HE’S A CUT ABOVE: WOODS MAKES HISTORY AT AUGUSTA
AUGUSTA, Ga. — A howling gust — the kind that created havoc at Augusta National all day long — struck the 18th green just as Tiger Woods was lining up yet another testy putt. Fine particles of sand stirred from the pearl-white bunkers, whipping across the slick green surface. One caddie’s hat was blown off. Woods turned away quickly, avoiding the potentially painful daggers to his eyes. Not to worry.
It was just a windy respite on the way to another bit of Masters history Friday.
When the blast subsided enough to look again, Woods rolled in a 5-foot putt to cap an even-par 72 that ensured he made the cut for a record 24th time in a row.
Of course, his sights were fixated on a bigger goal — a record-tying sixth green jacket.
Woods broke the cut mark he shared with three-time champion Gary Player, who advanced 23 consecutive times beginning in 1959, and 1992 winner Fred Couples, whose own streak lasted until 2007.
“I’m here. I have a chance to win the golf tournament,” said Woods, who was at 1-over 145 through 36 holes and seven strokes off the lead. “I got my two rounds in. Just need some food and some caffeine, and I’ll be good to go.”
Woods was back at the course before sunrise to finish up the final five holes of his opening round, which was cut short by darkness after storms Thursday delayed the start of the tournament by 2½ hours.
He made a couple of bogeys to complete a 73, then had less than an hour to rest up for another 18 holes.
Remarkably, he played just one less hole Friday than his competitive total through the first three months of the year.
Even with such limited preparation, there’s something about Augusta National that always brings out the best in Woods.
“Yeah, I’m tired. I’ve been out for a while, competing, grinding. It’s been a long 23 holes, a long day,” he conceded. “But Lance (Bennett, his caddie) and I really did some good fighting today, and we’ve got a chance.”
With the crowd around the 18th green roaring like it was a Sunday, Woods’ steely demeanor morphed into a huge smile as soon as the round was done. He hugged playing partner Jason Day, and gave another big squeeze to Bennett before a triumphant stroll to the clubhouse.
Woods was as accurate as he ever has been off the tee as a Masters professional, hitting 25 of 28 fairways through the first two rounds. But one wayward approach shot after another left him to do all sorts of scrambling. Fortunately for Woods, he knew where to miss and kept pulling off nifty chips and clutch putts to keep his score safely above the cut line, which ended up at 6 over.
“I was forced to get up-and-down a few times today, and I was able to do that,” Woods said. “A lot of those chip shots I was able to get up-and-down because I left it in the perfect spot, and that’s understanding how to play this golf course.”