Associated Press
Sunday, July 9

LEMONT, Ill. -- Quite a different finish than the last tournament for Tiger Woods.

Playing for the first time since his 15-stroke victory at the U.S. Open, one of the most impressive performances in golf history, Woods had his worst finish in 10½ months as he finished tied for 23rd at the Western Open on Sunday.

"It wasn't too bad. I didn't play all that bad," he said. "I hit a lot of good shots and just didn't make any putts. When that happens, you're not going to go very low."

Woods finished at 7-under 281, seven strokes behind champion Robert Allenby, who beat Nick Price in a playoff. He hasn't finished this far out of contention since last August, when he tied for 37th at the Sprint International. Coincidentally, that came the week after he won the PGA Championship, his second major.

Woods has played in 19 tournaments since then, winning 11. His only finish out of the top 10 this season was a tie for 18th at the Nissan Open in February. He's won 12 of the last 22 tour events he's played.

Woods did get up close and personal with one fan on Sunday when his second shot on the par-5 fifth sailed into the crowd.

William Fick, 63, of Antioch, Ill., was sitting off the left edge of the No. 5 green when Woods' second shot hit a branch above him. The ball then hit Fick, opening a gash on the right side of his face just off the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't know what happened," said Woods, who was hitting from about 200 yards below the green. "It was kind of a shock to see him bleeding from the nose."

Course marshals cleaned off the blood with wet towels and gave Fick ice packs. They offered to call paramedics, but Fick said he was fine. As soon as Woods reached the green he went over to Fick, shook his hand and apologized.

"He was real nice," Fick said. "Came over and said he was sorry."

Woods went back to talk to Fick after he finished putting, shook hands again and gave Fick his ball.

"It's not his fault," said Fick's wife, Priscilla. "We play golf. You expect things like this."

Now Woods heads to the British Open, where he'll try and become the youngest person ever to win the career Grand Slam. At just 24, he would be two years younger than Jack Nicklaus was when he accomplished the feat, also at the British Open.

"It'd be nice," he said. "That's something I've always wanted to do, win the career Slam. Whether it's this year, next year or whenever, it'd be nice."

If he's going to have a shot at St. Andrew's, though, Woods had better get his putting game back on track. He drove the ball just fine and his iron game is solid.

But when it came to putting this week, Woods couldn't get anything going. He missed long putts. He missed short putts. He missed putts in between. He had putts that lipped out and putts that were a foot off.

If he'd only made a few of them, he might have collected his third Western Open trophy instead of a check for $26,700.

"I felt like any moment now I can get something going, something's got to happen," he said of Sunday's round. "Made eagle on 15, but couldn't get any putts to go in from there."

So, is he worried his putter might hold him back at St. Andrew's?

"Not at all," he said. "I putted absolutely terrible going into the U.S. Open. I did all right there."