Tiger loses ground on Friday at Firestone South

Tiger Woods never got untracked Friday in the second round of the $8.5 million World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

For the second-straight day, he struggled on the greens, shooting a 2-over-par 72 and stands at 2-over 142 for the tournament, 13 strokes behind pacesetter Jim Furyk. After using 33 putts on Thursday, he took 29 on Friday.

“I hit it good, made nothing,” a frustrated Woods said afterward. “I figured something out finally on the 17th hole, but too little, too late.”

Woods said his problems stem from an improper putting path, and he worked overtime Thursday night to correct it. When he did hit good putts, they either lipped out or refused to fall.

“Yea, I get in these little spells where it’s hot or cold,” he said. “Generally, I was a decent putter over the years, but lately it’s been very streaky. I’m making everything or I make nothing.”

Woods, who has won the event a record seven times, was an early back-nine starter with Branden Grace of South Africa. He stumbled on the par-4 10th hole, driving into the left fairway bunker, blasted out short of the green, and couldn’t save par, two-putting for a bogey from 43 feet.

Tiger followed with eight-consecutive pars. Six came on two putts, but he also saved par twice to keep his round going.

At the long, par-5 16th, Woods drove into the right rough, then gouged his second shot into the left rough. His third shot came up short of a fronting pond, 87 yards from the green, where he wedged to 10 feet and sunk the par putt.

After missing a 16-foot birdie putt at the par-4 17th hole, Tiger hit a poor approach shot from 135 yards into the back bunker at the par-4 18th hole. He blasted to five feet and converted the putt to make the turn in 1-over 36.

On the front nine, Woods bogeyed the 399-yard, par-4 first hole. After driving in the fairway, his second shot wound up in the short-left rough, where he wedged to seven feet and missed the putt.

Tiger bounced back with a birdie at the 526-yard, par-5 second hole, sinking a seven-foot putt. He saved par at the par-4 third, where he missed the green with his approach shot and chipped to three feet.

At the 471-yard, par-4 fourth, Woods drove into the left rough and hit his second shot into the left rough. His sand wedge wound up just inside five feet from the cup, but he couldn’t convert his par attempt.

Tiger squandered a good birdie opportunity at the par-5 fifth, two-putting from 13 feet. He saved par at the par-4 sixth, coming up just short of the putting surface with his approach shot and chipped to two feet.

Woods hit a nice tee shot at the 219-yard, par-3 seventh, the ball settling just inside five feet from the cup. But again, he couldn’t get the putt to drop.

At the 482-yard, par-4 eighth, Tiger hit a good drive in the fairway and had 103 yards left to the hole. He knocked his second shot 14 feet from the cup and poured in the birdie putt.

Moving to the par-4 ninth hole, Woods drove into the left rough and hit his second shot just over the green. He nestled his third shot two feet from the pin to finish with a par. All told, Tiger hit only 10 of 18 greens and seven of 14 fairways in regulation.

“I’m hitting it well,” he said. “I certainly hit it well enough to be right there in the top five going into the weekend, no problem at all. I just need to get more consistent where I just don’t hit a bad putt. As soon as I start doing that, everything will be fine.”

Woods will begin third-round play with Grace off the first tee Saturday morning at 10:20 ET.