Tiger Woods units Masters report with unimaginable Friday at Augusta

With all the percentages stacked towards him, Tiger Woods continued to battle on the 88th Masters Match.

His ailing physique, the 40-mile-per-hour winds, a prolonged delay that led to 23 holes in someday on Friday—all these indicators pointed to Woods bowing out early.

And but, he relied on his unbelievable brief sport and his beautiful psychological acumen to make the minimize for the twenty fourth consecutive time, a brand new Masters report.

“It’s been an extended day,” Woods mentioned to ESPN’s Michael Eaves afterward.

“It was an excellent battle. We did rather well on the market. I’m nonetheless proper there within the ball sport with an ideal probability of successful going into the weekend.”

Woods resumed his first spherical at 7:50 a.m. ET on the 14th gap and opened with a bogey. He additionally walked fairly gingerly and appeared fairly stiff—a stark departure from how he appeared Thursday night.

Picture by Warren Little/Getty Photos

Nonetheless, Woods managed to persevere. He signed for a 1-over 73 in his opening spherical after which turned proper round and commenced his second spherical at 10:18 a.m. ET.

His Friday entrance 9 was something however regular. He started with two straight pars, after which hit a wonderful second shot into the par-4 third, resulting in a birdie.

However two straight bogeys on the 4th and fifth holes—two of probably the most difficult holes at Augusta Nationwide—rapidly dropped him to 2-over for the event.

Then, Woods regained momentum on the par-3 sixth, the place he chipped in for birdie.

A bogey and a birdie adopted on the seventh and eighth holes as his rollercoaster spherical continued to go up and down, vacillating between one and 2-over par.

He then steadied himself whereas making the flip, making key par saves on holes 9 by way of 12—all of which required super contact together with his brief sport.

“I used to be compelled to get up-and-down a number of instances at this time, and I used to be ready to try this,” Woods mentioned.

“A number of these chip photographs I used to be in a position to get up-and-down as a result of I left it within the good spot, and that’s understanding the right way to play this golf course.”

Woods is aware of the right way to play this course higher than most, therefore why he has received 5 Inexperienced Jackets. However he uncharacteristically put himself out of place on the 14th, which led to a different bogey.

Then, on the following gap, Woods hit the very best shot he hit all day—a towering 3-wood from 246 yards out. He reached the par-5 fifteenth in two, which arrange his fourth birdie of the day.

He closed with three straight pars, signing for an even-par 72, a powerful spherical contemplating the scoring common is rapidly approaching 75—one thing not seen exterior of the U.S. Open.

Picture by Jamie Squire/Getty Photos

“This golf course will expose any weak spot you’ve got,” Woods mentioned.

“The greens are fast proper now, and the wind is in every single place. We needed to play the wind on putts and chip photographs—something that mainly will get within the air. It was an ideal take a look at.”

He managed to battle by way of the wind fantastically to make the minimize, however the 15-time main champion has far more on his thoughts than merely enjoying the weekend.

Woods desires to win another and feels as if he has put himself able to take action.

“I’ve an opportunity going into the weekend. I’m right here. I’ve an opportunity to win the golf event,” Woods mentioned.

“I’m solely eight again [of Bryson DeChambeau] as of proper now. I don’t assume anybody goes to run off and conceal proper now, nevertheless it’s actually bunched. The way in which the ball is shifting on the greens and chip photographs are being blown, it’s all you need in a golf course at this time.”

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Make sure to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.