Tiger Woods Injury: Poor 2022 PGA Championship Score Amid Leg Pain

Tiger Woods didn’t get off to an encouraging start at the 2022 PGA Championship, finishing the first round at four-over-par. Hovering around 100th place on the leaderboard before Friday’s second round, Wood’s injury from last year’s car accident was hard to ignore.

Woods got off to a fast start Thursday with a pair of birdies over his first five holes. The 46-year-old's score took a significant hit when he bogeyed four out of five holes, limping at times up and down the course.

"I just can't load it," Woods told reporters regarding his surgically repaired right leg Thursday. "Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, walking hurts and twisting hurts. It's just golf. I don't play that, if I don't do that, then I'm all right."

The 2022 PGA Championship is just Woods’ second official PGA event since his car crash on Feb. 23 of last year. Woods returned at the Masters more than 13 months later, easily making the cut by shooting one-over-par through the first two rounds. The 15-time major winner ran out of gas over the final 36 holes, finishing with a score of plus-13 and tied for 47th place.

Woods’ injury seems to be affecting him at a much earlier point in the tournament at the year’s second major. It could result in the golfer missing the cut at Southern Hills Country Club.

A few days before the start of the PGA Championship, Woods said he had gotten a lot stronger since the Masters. Woods began the tournament with +6600 odds at BetMGM to win the championship. Following a poor score in the first round, Woods is down to a +40000 long shot.

Woods is nine strokes in back of Rory McIlroy, who finished the first round atop the leaderboard at five-under. The trio of Woods, McIlroy and Jordan Spieth is scheduled to tee off at 1:36 p.m. ET Friday.