Tiger Woods fails to qualify for Tour Championship, season over

Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Golfer Tiger Woods watched his season end early tying for 37th place at the 2019 BMW Championship and failing to qualify for the Tour Championship.

Woods needed to land inside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings to qualify for the season-ending tournament. He ended his season at No. 42 in the FedEx Cup standings. Woods carded an even par round of 72 in the final round of the BMW Championship Sunday at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Ill.

"It was a little bit frustrating that I didn't have the short game I needed to make a run," Woods told reporters. "I made too many bogeys around the green. I had it at 2-under-par early and was giving myself an outside chance of getting to my number. I thought if I shot 6-under-par I might have moved on."

Justin Thomas won the tournament with a score of 25-under-par through four rounds. Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship, beating Billy Horschel by two strokes. Thomas finished tied for seventh at the 2018 Tour Championship.

Thomas will enter the 2019 tournament at 10-under-par. Patrick Cantlay will begin the 2019 Tour Championship at 8-under-par, followed by Brooks Keopka (-7), Patrick Reed (-6) and Rory McIlroy (-5). Jon Rahm, Matt Kuchar, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson and Abraham Ancer will each begin their rounds at 4-under-par.

Woods had an up-and-down 2019 season. He lost to Phil Mickelson in November as part of a head-to-head matchup with $9 million. He finished 17th in the Hero World Challenge in December. Woods tied for 20th at the Famers Insurance Open before a 15th place finish at the Genesis Open.

Woods tied for 10th at the World Golf Championships Mexico Championship before beginning his major championship circuit. He tied for 30th at The Players Championship. Woods tied for fifth at the World Golf Championships -- Dell Technologies Match Play before the highlight of his 2019 campaign: a win at the Masters.

"[It was] very special to win my 15th major and get my fifth jacket,'' Woods said. "Those are special moments, and to be able to have an opportunity like that ... and the rest of the tournaments I didn't really play as well as I wanted to, but at the end of the day, I'm the one with the green jacket.''

He followed the major championship triumph by missing the weekend cut at the PGA Championship. Woods tied for ninth at the Memorial Tournament. He tied for 21st at the U.S. Open before missing another major championship weekend cut at the British Open.

He then watched his season end Sunday in Medinah. Woods finished his 2019 campaign ranked No. 8 in the world. He was ranked No. 13 in the world at the end of last season.

The 2019 Tour Championship starts Thursday at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

"It's disappointing," Woods said. "I wish I could have [qualified]. Last year culminated in a pretty special moment for me. It would have been nice to go back there.

"I'll be watching the guys on TV."