Tiger remains within striking distance of leader
Unable to generate any momentum, Tiger Woods struggled to a 1-over 71 in Round 2 of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, on Friday.
After opening with a promising 68 on Thursday — his lowest score since undergoing back surgery on March 31 — Woods never found his rhythm on another warm day. He used his driver nine times and found only one fairway. The tournament’s defending champion also missed several short putts.
“I didn’t do anything well,” Tiger said afterward. “The one thing I did well was I fought hard. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good today.”
As a result, Woods is tied for 25th at 1-under 139, 10 strokes behind leader Sergio Garcia.
Tiger wasn’t pleased with his warmup session and it carried over to the course. After putting so well Thursday, he couldn’t back it up Friday.
“If I putt like I did yesterday, it’s a 2 or 3-under round,” he said.
A back-nine starter with Martin Kaymer, Woods began Round 2 on a positive note by making birdie at the par-4 10th hole. After driving into the left rough, he nearly holed out his second shot and was left with a two-footer for birdie.
But Tiger gave it right back with a bogey at the par-4 11th hole. He pulled his drive way left into the trees, punched back out into the fairway, hit a wedge five feet from the cup and two-putted.
Another poor drive led to his second bogey at the par-4 13th. Woods came up short of the green with his second shot, hit a good third shot four feet above the pin and missed a four-footer for par.
Tiger parred the last five holes, squandering several good birdie chances. He missed from 12 feet at the par-5 16th, five feet at the par-4 17th and 10 feet at the par-4 18th to make the turn in 1-over 36.
Moving to the front nine, Woods parred the first hole, then bogeyed the par-5 second. He drove into the right bunker, blasted out into the fairway and came up short with his third shot. He then failed to reach the green with his fourth, chipped five feet from the cup and made the bogey-saving putt.
At the par-4 third, Tiger knocked his approach shot to the back portion of the green and rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt. He added another at the par-3 fifth, where his tee shot settled in the left fringe, about 15 feet from the hole, and drained the putt.
Woods followed with three consecutive pars, but finished on a sour note at the par-4 ninth. Tiger drove into the right rough, gouged his second shot short of the green, chipped 15 feet from the hole and two-putted for a bogey.
After playing the two par-5s in 1-under Thursday, he played them 1-over Friday. On the plus side, there were two instances when he rebounded with birdies after bogeys, giving him five bounce-backs in two days.
An eight-time winner of the tournament, Woods thinks victory is still within reach.
“I’m only seven back,” he said. “That’s plenty doable on this golf course.”
With inclement weather expected for Saturday’s third round, tee times will be moved up.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do, but I’ll be ready,” Tiger said.
Woods starts Saturday at 7:40 a.m. ET on the first tee with Bubba Watson and Jimmy Walker.
Earlier Friday, it was announced by the PGA of America that Woods, Padraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson will be paired together for the first two rounds of next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville. Kentucky.
