Baltusrol snares timid Tiger

TIGER WOODS, the 2/1 pre-tournament favourite, yesterday made his worst ever start to a major championship and is in danger of missing his first cut after 36 appearances as a professional.

A 75 in the opening round of the US PGA Championship at Baltusrol yesterday left him with only a distant hope of landing his third major of the year.

He managed just one birdie all day, at the 380-yard eighth, his 17th, and the shortest par four on the course. But he also picked up six bogeys, including a six at the 18th where he hooked his drive into the side of a water hazard. As his ball was embedded, he asked for a ruling and when that failed to yield any satisfaction, he demanded a second opinion. That didn’t alleviate his plight either.