Tiger Woods blames poor putting for final 73

Tiger Woods bemoaned his dismal putting form after battling to a one-over-par 73 in the U.S. PGA Championship final round on Sunday.

The world number one, without a major victory since the 2002 U.S. Open, finished in a tie for 24th at two-under 286 after a testing day at the ultra-long Whistling Straits course.

"It's frustrating because I didn't win, simple as that," the 28-year-old American told reporters. "I was playing so well coming into this tournament, it's unfortunate that I didn't continue that way.

"I played decently on Thursday but I putted atrociously and that put me behind the eight-ball.

"There was a lot of room that I had to make up and I just didn't quite get it all back.

"I just did not putt well this week. Look at the stats. I feel like I had about 200 putts this week.

"My speed and my line was off, that's not a good combo."

The 1999 and 2000 U.S. PGA champion had to battle hard to make the halfway cut by a stroke and then improved his position with a three-under 69 in Saturday's third round.

On Sunday, however, he was one of several players to struggle, mixing five bogeys with four birdies on a par-72 Straits Course set up at its most difficult for the week.

Already the longest venue in major championship history, the links-style layout was stretched to 7,526 yards. The greens were running at their fastest and the pin positions were tough.

"I don't think they put any water on the golf course last night," said Woods. "The greens were faster, firmer, harder. It was a different golf course than we've played before."

Woods, bidding to end a run of nine majors without victory, struggled to a three-over 75 in Thursday's opening round, including 32 putts. His 69 on Friday featured 28 putts.

He then needed 30 putts in the third round and another 29 on the final day when, for only the third year since he turned professional in late 1996, he ended the season without a major.

Errant tee shots at the par-four first and fourth holes on Sunday led to early bogeys for Woods before he partially recovered with a birdie at the sixth.

The eight-times major winner then dropped strokes at eight and 10 before he holed a monster putt across the green at the 618-yard 11th to get back to one under for the tournament.

He sandwiched further birdies at 14 and 16 around a bogey-five at the 15th to finish well down the leaderboard.

The one consolation for Woods was that he narrowly retained his position at the top of the world rankings for a record 332nd week, breaking Greg Norman's record total by one.

Although he has gone 10 majors without victory for the second time in his career, Woods has now been number one for a record 262 consecutive weeks.

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