April 09, (THEWILL) – Tiger Woods salvaged things in the second round at the Masters with a solid closing stretch to make the cut for a consecutive 22nd time for the hall of famer.
Woods shot a two-over-par 74 on Friday after shooting a great 71 in the first round. He is one over par heading into the weekend. Given where Woods was after the first five holes, finishing so close to par feels like a major victory already.
At this competition, the five-time Masters champion recorded the worst start to a round in his career. Woods took another bogey on the fifth hole to finish at four-over par. At that moment, it appeared that he would struggle just to make the cut.
Following back-to-back pars on holes six and seven, Woods regained a stroke on the par-five eighth hole with his maiden birdie. With a great chip shot from just off the green that halted two feet from the pin, he set up an easy putt.
Woods parred number nine to reach the turn at three-over par. His greatest shot of the day came on number 10, when he hit an iron 208 yards to three feet from the green for his second birdie of the afternoon.
However, Woods’ positive vibes immediately turned sour. On the 11th hole, his par putt was pushed left, leaving him to settle for bogey.
Woods’ opening shot on the par-three 12th hole hit a bush and rolled into a bunker beyond the green. His shot from the bunker came to a halt on the rough before moving into the short grass. He was on the verge of making par, but the ball did not break sufficiently before rolling past the hole.
Woods found his swing again as he approached number 13, where he was three-over par. The 46-year-old played the par-five hole conservatively. He did not get to the green until his fourth shot, but he had an easy birdie putt to get a stroke back. On the next hole, Woods became a little more aggressive.
He went for the green in two, got a kind bounce from the rough when his ball spun back toward the hole, and stopped nine feet from the cup. Woods made par on each of his final three holes to enter the weekend on a high note. He told reporters earlier this week that he believed a victory was attainable.
Friday’s missteps did made his quest for a sixth green jacket much more difficult. Woods is undoubtedly capable of making up ground over the remaining 36 holes, but simply making the cut feels like a victory in and of itself, given that this is his first event in 14 months.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
