McGinley backing Woods to hit top form at US Open

Home > News > US Open > McGinley backing Woods to hit top form at US Open
The former Ryder Cup captain believes the 43-year-old American has the perfect game to succeed at Pebble Beach
Posted on
June 10, 2019
by
The Editorial Team in
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Tiger Woods will go in search of more major success at the US Open
Tiger Woods will go in search of more major success at the US Open (Jane Barlow/PA)

Tiger Woods will be back to his Masters-winning form as he seeks a 16th major title in the US Open.

That is the view of former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, who believes Woods has the ideal game to triumph at Pebble Beach, scene of his record 15-shot triumph in the same event in 2000.

Woods did not play competitively between his emotional victory at Augusta National and last monthโ€™s US PGA Championship at Bethpage, where he trailed playing partner and eventual winner Brooks Koepka by 17 shots as he missed the cut.

McGinley backing Woods to hit top form at US Open
Tiger Woods waves to the crowd after making birdie on the first hole during the third round of the Memorial golf tournament. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

However, the 43-year-old returned to action with a top-10 finish in the Memorial Tournament earlier this month and is among the favourites to win a fourth US Open title and first since 2008.

โ€œI think weโ€™re going to see the Tiger Woods from the Masters for two reasons,โ€ McGinley said. โ€œFirstly, I think heโ€™s got over the hangover of winning a major championship again.

โ€œHe didnโ€™t play a lot of golf between that and the PGA. He was probably under-prepared, certainly he was competitively. I donโ€™t know what he was doing in his personal practice.

โ€œThe big determining factor for me is that the golf course is really going to suit the style of play that he has at the moment.

โ€œHe is a ball control player who is able to shape it at will, both right to left and left to right. He is able to get his trajectories high and low, which is going to be important in the wind.

โ€œAnd a lot of these greens at Pebble Beach are sloped from back to front and a lot of them are very small, so going in there and taking spin off shots โ€“ so youโ€™re not back-spinning it down the green or hitting it through the wind and going over the back where youโ€™re dead โ€“ is critical.

Tiger Woodsโ€™ 15-stroke win in the 2000 #USOpen at Pebble Beach is one of the most incredible performances in golf history. Download the USGA app for Apple TV or Roku to watch the complete final round.


โ€œSo I think itโ€™s really going to suit the style of golf that Woods is playing at the moment, thereโ€™s not many better iron players in the game who are are good as Tiger right now.

โ€œHe showed a bit of form at The Memorial and I think heโ€™s gearing up for a really strong performance at Pebble.โ€

Koepka is aiming to become just the second player ever to win the US Open three years running and has collected four major titles from his last eight starts, but McGinley feels his length off the tee will not be so important this week.

McGinley backing Woods to hit top form at US Open
Paul McGinley was Europeโ€™s victorious Ryder Cup captain in 2014 (Andrew Milligan/PA)

โ€œNo matter who you are, from the shortest hitter in the field to the biggest, they are all going to be playing same way this time,โ€ Sky Sports Golf commentator McGinley added.

โ€œThereโ€™s 10 holes at Pebble where every player in the field will be hitting wedge or nine iron or less into the green. This is not a big golf course, itโ€™s just over 7,000 yards, which is short by modern standards.

โ€œThis is a very different test to what the guys faced at Bethpage a few weeks ago.โ€

:: Sky Sports Golf will show every menโ€™s and womenโ€™s major, including the US Open, exclusively live in 2019.

The Editorial Team Avatar

About The Editorial Team

The editorial team at Golf Today strives to provide readers with captivating content that celebrates the rich heritage and exciting developments in the world of golf. Their collective expertise and dedication ensure that Golf Today remains a premier destination for golf enthusiasts seeking the latest news, insightful analysis, and engaging stories from the world of golf.

Join the discussion

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Read Next

Texas Children's Houston Open 2024 R1

Taylor Moore & Wilson Furr take opening lead

Texas Children's Houston Open R1

PowaKaddy reveals 2024 cart bag collection

The brand-new collection features the brand’s game-changing new technology: Mag-Lok®.

The R&A launches One Club membership initiative for golf fans worldwide

One Club is free to join and provides members with a comprehensive array of year-round benefits.
magnifiercrossmenuchevron-downcross-circle
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram