TULSA, Okla. — Few gamers battle on the golf course like Tiger Woods does.
And battle Woods did in Friday’s second spherical of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills, the place he spent the afternoon desperately preventing to make the lower and keep alive for the weekend.
Woods, in bother on his again 9 after a double bogey on the eleventh gap dropped him to 5-over and the improper aspect of the lower line, rallied to shoot a 1-under 69 Friday to get to 3-over for the match.
When it was over, Woods, buoyed by his rally, was speaking like somebody who nonetheless believes he can win within the place the place he gained the 2007 PGA — regardless of the actual fact he’s 12 pictures out of the lead.
“You possibly can’t win the match when you miss the lower,’’ Woods stated. “I’ve gained tournaments — not main championships — however I’ve gained tournaments on the lower quantity. There’s a purpose why you combat onerous and also you’re in a position to give your self an opportunity on the weekend. You simply by no means know once you may get scorching. I’ve gained tournaments being on the lower quantity.
“This weekend I’m going to must go low. I’m hoping I can shoot a quantity like Bubba [Watson] did right this moment [63] tomorrow. That’s the place my thoughts is at proper now. Hopefully I can put up a very good spherical and at the least transfer up the board, get myself inside placing distance on Sunday.
“I’m fairly far again, however you simply by no means know. Main championships are onerous to win. There’s a mission, and that’s to go forward and win this factor in some way.’’
It appeared that the par-3 eleventh was going to be Woods’ undoing when he took the sloppy double. He airmailed the inexperienced lengthy and left, hit his second shot over the opposite aspect of the inexperienced right into a bunker, splashed out to the inexperienced and two-putted.
However Woods rallied with two birdies and 6 consecutive one-putt greens.
His finest saves got here proper after the bogey. On 12, he was compelled to make a 14-foot par-save putt to remain at 5-over, leaving himself with essential birdie on the par-5 thirteenth gap to inch again into competition to play the weekend.
Woods striped a 336-yard drive into the green and made his eight-foot birdie putt on 13 to get again to 4-over.
Woods promptly put added stress on his putter on the par-3 14th when he missed the inexperienced after which left his chip shot 14 ft wanting the outlet. Going through one other must-make, he calmly poured within the par-save putt to remain at 4-over and on the cutline.
On 15, Woods acquired himself into bother once more. After splitting the green together with his tee shot, he had simply 155 yards to the flag and overshot the inexperienced and left himself short-sided within the again bunker, needing an beautiful up-and-down to save lots of par.
And that’s precisely what he did, utilizing a deft soft-handed contact to splash his sand shot to three ft from the outlet and save yet one more par.
Woods then attacked the 521-yard par-4 sixteenth gap, the third most tough on the course, with a 313-yard drive and a 209-yard strategy shot to inside 4 ft of the flag for birdie.
Throughout his opening spherical, Woods’ limp was extra pronounced, wanting like he was laboring and he stated he was in ache afterward.
Rory McIlroy, who performed with Woods the previous two days, marveled at Woods’ combat on Friday.
“I imply, simply unbelievable making the lower at Augusta and making the lower right here,’’ McIlroy stated. “I used to be joking with Joey [LaCava, Woods’ caddie] yesterday saying he might have come again and performed like Honda and Valspar, two of the flattest programs on Tour [and] it might need been a bit simpler for him, however he comes to 2 of the hardest walks that we've. Simply extremely resilient and mentally robust.
“He’s the final word professional. Taking a look at him [Thursday], if that might have been me, I might have been contemplating pulling out and simply going house, however Tiger is totally different and he’s proved he’s totally different. It was only a monumental effort.’’
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