Clock running on Woods' pursuit of major records as he preps for U.S. Open

MAMARONECK, N.Y. — The older he gets, the more difficult it gets for Tiger Woods.

He is one victory away from setting the PGA Tour career record, and it’s been that way since January.

Every major he plays this year is a chance to tie the mark for the most titles in each one. He missed out on a fifth PGA Championship victory last month. He goes for No. 4 in the U.S. Open this week at Winged Foot. He gets a shot at a sixth green jacket at the Masters in November.

“I think it gets harder to win as we all age,” Woods responded to a query about records getting harder to achieve the closer a player gets to them. “I think that when you’re in your prime, in your peak years, you have to take advantage of those opportunities so then when you get to the all-time marks, you have that opportunity.”

It doesn’t figure to get any easier at Winged Foot.

Two days before the start of the 120th U.S. Open — and sixth at Winged Foot — the course already is living up to its reputation as being a brute even without the USGA grooming it for the toughest test in golf.

None of this is news for Woods, one of 15 players in the field who played in the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, the first major where he missed the cut as a pro. It was a month after his father died, and Woods said Tuesday in retrospect he spent more time grieving than preparing and it showed that week.

He returned a few weeks ago for a practice round with Justin Thomas, and while the course was soft, Woods thought it was ready that day for the U.S. Open. His opinion didn’t change when he arrived over the weekend.

“I think it’s right up there next to Oakmont and I think Carnoustie as far as just sheer difficulty without even doing anything to it,” Woods said.

He is 18-over par in the six rounds he has played at Winged Foot (including the 1997 PGA Championship), 6-over in his one appearance at Oakmont (runner-up) and 3-over in his 12 rounds at Carnoustie for the British Open.

“Those three golf courses, they can host major championships without ever doing anything to them,” he said. “This one or Oakmont is either one or two.”

Having the U.S. Open in September for the first time since 1913, a move forced by golf being shut down for three months because of the covid-19 pandemic, allows for cooler temperatures and better control of the greens and their wild contours at Winged Foot, along with a sub-air system. The pandemic also means no spectators, which means no foot traffic by 40,000 people to trample the long, lush blades of grass.

Woods played nine holes Tuesday with Thomas, and they will be spending even more time together later in the week. They are in the same group for the second straight major.

Thomas loved Winged Foot when he played it during his scouting trip late last month. He raved about the difficulty and used a word rarely heard at U.S. Opens: fun.

“It’s a different kind of fun,” Thomas said, alluding to the value of par.

It’s all about accepting it won’t be easy. That goes back to Jack Nicklaus often saying he could rule out players at the U.S. Open by listening to how much they complain.

“You just have to embrace it. Otherwise, it’s going to eat you alive,” Thomas said.