Masters record with unimaginable Friday at Augusta National
Gideon Canice
With all the odds stacked against him, Tiger Woods continued to fight at the 88th Masters Tournament.
His ailing body, the 40-mile-per-hour winds, a lengthy delay that led to 23 holes in one day on Friday—all these signs pointed to Woods bowing out early.
And yet, he relied on his incredible short game and his exquisite mental acumen to make the cut for the 24th consecutive time, a new Masters record.
“It’s been a long day,” Woods said to ESPN’s Michael Eaves afterward.
“It was a good fight. We did really well out there. I’m still right there in the ball game with a great chance of winning going into the weekend.”
Woods resumed his first round at 7:50 a.m. ET on the 14th hole and opened with a bogey. He also walked rather gingerly and looked rather stiff—a stark departure from how he appeared Thursday evening.
Still, Woods managed to persevere. He signed for a 1-over 73 in his opening round and then turned right around and began his second round at 10:18 a.m. ET.
His Friday front nine was anything but steady. He began with two straight pars, and then hit a fabulous second shot into the par-4 3rd, leading to a birdie.
But two straight bogeys at the 4th and 5th holes—two of the most challenging holes at Augusta National—quickly dropped him to 2-over for the tournament.
Then, Woods regained momentum on the par-3 6th, where he chipped in for birdie.
A bogey and a birdie followed at the 7th and 8th holes as his rollercoaster round continued to go up and down, vacillating between one and 2-over par.
He then steadied himself while making the turn, making key par saves on holes 9 through 12—all of which required tremendous touch with his short game.
“I was forced to get up-and-down a few times today, and I was able to do that,” Woods said.
“A lot of those chip shots I was able to get up-and-down because I left it in the perfect spot, and that’s understanding how to play this golf course.”
Woods knows how to play this course better than most, hence why he has won five Green Jackets. But he uncharacteristically put himself out of position at the 14th, which led to another bogey.
Then, on the next hole, Woods hit the best shot he hit all day—a towering 3-wood from 246 yards out. He reached the par-5 15th in two, which set up his fourth birdie of the day.
He closed with three straight pars, signing for an even-par 72, an impressive round considering the scoring average is quickly approaching 75—something not seen outside of the U.S. Open.
“This golf course will expose any weakness you have,” Woods said.
“The greens are quick right now, and the wind is all over the place. We had to play the wind on putts and chip shots—anything that basically gets in the air. It was a great test.”
He managed to fight through the wind beautifully to make the cut, but the 15-time major champion has much more on his mind than simply playing the weekend.
Woods wants to win one more and feels as if he has put himself in a position to do so.
“I have a chance going into the weekend. I’m here. I have a chance to win the golf tournament,” Woods said.
“I’m only eight back [of Bryson DeChambeau] as of right now. I don’t think anyone is going to run off and hide right now, but it’s really bunched. The way the ball is moving on the greens and chip shots are being blown, it’s all you want in a golf course today.
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