Tiger Woods’ problems with the putter are continuing at TPC Potomac this week.
His first round at the Quicken Loans National finished level par after a less-than-straightforward 70, and the same problems came back to haunt the 14-time major champion.
Ranking 92nd of the 120-strong field in Strokes Gained: Putting, the new mallet style putter Woods had adopted failed to deliver instant results.
Abandoning the blade-type putter that had delivered 13 of those 14 majors, the TaylorMade Ardmore 3 putter may need longer in the hands of Woods before it feels comfortable.
Despite having 79 PGA Tour wins in the trophy cabinet, Woods is embracing the future:
I am very committed to it. It’s technology as well. We have the grooves in there just like when I was with Nike, helps roll the ball better, faster, earlier on the greens,
I’ve always struggled on greens that are a little on the slower side and these greens aren’t very quick right now and they won’t be quick in three weeks’ time, either.
So it was a nice thing to move to a putter that rolls a little bit quicker, it has more swing to it. I’ve always liked putters that have some swing to it.
Despite missing ten putts inside ten feet, Woods felt happy with the direction his putting was trending:
I rolled it well today, I really did. I hit a lot of good putts early that didn’t go in,
If I’m hitting putts on my line with my speed, then I’m happy. They’ll go in eventually. It’s been a while since I’ve done that.
