The Key for Tiger Woods at Merion Is Pace on US Open Greens

The Key for Tiger Woods at Merion Is Pace on US Open Greens
Woods’ Search for His 15th Major Victory Will Be Decided on the Putting Surface











Chris Chaney June 12, 2013 1:20 PM




COMMENTARY | Tiger Woods has a knack for rising to the occasion.

Woods won his 100th, 200th and 300th PGA Tour starts; he tied Jack Nicklaus' career wins mark at


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to the day after he raised the US Open Trophy at Torrey Pines.



The odds-on favorite, Woods has once again risen to the top of the game in 2013. A winner of four of his eight PGA Tour starts this season, the 14-time major champion has opened up a comfortable lead in the Official World Golf Ranking over second-ranked Rory McIlroy.

Still, despite a shower of accolades and tournament wins, there are those who say Woods will not be "back" to the player he was pre-scandal until he can raise his major championship total to 15.

Now in his third year of his third swing change as a professional, Woods is in full command of his Sean Foley-taught move. The short game that so often bailed Woods out earlier in his career deserted him during the primitive stages of his relationship with Foley, but it has resurfaced and brought back comparisons of the Woods of 2000-2001.

Perhaps most important is that his putting has been exacting this year. A much made-of session with friend Steve Stricker on the putting green at the WGC Cadillac Championship propelled Woods to three wins in his next five starts.

How Woods putts on Merion's slick greens will be a big indication as to how he will fare in quest to win another major championship. In all four of his wins this year, Woods has been inside the top 25 percent of the field in strokes gained -- putting.

In the rare instances when Woods hasn't walked away from a tournament holding the trophy, his common complaint was his inability to acclimate himself with the pace of the greens.

Hitting the ball as crisply and consistently as he has perhaps ever in his career, the one bugaboo for Woods has been the occasional bad putting week.

Given the recent weather systems that have moved through the Ardmore, Pa. area, the common thought is that the greens will be the USGA's prime defense against historically low scores.

The undulation of the greens combined with the difficult pin positions will put an emphasis on pace. Similarly, US Opens are regularly won by those who can maneuver their way past testy mid-range putts for par. A keen understanding of green speed is paramount in chipping onto the putting surface from thick greenside rough, thus giving players those makeable putts for par.

Woods' understanding of that pace will be the decisive factor in his bid for to move one win closer to Nicklaus' major record. Equally important will be his ability to get a feel for those greens early in the tournament. Notoriously known as the best front-runner in golf, Woods will likely need to successfully navigate the greens through the first three rounds to give himself at least a share of the lead going into Sunday where he is 14-for-15 in closing out major championships.

Chris Chaney is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based sportswriter. He has written for multiple outlets including WrongFairway.com, Hoopville.com, The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer and The Clermont (OH) Sun.

Follow him on Twitter @Wrong_Fairway.