Tiger faces 2 big weeks that shape rest of season

AKRON, Ohio (AP) ― The landmark at Firestone Country Club is among the most popular in America, a massive water tower in the shape of a golf ball on a tee.

Tiger Woods has reason to see only a big ATM machine.

Woods has eight wins at Firestone, one more than Matt Kuchar has won on the PGA Tour. In 15 appearances, he has made $11.06 million, which is roughly the same as Tom Watson has made in four decades on the PGA Tour.

OK, that’s not a fair comparison. Watson played at a time when total prize money at tournaments was about the same as a first-place check today. Firestone featured the biggest payoff on the PGA Tour schedule ― majors included ― when Watson won in 1980. He earned $100,000.

Then again, Watson might be the perfect reference point for the peculiar plight of Woods.

For example, who could have imagined one year ago that when Woods returned to the Bridgestone Invitational as the defending champion, he would be four spots behind the 64-year-old Watson in the FedEx Cup? Or that Watson would have as many rounds in the 60s on the PGA Tour this year ― four ― as Woods?

Consider how different Woods’ future looked a year ago.

Coming off his seven-shot win at Firestone (his fifth win of the year), Woods was tugging at his back seven days later during the final round of the PGA Championship. Two weeks later, he dropped to his knees with a back spasm during the final round of The Barclays. And two months into this year, he was out of golf for three months because of back surgery.

That explains why Woods is at No. 215 in the FedEx Cup, and why is unlikely to qualify for the playoffs barring a quick turnaround.