By Steve Silverman 
 
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 At a certain point, all of the stragglers are going to let it go — the hangers-on who still believe that Tiger Woods has a chance to regain at least some of his past glory and start playing excellent golf once again, winning a tournament here or there and maybe even another major. 
 
 But based on what happened in the first round Thursday at the U.S. Open and the third round of the Memorial Tournament earlier this month, those of us still holding onto Tiger confidence and Tiger hope are going to give it up in short order. 
 
 Tiger opened with an 80 in the first round at Chambers Bay, and the look on his face was a familiar one when he topped his 3-wood and saw it roll up the fairway and into the hazard. 
 
 The look was familiar because when I play with my buddies Bobbo, Junior (aka Muscles) and Ron, I often see that look on their faces when they hit a worm burner up the fairway. And they see that same expression on my face when I do it. 
 
 Bobbo is always the one with the quick remark. When I hit that shot, he looks me dead in the eye and he lets me know without any hesitation. 
 
 “You know, you are not very good at golf,” he says. “You’re actually quite lousy.” 
 
 No apologies and no “you’ll get ‘em next time.” He’s straight forward, and he was the first one to point out that Tiger was beaten by 15-year-old amateur Cole Hammer in the first round. The youngster finished three strokes better. 
 
 There is no getting around that Tiger is playing lousy golf. You may want to give him credit for sticking with it and “working through the process,” but for those of us who have been in the Tiger camp for years, this is just a brutal development that may be worse than any elite athlete has ever gone through. 
 
 Tiger was not one of the best golfers of his generation; he was the best. His peers came from previous eras in golf, as in Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones. Arnold Palmer may have had more charisma than any of the other three, but he was not as great or consistent. 
 
 Tiger had the charisma to match Palmer, and he seemed like he was as good or better as those other historic figures. 
 
 Nicklaus was among his biggest supporters, saying on several occasions that he believed Tiger would break his record of 18 majors. The Golden Bear will still come out with words of support, but it seems like he is just trying to be kind at this point. 
 
 Willie Mays is often in the photo when it comes to great athletes who lost it at the end. There’s that play in the 1973 World Series where as a member of the Mets, he lost a fly ball in the outfield in sunny Oakland. That clip is regularly shown to depict the ravages that hit aging athletes. That play and a sinking batting average doesn’t take anything away from the fact that Mays is almost certainly the greatest living ex-player, and perhaps the best or second-best player all-time behind Babe Ruth. 
 
 But Mays was 42 in 1973, and high expectations had long since evaporated. He would occasionally get a key hit or make a play, but his ability to play consistently had disappeared by the end of the 1971 season. 
 
 Tiger is 39 years old and he should still have good years left. Nicklaus won five tournaments, including three majors, after he turned 40. Palmer won six tournaments after that age, but none of them were majors. 
 
 Tiger has never been the same since Thanksgiving of 2008, when his sex scandal became known to the public – and his wife. 
 
 He has had numerous injuries as well, but it seems the pristine aura around his image cracked wide open when his social activities became front-page news. 
 
 There were those who reveled in his misery and those who had some level of empathy. But it seemed as though the greatest golfer in the world would find a way to get his game back. 
 
 While he had a great 2013 season with five tournament victories, he has not come close to winning a major. His career total of 14 majors remains stuck on hold, exactly where it has been for the last seven years. 
 
 Based on the way he has played since the end of the 2013 season – when it all started to go sideways for him – that total is not going to change. 
 
 I have always been in the camp that wanted to see Tiger do well again, because it makes golf a better game. But I have to agree with Bobbo at this point. 
 
 “Tiger, you stink.” 
 
 Follow Steve on Twitter at @ProFootballBoy ||||| Tiger Woods staggers to an opening 77 at PGA Championship 
 
 JOHNS CREEK, Ga.  One hour after he started, Tiger Woods was atop the leaderboard Thursday at the PGA Championship and felt like the Tiger of old. He never imagined he would end up with his worst score ever in the opening round of a major. 
 
 He opened with three birdies in five holes. He followed with three double bogeys over the next 10 holes. 
 
 Woods started out with his name high on the board, right next to Steve Stricker, who went on to tie a major championship record with 63. He wound up toward the bottom, next to John Daly and 57-year-old Jerry Pate, with a 77. 
 
 It was his highest round in a major since Woods shot an 81 in the vicious wind and pelting rain of Muirfield in the third round of the British Open nine years ago. 
 
 And it was no mystery to him how it all happened. 
 
 "Got off to a great start today, was 3 under early, was having mechanical thoughts through those holes … and I thought, 'I can let it go' and play by instinct and feel," he said. "And it just screwed up my whole round. I'm not at that point where I can do that yet." 
 
 Woods returned to competition last week and completed his first tournament since the Masters, staying away from golf until he was certain that injuries to his left leg would no longer cause him trouble. 
 
 The head — not to mention his swing — still have plenty of work. 
 
 Looking serious as ever when he walked onto the putting green to begin warming up, dressed in a deep coral shirt and blank pants, close to a Sunday look. Then came an 18-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, No. 10, an aggressive 5-wood from a blind shot in the pine straw on the par-5 12th, followed by a bunker shot from a plugged lie to 3 feet for another birdie. 
 
 He hammered a drive more than 300 yards in the air on the 14th, leaving him a wedge to 3 feet for another birdie. 
 
 "He's back!" a fan cried out from behind the green as Woods approached. 
 
 Not quite. 
 
 It was the highest opening round for Woods in any tournament since he shot 79 at the Australian Open in 1996. He is due to play Down Under again in November. At this rate, that might be his next tournament. 
 
 Not since the final round at Bay Hill in 2007 had Woods made at least three double bogeys in one round. He started this carnage with a 4-iron on the 254-yard 15th hole that didn't look awful until it landed, just to the right of the green and into the pond. 
 
 On the 18th, his tee shot flew into the bunker with such force that it buried into the side of the sand, and he did well to get it out sideways to the fairway. But he missed his target by some 30 yards on the next shot, into another bunker, and took another double bogey. 
 
 His final double bogey came from a fairway bunker at No. 6, a shot he knew was bad as soon as he hit it. It landed in the middle of the pound, and then it was a matter of limiting the damage. He finished with a bogey from the bunker. 
 
 Woods was in the sand a dozen times. 
 
 He has talked about going back to his old swing while trying to learn a new one, and he said that was the case Thursday. 
 
 "And that's what's frustrating," Woods said. "I thought I was playing well enough that I don't have to do that. I can just go out and there play and let it go and just play by feel — see the shot, hit the shot, feel it. And I'm not at that point yet. My same motor patterns get in there. I start fighting it and I couldn't get it back." 
 
 Woods might not have much time left. He is No. 129 in the standings for the FedEx Cup playoffs that start in two weeks. If he misses the cut Friday — he has only done that twice in the majors — he would not be eligible for any PGA Tour events for six weeks. 
 
 *** 
 
 Tiger Woods' highest rounds as a pro: 
 
 81: 2002 British Open, third round, Muirfield 
 
 79: 1996 Australian Open, first round, The Australian 
 
 78: 1998 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, third round, Pebble Beach 
 
 78: 1996 Tour Championship, second round, Southern Hills 
 
 77: 2011 PGA Championship, first round, Atlanta Athletic Club 
 
 77: 2010 Bridgestone Invitational, fourth round, Firestone CC 
 
 77: 2002 Buick Invitational, second round, Torrey Pines (South) 
 
 77: 1998 British Open, third round, Royal Birkdale 
 
 77: 1998 Bay Hill Invitational, fourth round, Bay Hill 
 
 77: 1997 Las Vegas Invitational, third round, TPC Summerlin 
 
 Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 
 
 Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to For more information about reprints & permissions , visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com ||||| Jordan Spieth celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Associated Press) 
 
 Jordan Spieth walks across the Ben Hogan Bridge with his caddie Michael Greller during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Associated Press) 
 
 Jordan Spieth tees off on the 12th hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Associated Press) 
 
 Jordan Spieth watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Associated Press) 
 
 Tiger Woods tees off on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) (Associated Press) 
 
 Jordan Spieth hits off the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (Associated Press) 
 
 Phil Mickelson hits on the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (Associated Press) 
 
 Jordan Spieth, left, and Justin Rose, of England, check their yardage books on the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David... (Associated Press) 
 
 Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits on the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (Associated Press) 
 
 Justin Rose, of England, hits off the first fairway during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (Associated Press) 
 
 Jordan Spieth punches the air after a birdie on the 10th hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) (Associated Press) 
 
 Tiger Woods reacts after teeing off on the fourth hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson) (Associated Press) 
 
 Tiger Woods watches as his missed birdie putt on the first green during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (Associated Press) 
 
 Justin Rose, of England, waves after a birdie on the first hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (Associated Press) 
 
 Tiger Woods grimaces after teeing off on the seventh hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Associated Press) 
 
 Phil Mickelson tees off on the 12th hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Associated Press) 
 
 Jordan Spieth tees off on the third hole during the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, April 12, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) (Associated Press) 
 
 Tiger Woods stirred up quite a frenzy on social media when talking about an injury to his right hand during the final round of the Masters. 
 
 After an errant drive at the ninth hole, Woods struck a hidden tree root while hitting his second shot off the pine straw. 
 
 Woods screamed in pain and let the club fly out of his hand. He shook his hand walking toward the green but managed to salvage par on the way to a closing 1-over 73. 
 
 Afterward, when asked about the injury on CBS, Woods said "the bone popped out." 
 
 That amateur diagnosis led to plenty of derisive responses on Twitter. 
 
 The apparently gruesome injury notwithstanding, Woods said he was proud of the way he played at Augusta National, finishing with a 5-under 283 in his first tournament since he walked off the course at Torrey Pines in early February, his body hurting and his game a mess. 
 
 Woods said he'll take some time off before playing in his next PGA Tour event, with an eye toward getting ready for the U.S. Open in June. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:56 p.m. 
 
 The green jacket belongs to Jordan Spieth. 
 
 Spieth finished off the first wire-to-wire victory at the Masters since 1976 with a dominating four-stroke triumph Sunday. About the only thing that didn't go his way was the final hole, where he made a bogey to merely tie the tournament scoring record. 
 
 Tiger Woods won his first green jacket in 1997 with an 18-under 270. Spieth matched that score with a closing 70. 
 
 It was a thoroughly dominating performance from start to finish. Spieth seized control with an 8-under 64, the best opening round at the Masters in 19 years. He set Masters scoring records for both 36 holes (14-under 130) and 54 holes (16-under 210). 
 
 Spieth also set a Masters record with 27 birdies, two more than Phil Mickelson's mark of 25 from 2001. 
 
 Mickelson and Justin Rose tied for the runner-up spot. Rory McIlroy was six shots back. 
 
 No one got closer than three shots throughout the final round. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:18 p.m. 
 
 Jordan Spieth reached unprecedented territory at the Masters early Sunday evening. 
 
 With a birdie at the 15th hole, Spieth became the first player in Augusta National history to get to 19-under par. 
 
 If he can play the last two holes at even par, Spieth would break the tournament scoring record set in 1997, an 18-under 270 that gave Tiger Woods his first green jacket. 
 
 Perhaps it would only be appropriate for Spieth to finish off a wire-to-wire victory with another record. He already set new Masters standards for 36 holes (14-under 130) and 54 holes (16-under 200). 
 
 Spieth went to the 16th hole with a four-stroke lead on Justin Rose and a five-shot edge on Phil Mickelson. 
 
 Rory McIlroy made a charge late in the day, but it wasn't nearly enough to get him into the mix. He was 5 under on the day hearing to the final hole, still eight shots out of the lead. 
 
 Tiger Woods was never a factor, doomed by some wild shots off the tee. He was even for the round and 13 shots behind Spieth. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:10 p.m. 
 
 Say this about Phil Mickelson: He always makes things interesting. 
 
 Needing a miracle to catch Jordan Spieth at the Masters, Lefty put his second shot at the par-5 15th into a bunker right of the green. No problem. Mickelson holed out the shot from the sand for an eagle, pushing him to 14-under par. 
 
 Unfortunately for Mickelson, he was still four shots behind Spieth with only three holes to play. 
 
 Justin Rose, playing with Spieth in the final group, was also 14 under. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:48 p.m. 
 
 Jordan Spieth didn't play it safe Sunday with a comfortable lead at the Masters. 
 
 At the par-five 13th hole, Spieth's tee shot left him 208 yards from the flag. Rather than lay up short of the creek, which still would have given him a good shot at birdie, he went for the green. 
 
 As the ball sailed toward the stick, the 21-year-old Texan screamed, "Go hard! Go hard! Go hard!" 
 
 The ball cleared the creek, plopped down on the green and stopped about 14 feet past the cup. 
 
 Spieth missed the eagle attempt, which would have made him the first player in Masters history to get to 19-under par. But he tapped in the par and still had a shot at break Tiger Woods' scoring record, an 18-under 270 while winning his first green jacket in 1997. 
 
 That made Woods the youngest champion in Masters history. 
 
 If Spieth can hold on, he would be the second-youngest by a few months. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:05 p.m. 
 
 Jordan Spieth had the green jacket firmly in his grasp Sunday, going to the back side with a five-stroke lead in the final round of the Masters. 
 
 After a bogey at the seventh cut his lead over Justin Rose to just three shots, Spieth made a birdie at the par-5 eighth and gained a stroke when Rose missed a 6-footer for birdie. 
 
 Then at the ninth, Rose three-putted from 20 feet for a bogey that cost him another stroke. 
 
 Just like that, Spieth had a bigger lead than he had the start of the day. 
 
 It was an interesting contrast to the 2014 Masters, when Spieth played in the final group with Bubba Watson. That day, Spieth had a two-shot lead going to the eighth hole, but made back-to-back bogeys. Watson birdied both holes, turning his deficit into a two-shot lead heading to the back nine. 
 
 Watson won going away. 
 
 This time, it would take an epic collapse for Spieth to throw away his first major title. 
 
 In fact, the main issue seemed to be whether he could break another Masters scoring record. He was at 17-under par, one stroke off the mark Tiger Woods set while winning in 1997. 
 
 Rose was at 12 under, tied with Phil Mickelson after Lefty rolled in a birdie putt at the 10th. 
 
 ___ 
 
 4:50 p.m. 
 
 Tiger Woods played the final round of the Masters like he was lobbying for a role in "Into The Woods." 
 
 Hoping to rally from a 10-shot deficit, Woods' chances were done in by an errant driver. At the very first hole, he yanked his tee shot into the adjacent first hole — and it only got worse from there. 
 
 At the ninth, Woods struck a hidden root while hitting off the pine straw, prompting him to drop the club and yell out in pain. He managed to salvage a par, but again drove into the trees at the 10th, failed to get out with his next shot, and wound up taking bogey. 
 
 Woods was 2 over for the day and 13 shots behind leader Jordan Spieth. 
 
 ___ 
 
 4:31 p.m. 
 
 Jordan Spieth just couldn't pull away at Augusta National. 
 
 His second bogey of the day at the seventh, where he missed a slick 5-foot putt, allowed Justin Rose to again close within three shots of the Masters lead on Sunday. 
 
 Rose made an adventurous par at that same hole. The Englishman drove behind a pine tree, was still among the patrons after his second shot, nearly holed out a chip, and then made a short putt that rolled all the way around the lip of the cup before dropping in. 
 
 Rose wiggled his hips like a hula dancer, mimicking the path of his ball. 
 
 Showing plenty of sportsmanship, Spieth gave Rose a thumbs-up for his third shot. 
 
 Spieth was at 16-under par heading to the eighth hole, which was the same point where he had a two-shot edge on Bubba Watson a year ago at Augusta National. Spieth lost that edge before the turn and watched Watson pull away to win his second green jacket in two years. 
 
 Let's see if Spieth can hold on this time. 
 
 The only other player with a real shot was three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson, whose birdie at the eighth brought him within four strokes of the leader. 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:37 p.m. 
 
 Back and forth they go at Augusta National. 
 
 It's almost like match play Sunday between Masters leader Jordan Spieth and closest pursuer Justin Rose. 
 
 They made matching birdies at the first hole. Rose struck the first blow of the final pairing at No. 2, making another birdie to close within three shots of the lead. But Spieth restored his four-shot edge with an 18-foot birdie at the third, as Rose missed his own birdie try from about 15 feet. 
 
 Spieth is back to 18-under par for the tournament. 
 
 Tiger Woods is the only other player ever to get that low, with his winning score at the 1997 Masters. 
 
 Spieth had 15 more holes to take the mark even lower. Judging by some of the early scores, there's plenty of low numbers to be had in the final round. 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:22 p.m. 
 
 At the final round of the Masters, the first blow was delivered by Justin Rose. 
 
 The Englishman started Sunday with two straight birdies to take his score to 14-under par. The leader, Jordan Spieth, made a matching birdie at No. 1 but missed about a 4-footer and settled for par at the second. 
 
 Spieth's miss came right after Rose rolled in a 5-foot birdie, closing the gap to three shots. 
 
 Rose was playing brilliantly, having birdied seven of his last eight holes going back to Saturday. 
 
 It looks like a three-man race, at best. 
 
 Phil Mickelson birdied the second and remains five shots behind Spieth. Charley Hoffman has fallen eight shots back and just one other player, Dustin Johnson, is as close as 10 strokes. 
 
 Both Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were off to sluggish starts. McIlroy had four straight pars, while Woods dropped to 12 shots back with a bogey at the fourth. 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:01 p.m. 
 
 Justin Rose rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt to start the final round of the Masters. 
 
 Justin Spieth answered the challenge, making a 10-foot birdie of his own to maintain a four-stroke lead after the first hole Sunday. 
 
 It was a good start for the 21-year-old Texan, playing in the final group at Augusta National for the second year in a row. 
 
 Phil Mickelson made par at the first hole, dropping six shots behind Spieth. Charley Hoffman started with a bogey and fell eight strokes back. 
 
 Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, both needing historic rounds to overcome double-digit deficits, squandered a chance to get closer by missing short birdie putts at the easy second hole. They were 11 shots off the pace. 
 
 ___ 
 
 2:51 p.m. 
 
 Not looking the least bit nervous, Jordan Spieth teed off in the Masters with a four-stroke lead Sunday. 
 
 Spieth smiled and tipped his cap when the starter announced his name, and then he followed with a perfectly placed drive in the fairway. 
 
 This is the second year in a row that Spieth played in the final group at Augusta. In 2014, he was tied with Bubba Watson and actually built a two-stroke lead with 11 holes to play. But Watson rallied to win his second green jacket in three years. 
 
 The 21-year-old Spieth had a bit of a cushion this time, after setting a 54-hole scoring record with a 16-under 200. 
 
 Justin Rose was Spieth's closest challenger and playing in the final group of a major for the first time. Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson was five shots behind, while Charley Hoffman, at six back, was the only other player within single digits of the leader. They were in the second-to-last group and, in all likelihood, the only ones with a chance to win the green jacket. 
 
 The lone player to rally from as far as 10 shots down on the final day to capture a major championship was Paul Lawrie at the 1999 British Open. Of course, that tournament is best remembered for Jean van de Velde's epic collapse on the 72nd hole. 
 
 Hoffman dropped a shot right away, making a bogey at the first hole. 
 
 ___ 
 
 2:42 p.m. 
 
 Tiger Woods started the final round of the Masters by playing the wrong hole. 
 
 Woods yanked his tee shot into the adjacent ninth fairway Sunday. 
 
 He was able to hit an approach over the trees to the fringe of the green and salvaged par. 
 
 Rory McIlroy, playing with Woods in the third group from end, also opened with a par. 
 
 Both McIlroy and Woods were 10 shots behind the leader, Jordan Spieth. 
 
 ___ 
 
 1:28 p.m. 
 
 It looks like another day for going low at Augusta National. 
 
 On a cloudy Sunday, with temperatures expected to peak out in the upper 70s, there are plenty of red numbers on the board among the early starters. 
 
 Keegan Bradley is 4-under par through 10 holes. Jimmy Walker is 3 under through 12. Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Henrik Stenson are 2 under after playing just a few holes. 
 
 Essentially, there are two tournaments at this point. 
 
 Jordan Spieth hold a four-stroke lead over Justin Rose after setting a 54-hole scoring record with a 16-under 200. Phil Mickelson is five shots back and already warming up on the practice range, looking to rally for his fourth Masters championship. Charley Hoffman, at six off the pace, is the only other player with a single-digit deficit. 
 
 Spieth and Rose tee off in the final group at 2:50 p.m. EDT. 
 
 Leading the B-flight, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are among those 10 shots off the pace; they'll be playing together in the third group from the end. 
 
 Also at 210 are Kevin Streelman, winner of the Par 3 Contest, Kevin Na and Dustin Johnson. 
 
 Only one player, Paul Lawrie at the 1999 British Open, has ever rallied from 10 shots down on the final day to win a major championship. 
 
 That was the year that Jean van de Velde collapsed on the 72nd hole and lost in a playoff.
– Tiger Woods' second round of the US Open is over, and you will currently find his name second from the bottom on the leaderboard. Which means that out of 156 golfers, he is tied for 154th place. Some are still playing, and it's possible one or two more might end up behind him, but no matter what, his 16-over-par means that he will miss the cut by a mile, reports USA Today. What's more, this is pretty much business as usual for Woods these days. "At a certain point, all of the stragglers are going to let it go—the hangers-on who still believe that Tiger Woods has a chance to regain at least some of his past glory and start playing excellent golf once again, winning a tournament here or there and maybe even another major," writes Steve Silverman at CBS. Those looking for a new phenom might pay attention to 15-year-old Cole Hammer, who is about to start his second round. It's a long shot, but if he finished at 4-under today, he'd probably make the cut.