NORTON, Mass. -- For the first time in 16 tournaments encompassing 60 rounds of golf in 2018, Tiger Woods declined to speak to the media afterward.
It was hard to blame him.
Frustrated all weekend by a cold putter and even more so over the closing nine holes Monday at the Dell Technologies Championship, Woods politely but firmly told a PGA Tour media official that he would not be speaking.
A final-round even-par 71 that included playing the last five holes in 3 over par certainly didn't help.
Woods ended up nine shots back of winner Bryson DeChambeau -- and they were tied through 36 holes.
Woods again wasted what was a solid ball-striking round that saw him hit 15 greens in regulation.
And he also missed out on an opportunity to earn more FedEx Cup points, which would have made this week's coming task at the BMW Championship less stressful as it relates to qualifying for the season-ending Tour Championship.
Woods began the day in a tie for 16th and ended up tied for 24th. Woods is projected to be 25th in the FedEx Cup standings. Had he moved into the top 20 in points, he would have all but mathematically clinched his first appearance in the Tour Championship since 2013.
He will need to be among the top 30 in FedEx points at the conclusion of the BMW Championship, which begins Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
Woods started the final round six strokes back of 54-hole leader Abraham Ancer. He birdied two of his first four holes to move toward the top 10 in the field.
But he didn't give himself chances on the next three holes, then missed putts from 15 feet and 7 feet at the next two holes. He made his only birdie on the back nine, an 11-footer, at the 11th, then made a bogey at the 14th to derail momentum.
Another missed 13-footer at the 15th followed by a ball in the water at the par-3 16th only added to the frustration as Woods made his only double-bogey at the 16th. He had chances at both the 17th and 18th and missed those as well.
There clearly is some work to be done with the new putter Woods put in his bag this week, a TaylorMade prototype that looks and feels like his old Scotty Cameron model. Woods had said earlier in the week that he liked how he was putting, but he was 60th in the field in strokes gained putting on Sunday and 56th on Monday. Add in that he was a modest 25th in strokes gained approach to the green -- one of his strengths -- and it was a tough week.
For the tournament, Woods made just 15 birdies. DeChambeau made 13 birdies and an eagle over the final 36 holes.
On Tuesday, Woods is expected to be named one of Jim Furyk's at-large selections for the Ryder Cup. It would mark Woods' first appearance in the competition since 2012. Furyk has three picks to make, and he is also expected to name Phil Mickelson and DeChambeau. He will complete the 12-man team with a final pick on Sept. 10.