Tiger Woods deserves Firestone exemption, says Jordan Spieth

Tiger Woods and Firestone go together like, well, Tiger and Torrey, or Tiger and Bay Hill, but the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational show will go on without the 8-time winner for just the 2nd time in Woods’ career.

Tiger Woods has lifted eight of his 79 PGA Tour trophies at Firestone Country Club, which makes his absence from this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational unfathomable to David Feherty.

"Tiger not at Firestone … it’s like a nativity scene without one of the wise men," the golf analyst and wit told Dave Shedloski earlier this week from the site of the final tuneup for the PGA Championship.

Feherty, who believes Woods made progress in his T18 finish last week at the Quicken Loans National (his best close since a T17 at Augusta), was not the only golf watcher to rue the lack of the former world No. 1 at a course he has dominated throughout the years. In fact, Tiger pal and a Bridgestone favorite, Jason Day, pretty much lobbied for WGC organizers to present Woods with a lifetime achievement award for his other-worldly performances on the Akron track.

"You win the bloody tournament eight times, you probably should," Day said on Tuesday about Woods earning his way in through some sort of special exemption for players who have won an event so many times.

"It's kind of weird to not see him playing the events that we're usually used to seeing him playing. This is one of those events that he plays well and wins a lot here," Day observed. "Eight times, it's just amazing to even think about. Some guys are just hoping for one WGC win, let alone eight times at one venue."

Second-ranked Jordan Spieth, the winner of two grand slam events this season, echoed Day's sentiments.

"I’m surprised, given WGC has more impact on world ranking, has more impact on FedEx Cup, has more impact in general, that there isn’t some form of a category like there is for majors," Spieth said on Wednesday from Firestone. "Not even just that it’s this one specifically, but if you win a certain amount of them or whatever -- I mean, I don’t know how they’d do it, but I think that it is a bit surprising."

Woods, himself, did not quite know what to make of the predicament that left him on the outside looking in at those teeing it up this week in Ohio.

"I'm not playing Reno [Barracuda Championship] this week or Bridgestone, which is kind of interesting because I've won Bridgestone, what, eight times and I'm not eligible. I didn't qualify," he said during Monday’s media day promoting next month’s Deutsche Bank Championship. "You get into those big events by winning golf tournaments. Fortunately enough, I've won the PGA a few times and I'm going to be able to play in that event."

But not the Bridgestone, thanks to his plummeting from the top of the world rankings to his current 262nd place. Thursday’s start to the contest will mark just the second time in his career that Woods will have missed the Firestone tilt, after injury kept him out of the competition in 2008.

And while Woods noted that there was no complex formula to getting into the DBC and the other three FedEx Cup playoff games ("Just win" at Whistling Straits), doing so on a course that has been his stomping grounds over the years has not been the easiest of feats of late.

Woods has won at Torrey Pines and Bay Hill eight times each as well, and has earned seven titles at Doral. Even such personal playgrounds, though, have not been kind to the 14-time major champion recently as he struggles to regain a semblance of his old form.

Here’s how Tiger has fared in the past two years at three venues he had previously conquered:

Torrey Pines (Farmers Insurance Open)

• 2014 — first 54-hole missed cut of his career
• 2015 — Withdrawal

Bay Hill (Arnold Palmer Invitational)

• 2014 — Did not play
• 2015 — DNP

Doral (WGC-Cadillac Championship)

• 2014 — T25
• 2015 — DNP

Despite his illustrious history at Firestone, recent results illustrate that no one knows how Tiger would have done this week, but Feherty, for one, will miss watching him bid for a record ninth victory.

"It’s extraordinary to watch him at his best, and it’s equally extraordinary when he’s at the bottom," Feherty said. "He never does anything more than about 8,000 percent."

This week, as Day tees it up with Rickie Fowler in the first two rounds at Firestone, and Jordan Spieth tries to topple an injured Rory McIlroy from his No. 1 world ranking throne, Woods will likely be giving 8,000 percent to honing his eye-foot coordination with daughter Sam and son Charlie.

"All I do these days is play soccer with my kids," Tiger said last week. "That’s all I do, run, run, run around playing soccer."

Tiger Woods: It's frustrating not winning

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Tiger Woods has been down this rocky road before.

It’s one of the few things he’s got going for him these days.

Ten days removed from missing the cut in the British Open on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, Woods, who is ranked No. 266 in the world, returned to the PGA Tour for this week’s Quicken Loans National at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

In a familiar refrain, this week’s tournament host spoke to the frustration he’s feeling inside the gallery ropes, the patience he’s testing to get through another swing change and his decision to remain steadfast to the change through his current troubles.

“I've gone through this before and unfortunately sometimes I have to get a little bit worse before I can make a giant stride to get forward and get better,” Woods said Tuesday after a practice round. “Has it been fun going through this? No, it hasn't because I'm not scoring obviously

“ … I've had chances to make those runs and I just haven't done it.”

Unless Woods wins this week, he won’t be in the field for next week’s Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, where he’s won eight times. If he doesn’t win, his next start would be the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Sheboygan, Wis. If he doesn’t do well there, he won’t make the FedExCup Playoffs and will turn his attention to the start of the 2015-16 season in October.

Woods struggled through swing changes in the past before going on historic runs with coaches Butch Harmon and Hank Haney. He notched eight wins in 2012-13 after another swing change with Sean Foley. But since switching to swing consultant Chris Como in November 2014, he hasn’t won. In fact, he hasn’t won since the 2013 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and his world ranking is the lowest it’s been since September 1996.

This season, he has as many missed cuts and withdrawals (4) as he does cashed checks. He missed consecutive cuts in majors for the first time in his pro career. He has five rounds in the 60s and three in the 80s.

Upon leaving St. Andrews, Woods spoke to concerns about coming up short on so many approach shots and his need to check his “numbers and spin rates.” After a week off in which he went to the Bahamas with his two children and went diving every day, he got back to work.

“When I geared back up, I started doing some testing and found a couple little things but it wasn't anything major, which was nice. It was just some of my swings just weren't quite right and I worked on a few things and feel pretty good now,” Woods said. “ … Things are starting to come together. Again, I'm sticking with it, sticking with the process and just trying to make progress each and every day.”

Woods has already played 32 holes since arriving here and put in an additional 2 hours, 20 minutes of work on the range Monday. He’ll play another 18 in Wednesday’s pro-am. He’s hoping to play 72 more starting Thursday.

“It's frustrating not to be able to win golf tournaments. I'm not really there in contention very often and so that part is frustrating. But I know how close it feels and I know that I just need a couple shots here and there and it turns the tide,” Woods said. “People don't really realize how close it has been between a person who is winning and a person missing the cut. It's not as big a gap as people might think. … Obviously I’ve got to clean up my rounds, convert the opportunities that I have and I just haven't done it and hopefully I can do it this week.”

Woods’ lost season in 2014 could be attributed to his back surgery. This season, he was still recovering from the back surgery and then had to deal with chipping woes that set his long game back. Now everything is a go.

“I haven't scored very well. I missed cuts. I haven't done much in the last couple years and I haven't played a whole lot of golf in the last couple years,” Woods said. “That's what Joey (LaCava, his caddie) keeps reminding me of. ‘Would you just relax? You haven't played that much. You think about it, the times you have played and when you've been healthy how many tournaments have you been healthy at? It's not that big a number.’ Also he keeps reminding me I won five times two years ago, and so it's not that far removed."

Woods: 'Things are starting to come together'

• Hopes to improve on recent The Open Championship performance at Quicken Loans National
• Tournament host Tiger Woods hopes to take positives from the practice area to the course this week. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Watch Tiger Woods live Friday morningGet PGA TOUR LIVE

GAINESVILLE, Va. -- Following a missed cut in a second straight major championship for the first time in his career, Tiger Woods spent the week after The Open Championship diving off the coast of the Bahamas with his two kids.

“I didn’t touch a club for a week,” Woods said Tuesday from Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, site of this week’s Quicken Loans National. “When I geared back up, I started doing tome testing and found a couple little things, but it wasn’t anything major, which was nice.

“Some of my swings just weren’t quite right and I worked on a few things and feel pretty good now.”

Once again he’ll try to carry it to the golf course when the shots count, something he hasn’t been able to do for most of the year.

Woods, who enters this week 197th in the FedExCup standings and even lower in the Official World Golf Ranking at 266th, has made the cut in just half of his eight starts this season.

His best finish was a tie for 17th at the Masters, but even that came only after a self-imposed two-month exile to work on his game following a withdrawal at Torrey Pines because of a stiff back.

Woods’ best result since was a tie for 32nd at The Greenbrier Classic. It marked the first time he recorded three rounds in the 60s all year, and he led the field in proximity to the hole.

The success was short-lived.

In his next start, Woods shot 76-75 to miss the cut by seven strokes at St. Andrews, a place where he’d won twice before. He made just three birdies in two rounds on a soft golf course.

“I didn't think it would take this long,” Woods said of his latest swing change under consultant Chris Como. “because I thought I would have my short game earlier, which I didn't at the very beginning of the year and so you can cover up a lot of different things when you're chipping and putting well. A lot of missteps throughout the years when I've changed coaches and techniques, my short game was all pretty good.

“But things are starting to come together. Again, I'm sticking with it, sticking with the process and just trying to make progress each and everyday.”

The ironic thing is he might not get many more chances this season.

Woods isn’t yet eligible for next week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, though a win this week would get him in.

He could play the Reno-Tahoe Invitational, opposite the event at Firestone, too, but indicated that he wouldn’t.

After that, there’s the PGA Championship followed by the Wyndham Championship (a tournament he has never played) before the FedExCup Playoffs begin.

Only the top 125 in the FedExCup standings are eligible for the postseason.

It also might not help that this year’s Quicken Loans National is being played at a course that is largely unfamiliar to Woods. The last time a tournament was played here was 10 years ago for The Presidents Cup.

Not that any of this has Woods doubting himself, frustrating as it all might be.

“The neat thing is I've done it before,” Woods said of his latest comeback. “I've gone through this and unfortunately sometimes I have to get a little bit worse before I can make a giant stride to get forward and go getter.

“It's frustrating not to be able to win golf tournaments. I'm not really there in contention very often and so that part is frustrating. But I know how close it feels and I know that I just need a couple shots here and there and it turns the tide. Every time I've had those opportunities I haven't done it.”

Rory McIlroy remains world No 1 after Jordan Spieth misses out at The Open and Tigers Woods slips down to 258

Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth remains second in the latest world rankings behind Rory McIlroy after coming up short at St Andrews.

The American's Grand Slam dream ended when he failed to could not convert a birdie putt on the final hole which would have proven enough to contest a play-off with Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman.

Jordan Spieth missed out on play-off after failing to convert a birdie putt on the final hole at The Open

McIlroy missed the defence of his title due to an ankle ligament injury suffered playing football. 

Johnson's victory in the Open Championship has lifted the American from 25th to 12th.

Johnson defeated 2010 champion Oosthuizen and Australia's Leishman in a four-hole aggregate play-off at St Andrews after the trio finished tied on 15 under par.

South African Oosthuizen moved from 17th to 13th as a result, with Leishman jumping from 61st to a career-high 27th.

Tiger Woods failed to make the cut at St Andrews and dropped 17 places to 258 in the world. 

Zach Johnson's victory in the Open Championship has lifted the American from 25th to 12th in rankings

WORLD RANKINGS

1 Rory McIlroy (NIrl) 12.60

2 Jordan Spieth (USA) 11.66

3 Bubba Watson (USA) 7.08

4 Dustin Johnson (USA) 6.60

5 Justin Rose (Eng) 6.49

6 Rickie Fowler (USA) 6.43

7 Jim Furyk (USA) 6.39

8 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 6.24

9 Jason Day (Aus) 6.13

10 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 5.69

11 Adam Scott (Aus) 5.31

12 Zach Johnson (USA) 5.12

13 Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 5.05

14 Jimmy Walker (USA) 4.90

15 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 4.39

16 JB Holmes (USA) 4.38

17 Matt Kuchar (USA) 4.25

18 Patrick Reed (USA) 4.09

19 Martin Kaymer (Ger) 3.96

20 Billy Horschel (USA) 3.83

Tiger Woods’ support boosts Jason Day into share of British Open lead

Jason Day, bolstered by Tiger Woods’ encouraging words, played his way into a three-way share of the British Open lead after three rounds at St. Andrews.

Tiger Woods was long gone from the Old Course by the time Jason Day buried his par putt on the 18th green on Sunday, but sparked by supportive words from the struggling superstar the Aussie bolted into a share of the British Open lead with 18 holes left to play.

Day -- who is entering Phil Mickelson at the U.S. Open runner-up territory with three second-place and another five top-10 finishes at majors -- dearly wants to cadge that first major title. With the support of his good friend, whose days of lifting trophies of any type appear to be over, the winner of three PGA Tour events believes he is ready to prevail come Monday’s final round at St. Andrews.

Before he was wheels up after missing the cut in a second consecutive grand slam event for the first time in his career, Woods urged Day to "go get it done," the 27-year-old from Queensland told reporters following a third-round, 5-under 67. By adding the bogey-free score to his opening 66, Day joined amateur Paul Dunne and 2010 Open Championship winner Louis Oosthuizen at the top of the crowded leaderboard.

For Day, who battled a bout of vertigo last month at Chambers Bay, it marked the second straight grand slam event in which he has had a portion of the 54-hole lead. At the U.S. Open, Day entered Round 4 tied with Dustin Johnson, Branden Grace and Jordan Spieth but fell off to a T9 outcome.

That bit of trivia puts Day in elite company, since the last two players to take leads or co-leads into the final round in consecutive majors were Spieth, at the Masters in April and the U.S. Open in June, and Rory McIlroy, at last year’s British and PGA Championships. Both guys ended up in solo first, something Woods did 14 times in his illustrious career.

"It's good to be mates with him," said Day, who played the first two rounds of the British Open with Oosthuizen and Woods. "Every time I'm in contention he always sends a text message saying, 'you know what you need to do.’"

He carried the words of encouragement from Woods, a three-time British Open winner, with him on Sunday.

"To hear that advice gives you a boost of confidence to know that you're doing the right things and that he really believes in your skills," said Day.

Tiger also dropped some knowledge on Day that only the winner of two Open titles at the storied home of golf could possibly share: That stroll to the 18th hole, with the victory sewn up, has no equal.

"We were coming up 18, I said, ‘it's the greatest walk in golf,’" Woods, who lapped the Old Course field by eight strokes in 2000, said after posting a 7-over for his two days of work. "He says, ‘yeah, it's nice when you have an eight-shot lead, too.’ I said, ‘well, you just go ahead and go get that lead.’

"He's playing well enough to do it," added Woods. Day echoed what Woods had shared with him on Saturday. "He said, ‘it's the best walk in golf,’" Day said. "If I have the opportunity of doing that no one can take it away from me."

Many, of course, will try, including calendar Slam-seeking Spieth, 11-under and one shot shy of the frontrunners and very much in the hunt for his third straight major triumph.

Call to Action: Julia Grace Foundation seeks volunteers for Tiger Woods Foundation/Quicken Loans National Golf Tournament

Mary Foley
Volunteer Prince William on July 11, 2015

Come to C.J. Finz Raw Bar and Grill on Saturday, July 18 and bring an unwrapped toy to support the Un-Trim-a-Tree holiday gift program which is administered by Volunteer Prince William! Help us get a jump start on the program this year; a portion of the day’s proceeds will be donated to the Un-Trim-a-Tree program. Have fun and do good – does it get any better?

· Historic Manassas, Inc. will need lots of volunteers for their Bands, Brews & BBQ on September 12th. You must be age 21+ and the fun jobs include checking IDs, pouring beer, ticket taking and of course set-up or take down. They also need volunteers to help at the Manassas Visitor’s Center. This is a wonderful place to work with lots of neat visitors from around the world stopping by to get info on all our history and historical sites. Please call Erin at (703) 361-6599 to learn more.

· Historic Manassas, Inc. is also looking for two energetic and friendly volunteers to greet visitors and citizens at the Manassas Visitor Center and provide information about events, the area, and local attractions. Contact Erin at erin@historicmanassasinc.or or via phone: 701-361-5699.

· Brain Injury Services is interested in a volunteer to focus on their volunteer program. All efforts contribute to bettering the lives of brain injury survivors. Please contact Michelle: mthyen@braininjuryservices.org or by phone: 703-451-8881, ext. 232.

· Habitat for Humanity is looking for someone to prepare or donate lunch for volunteers working on a construction project scheduled for July 17. You can sign-up on line at: www.habitatpwc.org register and go to the Volunteer Calendar.

· Hilda Barg Homeless Prevention Center needs your help! Donations of the following items can be dropped off at 14945 Jefferson Davis Highway, Woodbridge, VA 22191: paper products (plates, bowls, cups, napkins), plastic utensils (forks and spoons), plastic wrap, aluminum foil, lunch size paper bags, Ziploc bags (all sizes), trash bags (all sizes), NEW bed pillows. For information call Pam at 571-748-2537.

· BEACON Adult Literacy is looking for volunteers this summer for their conversation classes as well as their fall program. You do not need to speak a second language as they will give you all the skills needed to make a significant improvement in another’s life. Classes are held in Manassas both morning and evenings. Please call Caroline at (703) 368-7491 to learn more.

· Literacy Volunteers of America is also looking for volunteer tutors. No prior experience needed as their next volunteer training begins July 11th with a follow-up on July 25th. Please register today to make a significant impact for an adult learner. Visit: www.lvapw.org for more info.

· The City of Manassas Farmer’s Market will once again be participating in the US Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the 2015 season. INOVA Health Systems is matching dollar for dollar up to $10. To receive your SNAP tokens, visit the HMI booth at the market: Thursdays, 7:30am to 1:00pm at Harris Pavilion, Saturdays, Lot B next to the train depot from 7:30am to 1:00pm, and Tuesday nights from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. For details call Erin at 703-361-6599 or email: erin@historicmanassasinc.org.

· Prince William Citizens Stream Monitoring needs volunteers interested in water monitoring and gaining more knowledge on water quality issues. The training courses will give you lots of new skills and eventually your DEQ certification. Please visit their website for all kinds of good stuff at: pwswcd.org or email them at: waterquality@pwswcd.org to register for the trainings.

· Hey teens age 12-18 yrs. old! The Tiger Woods Foundation is hosting the Quicken Loans National Golf Tournament at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club July 27th-August 2nd. They need lots of teen volunteers throughout the week for their Standard Bearer Committee. This super fun job entails walking with a group of golfers as they play 18 holes of golf and hold up their score sign. You’ll be right in the middle of the action all day! You must commit to work any 3 days during the tournament in in exchange you will receive the uniform page for free- this volunteer package includes official Nike shirt and hat, 1 volunteer badge for the week and a weekly guest pass, parking pass and complimentary food and beverages on the days you work. This is a super volunteer job and resume builder. Sign up at: qlnational.com or you can call Katie at (301) 365-6946 or email her at: qlntournament@tigerwoodsfoundation.org.

Hey mom and Dad there are also volunteer positions for you too. They need marshals at individual holes, helping at admissions or the hospitality tents. But you need to purchase your volunteer uniform package for $75- it’s still a fabulous deal. And lastly, all volunteers receive training and orientation.

· The Sweet Julia Grace Foundation is looking for concession volunteers to work The Tiger Woods Foundation/Quicken Loans National Golf Tournament to raise funds for their organization. Go to: www.SweetJulieGraceFoundation.com for more information.

· Walk to End Alzheimer’s is gearing up for walks in September and October. If you want to help this year please visit: www.alzheimersassociatinnca.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer.

· SERVE has an immediate need for adult volunteers at several fun-paced positions during traditional business hours. Admin and shelter tasks include answering phones and assist walk-in clients and donors. Food intake screeners will help food assistance clients, update database records, schedule appointments and do follow-up calls. All positions require complete background checks and any Spanish speaking skills would be most appreciated. Please email Jan at: jhawkins@nvfs.org for more info.

· If you are looking for other opportunities, please don’t forget to call my wonderful team at Volunteer Prince William. Coleen can help you with the Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) opportunities at (703) 369-5292 ext. 1, Shelley can help with any individual or group project and send you weekly updates if you’d like. Shelley is at (703) 369-5292 ext. 0, and Bonnie can help you with opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at (703) 369-5292 ext. 3. Please visit our newly re-vamped website at www.volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.

Jordan Spieth has everything he needs to become the next Tiger Woods, says former major winner Paul Azinger

Two-time major winner and world No 2 Jordan Spieth has all the attributes to become the next Tiger Woods, former PGA Championship winner and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger said on Wednesday.

Spieth, 21, has enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2015 winning both the Masters and the U.S. Open and will be among the favourites at the British Open which begins at St Andrews next week.

Woods, a 14-times major winner, dominated the sport for more than a decade and Azinger said Spieth had shown enough in his fledgling career to suggest he is capable of emulating his compatriot.

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US rising star Jordan Spieth is aiming for a third consecutive major at The Open at St Andrews

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Paul Azinger believes the 21-year-old has the ability to emulate all-time great Tiger Woods (above)

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Azinger holds aloft the Ryder Cup trophy after winning the competition in Valhalla 2008

'He's all the things Tiger was,' Azinger, an ESPN analyst for the British Open coverage in the U.S., told reporters on Wednesday.