Tiger Woods tamed by putting woes; DeChambeau claims Memorial with putting brilliance

DUBLIN, Ohio — Let’s start with the good news.

Throughout the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, Tiger Woods was a tour de force from tee to green, shaping his ball both ways, controlling the spin of the ball, flighting his shots on command as he led the field in three key statistical categories: Strokes gained: Tee to green; Strokes gained: Approach to Green; and Strokes gained: Proximity to the Hole.

“I haven't hit it like this for a while,” Woods said Sunday, and by that, he meant at least since 2013 when he won five PGA Tour titles.

Now let’s get to the bad news. Woods missed seven putts inside 5 feet, the most he’s missed in an event since the ShotLink era began in 2004. He had five three-putts and 118 putts, and was better than just one of the 73 players in the field in Strokes gained: Putting.

“I just need to hit better putts,” Woods said. “This week I didn't really feel comfortable with my lines and my feel was a little bit off. Consequently, I missed a bunch of putts.”

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Put it together — and add two drives that wound up out of bounds and one approach that wound up in the water — and Woods shot 72-67-68-72 and finished in a tie for 23rd after holding a share of the lead in the third round.

“I keep getting a little better. Week in, week out, I keep getting just a little bit more fine-tuned,” Woods said. “I've had little building blocks along the way, and I keep getting a little bit better, a little bit more refined. If I just make a few more putts like I did earlier in the year, when I was putting really well, you put those two together, then I'll have something.”

While Woods never could figure out his work on the greens, Bryson DeChambeau putted brilliantly after making slight adjustments ahead of the first round. DeChambeau, who frequently plays practice rounds with Woods, made the biggest putt of the week — an 11-footer for birdie on the second playoff hole to win his second PGA Tour title.

DeChambeau, who shot 69-67-66-71, finished at 15 under and was joined in the playoff by Byeong Hun An and Kyle Stanley. Stanley dropped out of the playoff with a bogey on the first extra hole. An, after hitting a brilliant flop shot to tap-in distance on his third shot of the second extra hole, could only watch DeChambeau end the tournament and get a congratulatory handshake from Jack Nicklaus, the founder and host of the Memorial.

“I've struggled with my putting my whole life,” said DeChambeau, one of five players to win the NCAA individual title and U.S. Amateur in the same year, the others being Nicklaus, Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ryan Moore.

Earlier in the week he worked on the proper launch angle of the putter and how the ball was coming off the face and he got more comfortable.

“Seeing putts go in is huge,” he said. “It's very big for somebody's morale.”

A second Tour title is, too. DeChambeau won the 2017 John Deere Classic.

“This is probably the most important win of my entire career, because of the fact that it happened here at Jack's course,” he said. “And because it's kind of validity to me being out here on Tour as well, me being able to get the job done. I know I can do it consistently.”

Woods will next try to get the job done in two weeks in the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in New York.

“I hit it really good this week, so that's a positive going into Shinnecock, where ball striking is going to be a must,” he said. “Obviously way different golf shots around the greens, lots of bump and runs and putters or spinners. It will be a very different golf course, but overall if I hit the ball like this, I'll be pleased in two weeks. If I just keep building on this, with how I'm hitting it right now, I'm in good shape for two weeks from now.”

He won’t be pleased if he keeps putting like he did this week.

“Practice,” is how Woods answered what he had to do to fix his problems with the putter. “It's just a minor tweak here and there. I've just got to get more comfortable with my lines, make sure I'm consistent with my lines. But it's just reps. As soon as I get the reps in I'll be all right.”