It was 2:49 p.m. when Tiger Woods finally reached the first tee in a gray Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday. The rain had thinned to just specks and the drama of the morning was starting to die down somewhat.
And it was that eventful morning that saw fate – and tee times – once again working against the 48-year-old.
A tragic fatal accident at the gates of Valhalla Golf Club that left a tournament official dead, followed by one of the most surreal moments in the history of the sport, the arrest of Scottie Scheffler, pushed tee times back by an hour were postponed and 20 minutes.
It ensured play wouldn’t end until the sun set on the second round – and on Woods’ hopes for his fifth PGA Championship victory.
Woods managed to sneak into the clubhouse before the last rays of light faded, but although his quest to make another cut started late, it was over early.
Tiger Woods shot a six-over 72 in the second round of the PGA Championship on Friday
It saw the legend finish seven over for the tournament and miss the cut at the major
Due to a delayed start at Valhalla Golf Club, the 15-time major winner only started at 2:49 p.m.
Some of the biggest roars were again for the Big Cat, but the loyal supporters who trudged precariously through the mud in a desperate bid to stay on their feet were left without a front seat for yet another Tiger magic show. Woods’ hunt for the cut was effectively over after just four holes.
The day started one over par and a triple bogey-bogey-triple bogey run through the second, third and fourth delivered a crushing blow, one that sent him all the way down the leaderboard.
Back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth were a testament to his relentless grind, but the damage had already been done and two more dropped shots on the back nine made the unreachable cutline impossible.
Woods finished with a flourish, as a birdie at 18 offered a glimpse of the player who put himself on track to become the greatest in history here in Valhalla in 2000. But his scorecard was not a reflection of the greats of old. He finished with seven to spare: eight shots off the cut mark and nineteen behind leader Xander Schauffele.
But it was a blessing that Woods’ major was put to bed on Friday rather than prolonging his suffering further.
Will we ever see the Big Cat hunting again? If you ask him, the answer is always yes, but if golf gods exist, he is not in their favor.
The universe is always working against him. In his last two major appearances – both in Augusta – Woods was forced to play more than 18 holes in one day.
And while Valhalla is the setting of a legendary chapter of its legend, this recent era in history did not bode well.
Woods made a triple bogey-bogey-triple bogey through the second, third and fourth holes
Back-to-back birdies on the seventh and eighth were a testament to his relentless grind
Last month he stood at the top of the slope battling the wind and the cut marker to complete an historic conquest of 24 consecutive cuts at The Masters. His reward for reinserting himself into Masters legend? 82 strokes, each as painful as the next, to achieve his worst score ever the next day on that hallowed ground.
Last year he also fought for the right to continue pushing his ravaged body through the pain barrier for 72 holes by playing 25 holes a day. The reward for his suffering that time? The torture of limping heavily through the torrential rain that fell in sheets over Augusta as the bitter cold gnawed at his leg before he was forced to admit defeat.
Every time he picks Woods has become golf’s equivalent of the Odyssey. The weather, start times, lighting, injuries, age and even unforeseen circumstances conspire against him forever.
It was a stark reminder that this isn’t the Tiger Woods who came back for three extra holes to beat Bob May in a playoff at Valhalla in 2000. No, the Tiger in Valhalla this week is someone who needs to scrape off the rust. his game to complete 18 holes.
The fifteen-time Major winner entered the clubhouse knowing his tournament was over
So maybe it was a saving grace that he doesn’t have to suffer the same fate on Saturday.
His desire and hunger to push his body, ravaged by time, adversity and the relentless pursuit of greatness through the significant pain in his limbs and joints, is nothing short of inspiring.
It’s what sets him apart from his rivals. It’s what makes him the iron man of golf. And that makes him the greatest.
But where it used to be a story that aroused admiration, it now also evokes a hint of sympathy.