Tiger moves to 3-under after Round 2 at Omega Dubai
Still searching for consistency from tee to green, Tiger Woods struggled to a 1-over-par 73 on Friday in the second round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates. A two-time winner of this European Tour event, Tiger made two birdies and three bogeys.
He has a 36-hole score of 3-under 141 and is tied for 44th, eight strokes behind pacesetter Rory McIlroy. Woods’ previous high second-round score in the tournament was a 71.
Conditions were more difficult on Friday. A late front nine starter with McIlroy and defending champion Stephen Gallacher, Tiger parred the first two holes, then made his first birdie at the par-5 third hole. He hit his second shot in a greenside bunker and splashed to four feet.
From there, it was a hard grind the rest of the way. For the second straight day, Tiger relied heavily on his short game to stay in touch with the leaders, but he wasn’t as sharp as Thursday. Woods parred the fourth and fifth holes, then bogeyed the par-4 sixth — his first of the tournament — where he drove into the right rough, came up short of the green with his approach and failed to get up-and-down.
Tiger parred the seventh and eighth holes, but dropped a shot at the par-4 ninth, where his second bounced into the grandstand. Woods chipped about 20 feet from the pin and two-putted to make the turn in 1-over-par 36.
On the back nine, Tiger narrowly missed a birdie putt at the par-5 10th. He regained a shot with a birdie at the par-3 11th, then followed with two straight pars.
At the 434-yard, par-4 14th, Woods found the fairway with a 5-wood, then badly pulled his second shot to the back of the long green, leaving about a 50-foot putt. His lag for birdie came up seven feet short and lipped out, Tiger settling for a frustrating bogey.
Following a two-putt par from the front of the fringe at the par-3 15th, Woods made a nice save at the par-4 16th. He hit his tee shot into a sandy waste area on the right, knocked his second shot over the green from 166 yards, then chipped to seven feet and made the putt.
Woods made another scrambling par at the par-4 17th, then missed a good birdie chance at the par-5 18th, where he hit his second shot into the back bunker, splashed about 15 feet past the hole and two-putted for a par.
On the day, Tiger hit only 11 of 18 greens and 4 of 14 fairways in regulation and used 30 putts. He has played the par-5s in a combined 4-under, but is 3-over on the par-4s.
Tiger will tee off from the first tee with playing partner Mikko Ilonen at 11:50 p.m. ET on Friday night.
