"That," said 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson, "was the old Tiger."
After Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial Tournament earlier this year — joining Hunter Mahan as the only players on the PGA Tour to win multiple tournaments so far in 2012 — the results certainly seemed to indicate that he was looking more Tiger-like of late. The speculation was that the radical swing changes Woods had instituted under coach Sean Foley had finally started to become more natural, rather than rote mechanics.
Well, then Saturday at the U.S. Open happened. Woods came into the day tied for the lead with opening rounds of 69 and 70, good for 1-under par. However, through the first half of his third round, everything seems to be unravelling.
At the par-three eighth hole, Woods had about two feet for a par — and missed the short putt. The gaffe put him at 4-over for the day and 3-over for the championship as a whole. Woods also bogied the first, third and sixth holes. Meanwhile, playing parter Jim Furyk has stayed at 1-over for the day, good for even par in the championship and a one-stroke lead.
