Augusta, GA – 5-time Masters champion Tiger Woods shall be in attendance for the weekend on his return to Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.
Woods, taking part in in his first championship since being critically injured in a automobile wreck in February 2023, battled his approach by means of early struggles and tempestuous circumstances to attain 2-over 74 within the second spherical on Friday. He’s 1 over and tied for nineteenth place after 36 holes.
“It was windy. It was spinning,” stated Woods, who’s 9 pictures behind chief Scotty Scheffler after two rounds. “Balls had been swinging on the greens. We had some dangerous storms. I hit two dangerous pictures. I hit an excellent shot at 4 and it ended up going up and down one of many balls. It was like there have been loads of issues that did not go my approach. The circumstances had been partly me and partly me” .
After a tough begin, during which Woods pummeled 4 of his first 5 holes, he informed tinker, Joe LaCava, “Hey, we have loads of holes to play. It will be robust all day, so let’s get again to even being on par for the day one way or the other.”
“I assumed it will be an excellent comeback,” Woods stated. “I did not fairly get there.”
It was one other street journey for the 15-time champion. Woods had six bogeys — the primary time he is had that many within the Masters for the reason that second spherical in 2007 — and 4 birdies. He is made the lower in every of his previous 22 Masters matches, the third longest streak by any participant within the event’s historical past.
After struggling to make it to the fairways within the first spherical, Woods scored 10 of 14 on Friday. He hit 9 out of 18 Greens on the roster, however did not scramble or shoot like he did on Thursday.
“I am again within the ball sport,” Woods stated. “I counted 4 pictures of a second, that is the factor. However Scotty is operating away with it now. [Saturday] It will likely be tough. It will likely be a storm. It will likely be nice. I believe the Masters Committee has been wanting ahead to it for a number of years now. We had no such factor.”
Circumstances had been robust sufficient at instances on Friday. After scoring the ghost at No. 11 and 12, Woods slipped again into 3-over for the championship and appeared in peril of dropping the lower. However then he bought his large break in gap quantity 5 of the Par-5. With 223 yards left to the opening after his tee shot, Woods inspired his second shot with 5 woodcuts to the best. His ball stopped a brief distance from Ray’s stream.
As soon as his ball stopped, Woods informed LaCava, “An awesome cross.” They each laughed.
Woods was capable of go up and down with a formidable 3-foot shot. Flying introduced him again to 2 within the event, which was 2 items higher than the anticipated 4 cut-off streak.
On the subsequent gap, Woods hit 305 yards down the center of the golf green. His 145-yard strategy shot hit the inexperienced and spun towards the opening. He made 9 toes for his second straight hen.
Woods additionally had two extra good probabilities to birdie, however he missed 17 toes at No. 15 and 11 footers at 16.
“All through I saved feeling the hits and the pictures,” Woods stated. “I used to be capable of observe and get my contact, observe my quick sport, hit loads of pictures, and that was nice. Begin seeing the break once more. I’ve been in Florida. I haven’t performed the tour eternally, so we don’t see a break.”
Woods could not have had a worse begin on Friday. After beginning the third spherical of pictures behind the leaderboards Sungjae Im and Danny Willett, Woods hit his first place to begin in a bunker within the fairway and rushed No. 1 for the twenty third time in his profession. Then he missed the numbers 3, 4 and 5. He missed his shot by 7 toes on the third gap of the 4th grade and 14 toes on the 5-par-4. After going 7 for 9 in a scramble within the first spherical, Woods was just one for five within the first 9 holes on Friday.
It was solely the second time in Woods’ profession that he began a significant event tour with a rating of 5 or worse in three consecutive holes, in response to ESPN Statistics and Info analysis. His 3-over tally was the worst by 4 holes in Augusta Nationwide’s 92nd innings.
“I have never performed loads of tournaments recently, so it was a bit rusty, however I am beginning to look,” Woods stated. “I felt good about the best way I fought again [on Friday]. I might have simply kicked myself out of the event at the moment, however I saved myself in it.”
