It's been a bad year for Tiger Woods both on and off the golf course, but he has never been worse than he was at the Bridgestone Invitational. With nothing to play for on Sunday, Woods flailed again, shooting a 77 in the fourth round to cap a woeful 18-over tournament. Only Henrik Stenson, who opened with a tournament-high 9-over 79, finished further from par than Woods.
Woods' 2010 on the course has been a departure from the skillful, often exquisite golf that has been his hallmark, a coda to his stunning personal fall from grace. His performance at the Bridgestone is just the lowest low: Woods was a full 30 strokes worse than he was in the same tournament last year, his second-to-last PGA Tour win, and the 298 he compiled is the highest 72-hole score of his career.
Now, accolades that have been afterthoughts for Woods may no longer apply. He would have lost his top spot in the World Golf Rankings had Phil Mickelson finished fourth or better, and his selection for the U.S. Ryder Cup team rests in the hands of captain Corey Pavin. He might not even want to be part of it; asked about whether he did on Sunday, Woods replied, "Not playing like this, definitely not, not playing like this."
"It's been a long year," Woods offered after his round. And the worst part, for the guy who has fallen so far, from so high, so fast, is that it's not quite over yet.
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