PARIS — Tiger Woods looked considerably different than the guy who was holding his arms up in triumph just five days ago in Atlanta at the Tour Championship.
Perhaps his 80th PGA Tour victory, the emotion of winning for the first time in five years, and the hectic aftermath of coming to the Ryder Cup in Paris were part of the difference.
But Woods was not the same golfer Friday at Le Golf National in his four-ball match with partner Patrick Reed against England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Italy’s Francesco Molinari, a 3-and-1 loss that dropped Woods’ Ryder Cup record to 13-18-3.
Fortunately for Woods and Reed, their teammates picked them up as the U.S. took a 3-1 lead after the morning session.
And for the first time in eight Ryder Cup appearances, Woods is sitting out an opening-day session at the Ryder Cup. He had previously missed just one, during the morning of the second day at Medinah in 2012.
Woods, 42, was not immediately available afterward, but he appeared to be lacking the energy that helped him to victory a week ago. Several swings seemed to be without speed, the best example being his tee shot at the par-3 16th, when his ball came up well short of the green and into the water.
That proved crucial, as the U.S. had just gone 1-down on the 15th hole. A few moments later, Fleetwood rolled in a birdie putt to give the Europeans a 2-up lead, and they closed out the match a hole later, when both Woods and Reed missed the green. Molinari capped it off with another birdie.
When Woods birdied the par-5 ninth hole and Reed chipped in for birdie to go 2-up at the 10th, the Americans seemingly had the momentum and a huge advantage against two players believed to be one of Europe’s best tandems.
But Molinari made consecutive birdies at the 11th and 12th holes to square the match, and neither Woods nor Reed could make a birdie the rest of the way.
Reed played all five matches at Hazeltine two years ago and went 3-1-1 in the U.S. victory.
Woods has now not won a Ryder Cup match since defeating Molinari in singles at the 2010 Ryder Cup in Wales. He went 0-3-1 during his last appearance in 2012.