Woods modest goal: Get better

SHEBOYGAN, Wisconsin – Tiger Woods knows the concept of going through a transition, just not the numbers associated with this one.

His world ranking is No. 278. Throw out some of the past champions and the 20 club pros at the PGA Championship, and his ranking is the worst of all but two players at Whistling Straits – Nick Taylor and Darren Clarke.

He has not won a tournament in two years, and he has only one top 10 on the PGA Tour since.

And while his winless streak in the majors is at 23 dating to the 2008 US Open, only once in the last six years has he gone into the final round within three shots or fewer of the lead. That was at Muirfield two years ago, and he closed with a 74 to finish five shots behind.

This is the new world of Woods at the majors. Expectations are lower than ever.

There wasn’t a lot of talk about Woods winning the PGA Championship. His main theme was taking baby steps.

“I’m just trying to get better,” Woods said after playing nine holes with Davis Love III. “I’m just trying to get up there where I can win tournaments, get my game organized so I can be consistent on a tournament basis where I’m going to give myself a chance to win each and every event I play in. That’s what I have done over most of my career. And I’d like to get to that point again where I could do it.”

Even if expectations are low, he is still Tiger Woods.

He had one of the largest galleries for a morning practice round at Whistling Straits, and he stopped to sign autographs heading to the next tee, which is unusual for him. Hundreds of fans stood below the steps of the media center when they saw Woods walk in, all of them holding flags for him to sign.