Tiger at 5-under with Round 2 suspended at The Barclays
Tiger Woods knew his patience would be tested Friday in the second round of The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. He just didn’t plan on playing in pain.
Battling a tight back, Tiger got off to a great start with birdies on three of the first five holes. But it was a struggle the rest of the way, with Woods clearly favoring his back from the 10th hole on. He completed 13 holes when play was suspended due to darkness.
Tiger, whose tee time was pushed back about three hours because of the weather-delayed first round, opened with a 4-under-par 67. He finally started his second round just after 4 p.m. ET on Friday. He was 1-under for the day and had a 13-foot birdie putt at the par-3 14th hole, but elected to come back at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning to complete his round with playing partners Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker.
Webb Simpson and Gary Woodland shared the clubhouse lead at 9-under 133. Kuchar was 10-under through 13 holes at The Barclays, which is the first of four FedExCup Playoffs events.
Woods, the FedExCup points leader, played only nine holes in the pro-am Wednesday and said his back and neck were stiff after sleeping on a soft hotel bed. Following Thursday’s round, which took nearly 11 hours to complete due to two weather delays, Tiger said his back remained tight.
It didn’t show early in the second round as Tiger opened with five-straight 3s. At the 398-yard, par-4 first hole, he sunk a 15-foot birdie putt from the fringe. After parring the second hole, Woods poured in a 16-foot birdie putt at the 395-yard, par-4 third hole.
Woods collected his third birdie at the 427-yard, par-4 fifth, nestling a wedge from 118 yards to five feet from the pin and converting the putt.
After failing to birdie any of the three par-5s Thursday, Tiger came up empty again at the par-5 sixth, two-putting from 29 feet following a poor approach shot from 138 yards.
At the par-4 seventh, Woods recorded his first bogey of the tournament. He drove into the left bunker and missed the green left with his second shot. Tiger hit a beautiful flop shot that hit the pin and bounced eight feet backwards, then missed the putt.
At the 611-yard, par-5 eighth, Woods drove into the right rough and his second shot trickled into the front-right bunker. Faced with a long, side-hill sand shot with the ball sitting down, he splashed to 10 feet but was fooled by the break and settled for par.
Tiger made a nice save at the 474-yard, par-4 ninth hole. His approach shot missed the green left and he hit a delicate downhill chip three feet from the cup. Woods made the par putt to turn in 2-under 34.
At the 496-yard, par-4 10th, Woods hit a low 3-wood into the left fairway bunker, grimacing as he reached down to pick up his tee. His second shot wound up well short of the green and he two-putted from 27 feet for a bogey.
Tiger’s tee shot at the 224-yard, par-3 11th hole found the left green-side bunker. Again drawing a side-hill lie, Tiger blasted 40 feet past the pin and two-putted for a bogey.
With the sun starting to set, Woods steadied with a two-putt par at the par-4 12th, then took advantage of the 563-yard, par-5 13th. After a good drive, he hit a 3-iron from 228 yards through the green and the ball stopped in a collection area behind the putting surface. Faced with a tight lie and a long shot, Tiger judged it well and hit a perfectly struck low sand wedge just inside three feet. He buried the birdie putt.
Through 14 holes, Woods has hit six greens in regulation.
Once second-round play is completed Saturday morning, the 36-hole cut will be made. Survivors will begin the third round shortly afterward and play in threesomes starting on the first and 10th tees.
