Hideki san in the van as Tiger slips at BMW Championship

By Rahul Banerji

Tiger Woods has a straightforward task at the BMW Championship in Chicago – finish third or better to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs finale.

Things however, have not gone according to plan so far as the 44-year-old opened at Olympic Field Country Club with a 3-over 73 and a share of 35^th place on Thursday.

Only that top three finish will fetch Tiger a place in the Tour Championship and a shot at a record-breaking 83rd PGA Tour victory.

Anything less and the 44-year-old will be watching the competition at East Lake Golf Club from home.

Instead, it was former Hero World Challenge winner Hideki Matsuyama who grabbed a one-shot lead over a quality 69-strong pack at Olympic Fields.

Sharp putting

That came thanks to a monster 67-foot birdie putt on Matsuyama’s last hole for the day.

The 28-year-old sank four birdies on his way back to the clubhouse with a couple of 11-foot putts, one over 21-feet and then the longest one of them all.

It gave the Japan star a one shot lead on a day just the top three finishers broke par, an indication of just how testing the 7,366-yard Olympia Fields course has been set.

On Wednesday, Tiger had acknowledged he was faced with a tough task.

“I have to play well. I have to earn my way to East Lake,” he said. “I haven’t done so yet, and need a big week this week in order to advance.

“This golf course is set up more like a US Open than it is a regular Tour event, but this is the Playoffs. It’s supposed to be hard.”

Tough ask

Tiger is currently 57th in the FedExCup standings and only the top 30 advance to the season finale in Atlanta.

Woods has 10 career top-five finishes in playoff events, including an unforgettable victory at East Lake in 2018 when he ended a five-year winless drought, according to the PGA Tour.

“If you look at the players from 1 to 30, they’re the most consistent players throughout the entire year,” Tiger said.

“Granted, some have had more success towards the late part of the year, but most likely in order to get to East Lake you’ve got to be consistent.

“…in order to win the Tour Championship and to win the FedExCup, it’s about getting hot at the right time and right at the very end just like everybody else will.”

Woods is a five-time winner of the BMW Championship, with two of those wins coming in the FedEx Cup era.

In Tiger’s way are thee of the top five players in the world — Johnson, defending champion Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy, among others.

Off target

On Thursday, Matsuyama’s driving was off – he hit only six fairways in all – but the short game was on point.

He swapped three bogeys for two birdies for an outbound 36 on a day of tough scoring before picking up the pace on his way back.

Thursday saw the fewest players in the field come in under par in an opening PGA Tour round since the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills (4).

“I’m not sure really what I had going today, but that last putt, that long putt that went in, very happy with that one, so we’ll remember that one,” Matsuyama was quoted as saying later.

FedEx Cup leader and world no. 1 Dustin Johnson opened with a 1-over 71, ending a streak of 12 straight rounds in the 60s to lie four back of Matsuyama.

Taking a stand

Meanwhile, the raging race-relating violence across much of the US has had a fallout on sports with most major events witnessing player protests including at the NBA, baseball and soccer.

For its part, the PGA Tour said in a statement on Thursday, “the protests are player-led, peaceful, powerful ways to use their respective platforms to bring about the urgent need for change in our country.

“There have been a number of efforts in the past to send a message that the current climate is unacceptable, and these teams, leagues and players now taking this step will help draw further attention to the issues that really matter.

“The PGA Tour supports them – and any of our own members – standing up for issues they believe in.

“Sports have always had the power to inspire and unify, and we remain hopeful that together, we will achieve change.

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