Tiger Woods in line to make 24th straight cut at the Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods‘ 15 main championship victories embrace 5 wins on the Masters. An 82-time winner on the PGA Tour, Woods was ranked the No. 1 golfer on the planet for 683 weeks — greater than 13 years.

Given how little aggressive golf Woods has performed over the previous three years since he was severely injured in a automobile wreck in February 2021 — and the actual fact he is now taking part in with a fused again and proper ankle — it will be troublesome to argue that what the 48-year-old achieved Friday is not one of the crucial exceptional achievements of his storied profession.

By carding an even-par 72 within the second spherical of the 88th Masters at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership, Woods will doubtless break a match report along with his twenty fourth consecutive made reduce. He beforehand held the report with Fred {Couples} (1983-2007) and Gary Participant (1959-82). Woods was 1 over par and tied for twenty eighth after 36 holes when he walked off the course.

The projected reduce was 4 over with a number of golfers nonetheless on the course. Woods has by no means missed the reduce on the Masters as an expert.

Regardless of taking part in just one full aggressive spherical in a PGA Tour occasion this season, Woods wasn’t fascinated by a made reduce heading into the weekend. He nonetheless believes he has an opportunity to win a sixth inexperienced jacket. He was 8 pictures behind chief Bryson DeChambeau when he completed.

“It means I’ve an opportunity going into the weekend,” Woods stated. “I am right here. I’ve an opportunity to win the golf match. I do not know in the event that they’re all going to complete in the present day, however I am finished. I received my two rounds in. Simply want some meals and a few caffeine, and I will be good to go.”

There isn’t any query that Friday was a problem for Woods. He had accomplished 13 holes of the primary spherical when play was suspended shortly earlier than 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. He was the primary participant on the observe space on Friday morning, then teed off at 7:45 a.m. ET and performed the ultimate 5 holes of his opening spherical.

Woods had bogeys on the par-4 14th and the par-4 18th and shot 1-over 73 within the first spherical.

“I am drained,” Woods stated after the second spherical. “I have been out for some time, competing, grinding. It has been an extended 23 holes, an extended day. However [caddie Lance Bennett] and I actually did some good combating in the present day, and we have an opportunity.”

After ready lower than 50 minutes to tee off within the second spherical, Woods had an action-packed first 9. He had birdies on Nos. 3, 6 and eight and bogeys on Nos. 4, 5 and seven. He made the flip at even-par 36.

Woods’ putter began cooperating on the second 9, and he made a number of clutch up-and-downs to save lots of par. He opened the second 9 with 4 straight pars, together with three in a row on Nos. 11, 12 and 13 at Amen Nook.

Woods picked up his first bogey of the second 9 on the par-4 14th. After hitting a 307-yard drive down the correct facet of the golf green, his ball was 150 yards from the pin. His strategy shot was lengthy and left, and his ball ended up stopping in a gallery of patrons, about 51 ft from the outlet. He chipped to 9 ft and missed the par putt to fall to 2 over.

Woods bounced again on the following gap, the par-5, 550-yard fifteenth. After hitting a 292-yard tee shot, Woods was left with 258 yards to the pin. He ripped a 3-wood and his ball reached the inexperienced, about 25 ft from the outlet. His eagle putt stopped about 2 ft in need of the outlet. He tapped within the birdie putt to return to 1 over.

On the par-4 18th, Woods confirmed the bodily put on of taking part in 23 holes. He labored whereas strolling up the hill and pulled his strategy shot left. His ball landed under the left greenside bunker about 33 yards from the outlet. He pitched the ball to five ft and made the par putt.

“I used to be pressured to rise up and down just a few instances in the present day, and I used to be ready to try this,” Woods stated. “Quite a lot of these chip pictures I used to be capable of rise up and down as a result of I left it within the excellent spot, and that is understanding easy methods to play this golf course. Most likely the one exception was the spot I put myself in on 14. Many of the up-and-downs, I used to be in an ideal spot.”

Woods drove the ball extraordinarily properly within the first rounds. He hit 79% of fairways and routinely hit his drives previous his taking part in companions, Max Homa and Jason Day. Woods’ iron recreation was rusty, as he hit solely 47 p.c of greens. He did not make a putt longer than 10 ft within the first 36 holes.

Woods stated he deliberate to textual content his good pal {Couples}, who was 12 over whereas taking part in with an aching again and can miss the reduce, and needle him about breaking the report.

Woods’ course information and expertise at Augusta Nationwide-he is making his twenty sixth begin within the Masters-were invaluable on a day when swirling winds and gusts of greater than 30 mph made already troublesome pictures much more treacherous.

Eire’s Shane Lowry, who was 3 over after 36 holes, stated Augusta Nationwide’s agency and quick greens and the climate made the primary two rounds “most likely the hardest two days of golf” that he’d ever performed.

“You might be made to appear like an fool on the market in the present day by not doing an excessive amount of flawed,” Lowry stated. “In case you’re speaking in boxing phrases, strolling up 18, you’d assume it was spherical 12 in the present day, not spherical 2. It was robust.”

Regardless of his bodily limitations, Woods was among the many golfers who dealt with the circumstances higher than most. Greater than something, he appeared completely satisfied to be taking part in aggressive golf again-especially at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.

“I’ve at all times beloved taking part in right here,” Woods stated. “I have been capable of play right here since I used to be 19 years outdated. It is one of many honors I do not take calmly, having the ability to compete. The years I’ve missed, I want I used to be capable of play as a result of there’s such an aura and mystique about taking part in this golf course that except you may have performed and competed right here, you most likely do not actually admire [it].”

Woods’ achievement wasn’t misplaced on a few of his rivals. Regardless of not having performed in an expert match since he withdrew after 24 holes of the Genesis Invitational due to the flu in mid-February, Woods performed properly sufficient to compete on the weekend.

Among the many gamers who will not make the reduce embrace former Masters champions Dustin Johnson (13 over), Bubba Watson (10 over) and Jordan Spieth (9 over), in addition to reigning Open Championship winner Brian Harman (9 over) and Sam Burns (9 over).

“Simply have a look at what Tiger is doing proper now,” stated novice Stewart Hagestad, who missed the reduce (8 over) in his third Masters look. “The man has barely performed in any respect within the final calendar 12 months, and he is 1-over. That is alien stuff. That is unbelievable.”

Added Homa, who’s 6 below after 36 holes, one of the best place of his profession heading into the weekend of a serious championship: “It truly is a dream to get to play with him right here. I have been saying I at all times wished to only watch him hit iron pictures round right here, and I used to be proper up subsequent to him. It was actually cool.

“His brief recreation was so good. I do not assume I can clarify how good a number of the chip pictures he hit in the present day have been. He is particular. We had a extremely fast turnaround, and if I used to be feeling drained and terrible, I think about he was feeling even worse.”

Woods insisted he is not finished, both. Earlier this week, he advised that he’d have an opportunity to win one other Masters title if “every thing comes collectively.” He has loads of work to do within the last 36 holes however is not out of it but.

“I am proper there,” Woods stated. “I am solely eight again as of proper now. I do not assume anybody goes to run off and conceal proper now, however it’s actually bunched. The way in which the ball is transferring on the greens, chip pictures are being blown, it is all you need in a golf course in the present day.”