Tiger stuck at even after two days at Honda Classic
It wasn’t easy, but Tiger Woods survived the cut Friday and will look to make up ground on the weekend in the Honda Classic at the Champion Course at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Tiger overcame a double-bogey on the back nine to shoot an even-par 70 for the second-straight day. His 140 total made the cut on the nose and trails pacesetter Luke Guthrie by nine strokes.
A late front-nine starter with Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer, Woods started well, playing the first five holes in 2-under. After long two-putt pars at 1 and 2, he just missed an 8-foot birdie putt at the 538-yard, par-5 third, where he hit his second shot from 214 yards into the front-right bunker and hit a nice explosion shot.
At the 376-yard, par-4 fourth, he knocked his approach shot from 119 yards to 14 feet and buried the birdie putt. Tiger made it two-in-a-row with a sweet birdie at the 217-yard, par-3 fifth, where he purred his drive just inside 6 feet and converted the putt.
For the second-straight day, he had problems off the tee at the 479-yard, par-4 sixth. Woods again drove into the water on the left and dropped back with a penalty stroke. He hit his third shot 104 yards short of the green, then punched his fourth 7 feet from the cup and salvaged bogey.
Tiger also bogeyed the 226-yard, par-3 seventh. He hit his tee shot into the right greenside bunker and was unable to get up-and-down, missing a 13-foot putt.
Woods gave himself a good birdie chance at the 427-yard, par-4 eighth. After a nice drive, he hit his approach shot 9 feet from the pin but missed the putt.
Playing in cool conditions and followed by a massive weekday gallery, Tiger closed the side on a positive note by making birdie at the 421-yard, par-4 ninth. After a good drive, he hit his second shot from 174 yards 30 feet below the cup and poured in the putt to make the turn in 1-under 34.
On the back nine, Woods made a great par save at the 508-yard, par-4 10th, where he drove into the right rough, slashed his second shot 70 yards from the green, knocked his third shot 10 feet from the hole and sunk the putt. He parred the next two holes, then made a mess of the 388-yard, par-4 13th.
Tiger hit his tee shot into the left fairway bunker. With 138 yards to the green, he came up short with his approach and found the front-left bunker. His third shot carried over the green, and his fourth finished 30 feet short of the hole, Woods sustaining a double-bogey.
Knowing he was hovering close to the cut line, Tiger rebounded with a clutch 4-foot birdie putt at the 465-yard, par-4 14th. Woods gave himself another good look at birdie at the 186-yard, par-3 15th, the start of a three-hole stretch known as the “Bear Trap” created by architect Jack Nicklaus, but couldn’t deliver from 12 feet left of the cup.
At the 434-yard, par-4 16th, Tiger drove into the left fairway bunker, then missed the green to the left with his second shot from 175 yards. However, he hit a nice sand wedge to six feet and made the par-saving putt.
The dangerous 200-yard, par-3 17th over water is always challenging. Woods missed his tee shot and wound up in the back-left bunker. From there, he played a beautiful explosion shot to 2 feet and made the par putt. Tiger two-putted the par-5 18th hole for a par from 26 feet and toured the back nine in 1-over 36.
His ball-striking was not sharp. On the day, he hit 6 of 14 fairways and 11 of 18 greens in regulation.
Last year, Tiger tied for second and closed with a 62 on Sunday. He tees off Saturday at 8:15 a.m. ET with David Lynn.
