it low and right. Hell settle for the two-putt par at 1.

Hole 18: Par 4, 480 yards (par)

Shot 1: Tiger put a little too much mustard on his tee — it's a little left of the fairway in the rough.
Shot 2: Big swing on the approach lands short and left of the green. Barring an inconceivable chip shot, he's looking at an up-and-down for par.
Shot 3: And Tiger's chip goes well past the hole — 20 feet. Not looking good.
Shot 4: Wow, Tiger manages to save par with another beautiful long putt. He turns 18 1-under, which is looking pretty good right about now.

Hole 17: Par 3, 171 yards (par)

Shot 1: Let's let Tiger Tracker break down Tiger's tee:

Shots 2, 3: Tiger two-putts from 27 feet out for par.

Hole 16: Par 4, 336 yards (par)

Shot 1: Tiger hits a low stinger off 16; it lands in the first bunker about 80 yards from the hole. Yikes.
Shot 2: Not a great approach shot either. Lands on the green and rolls well into the rough on the other side.
Shot 3: A nice chip by Tiger lands him 4 feet from the hole. Needs that to salvage this hole.
Shot 4: And salvage it he does, avoiding the disaster on 14. He remains 1-under.

Hole 15: Par 4, 401 yards (par)

Shot 1: Tiger's back at it with a smokeshow off the tee.
Shot 2: A wedge shot from roughly 115 yards out lands short — 60 feet from the green — and backtracks. Not great after the beautiful tee shot.
Shot 3: Good lag putt lands Tiger to within 3 feet. Anything other than par would be devastating here.
Shot 4: Par. Onward.

Hole 14: Par 4, 470 yards (bogey)

Shot 1: Missed the drive left. Not ideal after a couple of beauts off the tee.
Shot 2: Ball was in an awkward position off the tee, so Tiger ends up in the bunker short and left of the green. He's likely going to need an up-and-down just to salvage par here.
Shot 3: A great bunker shot lands Tiger about 5-6 feet to the hole. Needs that to salvage par.
Shot 4: Oof. Tiger missed and was already walking on. Bad bogey on 14.

Shot 5: Bogey.

Hole 13: Par 4, 472 yards (birdie)

Shot 1: Another great shot off the tee: 284 yards to the right fairway, 180 yards from the hole. Tiger's picking up in that department after a couple of "meh" attempts to start the day.
Shot 2: Tiger's approach leaves him about 30 feet from the hole. Not the best.
Shot 3: Birdie! A beautiful straight shot by Tiger on his fourth hole of the day. He's got to be happy with that.

Hole 12: Par 4, 493 yards (par)

Shot 1: Tiger absolutely blisters it off the tee on the par-4 12th. Best tee off the day: roughly 308 yards and on the left side of the fairway.
Shot 2: Good approach lands about 7 feet from the pin. Went right at it from 180 yards out — good luck at Tiger's second birdie of the day coming up.
Shot 3: Tiger misses it. Par shot coming up.
Shot 4: Par.

Hole 11: Par 3, 210 yards (par)

Shot 1: Tiger's cleared the bunker on 11, but it rolls to about 30 feet from the pin. Likely lag putt upcoming.
Shot 2: Not enough break on Tiger's putt — it falls on the low side. He should go even on his second hole of the day.
Shot 3: Par. On to Hole 12.

Hole 10: Par 5, 562 yards (birdie)

Shot 1: And we're off. Tiger is a little to the left off the tee, slightly into the rough, but he has plenty of room to adjust.

Shot 2: Tiger goes after the ball with a 3-wood, but the shot is short and right of the green. That'll be tough to salvage birdie from here. He's clearly not pleased with it either:

Shot 3: And Tiger's shot is a beauty — he lobs it on the green 6 feet from the pin. Very makeable birdie attempt coming up.
Shot 4: Birdie! Tiger sinks the shot from 6 feet out to go 1-under for the round. On to the next one.

The silence is ... deafening.

Zac Al-Khateeb

Zac Al-Khateeb Photo

Zac Al-Khateeb has been part of The Sporting News team since 2015 after earning his Bachelor's (2013) and Master's (2014) degrees in journalism at the University of Alabama. Prior to joining TSN, he covered high school sports and general news in Alabama. A college sports specialist, Zac has been a voter for the Biletnikoff Award and Heisman Trophy since 2020.