Ryder Cup wild card Tiger Woods struggles in BMW Championship

Tiger Woods, who was named as a wild-card pick for the American Ryder Cup team this week, struggled as the BMW Championship began near Chicago yesterday. "I just didn't have much today," the world No1 said. "Guys aren't going low at this place because the greens aren't good enough to go low," he said. "Obviously, there's a couple of players that have played well today, but overall, the guys just aren't tearing the place apart." Woods opened with a double bogey and never fully recovered. A bogey on 18 gave him a two-over 73 and left him with work to do if he is to qualify for the final round of the FedEx Cup play-offs, the Tour Championship in Atlanta. The FedEx leader, Matt Kuchar, capped a seven-under 64 with a 20-foot birdie putt at his final hole, the ninth, to take the tournament lead by a shot from Ryan Moore. It was Woods's highest round at Cog Hill since he opened with a 73 in the 2005 Western Open. His score ended a streak of 11 straight rounds in the 60s on the public course, where he has won five titles. Woods spoke about what he must do, not to catch Kuchar, but to finish in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings to secure his place in the Tour Championship. "As of right now, I'm only five shots back out of that spot," said Woods, who will probably need a fifth-placed finish. "That's not bad." Another key member of Corey Pavin's US team, Phil Mickelson, was also well off the pace. He shot a 72 to be eight shots behind the leader, Matt Kuchar, who also leads the FedEx Cup play-off standings. Ian Poulter, a key member of Colin Montgomerie's European team for the Ryder Cup, which starts at Celtic Manor in Wales on 1 October, shot a 66, two off the lead. Poulter has had one top-10 finish since his WGC Match Play Championship win in February but he was the best of the afternoon starters, bouncing back after opening with a double bogey. "Nice first round," he said. "Not a very nice first hole, mind you." Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, another member of the European team, shot a 76. He is 29th in the FedEx Cup standings.