Tiger Woods makes pre-PGA visit to Southern Hills

Tiger Woods was at Southern Hills on Thursday, scouting out the site of the upcoming PGA Championship. Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis confirmed the news that was reported earlier in the day by the @TWLegion Twitter account.

Lewis wrote that Woods played an 18-hole practice round, walking the course with Southern Hills’ head professional, Cary Cozby, on the bag. This visit came three days after the PGA Championship released its field with Woods included on the list. Woods has filed entries for both the PGA and U.S. Open, a necessary formality to compete, but has not confirmed he will play either event.

Cozby described the trip as “all business” in an interview with Golf Oklahoma and predicted that Woods would play the PGA Championship.

“Everything is so smooth with him now,” Cozby told Golf Oklahoma. “His rhythm is great, he hit it straight and plenty far, he pitched and putted it great. I know guys can hit it past him now, but watching him work was amazing. He’s so meticulous, detailed and immersed in what he’s doing. He was very inquisitive on lines and the best angles.

“I think he can contend. He’s like Michael Jordan late in his career, playing defense and hitting jump shots. Whoever wins here is going to have to be a great chipper and he is still that.”

Videos posted to Twitter showed Woods playing Thursday’s practice round in a gray shirt and black shorts, a compression sleeve covering the right leg that was badly injured in last year’s accident. He also appeared to be wearing the FootJoy shoes that caused a stir at Augusta National.

Woods has played two majors at the Tulsa, Oklahoma course. He won the 2007 PGA – the 13th of his 15 major triumphs – and finished T12 at the 2001 U.S. Open, his first major after completing the Tiger Slam at that year’s Masters. Woods’ PGA win included a record-tying 63 in the second round, after a brutal lip-out on his final hole denied him the first 62 in major history.

Woods also played the 1996 TOUR Championship at Southern Hills, finishing 21st in the 30-man field. He qualified for the elite field by winning two of his first seven PGA TOUR starts as a pro. He struggled at the season finale, shooting a second-round 78 after his father was hospitalized with chest pains early that Friday morning.

The course has undergone a dramatic Gil Hanse renovation since Woods last played there.

Woods made his return to competitive golf at the Masters earlier this month, opening with an inspiring 71 in his first round since his single-car accident February 2021 before fading to a 47th-place finish. He described himself as “thankful” for the opportunity to compete again but could only commit to The Open at St. Andrews, saying his status for the next two majors was yet to be determined.

The PGA Championship will be held May 19-22.