Tiger's Par-5 Game Still Isn't Up to Par

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- Tiger Woods will have no trouble identifying his shortcoming at the PGA Championship.

After a third-round even-par 72 Saturday at Whistling Straits sabotaged his efforts to go into Sunday's final round as a contender, it wasn't hard to track what went wrong.

It is the same problem that has haunted him throughout this winless season. The golfer who once owned par 5s has not been able to answer the challenge.

Woods began Thursday's first round with a birdie on the first par 5. Since then he has been birdie-less and 2-over on the long holes.

The result is that after rounds of 71-70-72 he is 3 under and well out of contention going into Sunday's final round.

"I haven't played them well all week," Woods said. "It is what it is, and unfortunately you've got to make this, you've got to make birdies on the par 5s and I haven't done that. "

All season.

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Ten times since 1997 Woods has finished in the top 10 on the PGA Tour on birdie-or-better conversions on par 5s. This year there are 53 players in front of his 43 percent conversion rate.

"Well, it's been a lot," Woods said. "You know, I haven't driven the ball well, except for two weeks this year, and even then, I didn't putt well those weeks. So no matter how good I hit it, even though I knocked it on the green or 3-putt and got around the green, I didn't get up-and-down. It's just been one of those years."

The result is that Saturday's even-par became Woods' 10th consecutive round that he failed to shoot in the 60s. It's the third longest streak of his career. In 1999 he went 15 rounds without breaking 70 and in '98 he went 10.

Still, Woods insisted he feels his game is moving forward.

"Things are starting to solidify, which is good," he said. "That's a good thing. That's what I'm pleased about. It's not like I'm working on eight different things. It's just a couple key things, and it feels a lot better."

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin might not be feeling he same.

Woods is currently 10th in the Ryder Cup standings, and only the top eight men will automatically qualify after Sunday's finish.

However, Anthony Kim and Lucas Glover, both in front of Woods, have missed the cut. Kim, is in sixth place, 465.5 points in front of Woods. Glover, holding the eighth spot, is 243.69 ahead.

Two points will be awarded for ever $1,000 earned after Sunday's play is complete, meaning Woods needs to earn some $124,000 to pass Glover, but that likely will not be enough.

In ninth place on the points list is Dustin Johnson, who is well in front of Woods going into day's final round of the PGA. That suggests Woods will need to also pass Kim, meaning he will have to produce a top-5 finish. And that might not even be enough. Nick Watney, currently 16th on the points list, could be Sunday's winner and zoom up the standings.

If Woods does not qualify, Pavin can still add him to the 12-man roster as one of his four captain's picks to be made next month. The Golf Channel's Jim Gray reported this week that Pavin had promised to save a pick for Woods, but the captain later denies it, saying he is still considering several other players.

The thinking, however, is that Pavin would be wise to favor Woods -- because, well, he's Tiger Woods.

Asked if he was encouraged or discouraged by his current state, Woods took the positive.

"Actually far more closer to encouraged," he said. "Far more."

Why?

"Because I feel so much better, how I'm hitting the golf ball now. The striking, the sound, the feel, more than anything, it feels good."