Last falls
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The putt measured exactly 13 feet, 2 inches, and it represented Tiger Woods’ ticket to play the weekend in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.
Based on how poorly Woods had been handling the flat stick the past two days, the odds were stacked against him making the putt, the cut and the weekend. And, making matters even more ominous, Woods’ two playing partners, Patrick Reed and Brooks Koekpa, both missed their putts on a similar line prior to Woods standing over his.
But, alas — 13 feet, 2 inches later — Woods’ birdie putt on No. 9, his final hole of the day, disappeared into the cup and he lifted his arms in the air in mock it’s-about-time celebration.
“I’m on a hot streak right now,’’ Woods said facetiously. “I made the last putt.’’
Woods, at 2-over, made the cut, following his openinground even-par 71 with a 2over 73 on Friday.
Woods will begin Saturday’s third round well behind leaders Peter Malnati, who’s 7-under after shooting 68 on Friday, Jason Day and Aaron Wise (both 6-under) and Paul Casey and Charl Schwartzel (both 5-under). Johnson Wagner, formally of Garrison, N.Y., and currently a Charlotte resident and member at Quail Hollow, is 4-under.
The cutline stood at 2-over as Woods stood on the ninth tee at 3-over knowing he needed a birdie to give himself a chance to play the weekend.
Asked if he “figured’’ he needed to make the birdie putt on No. 9 to make the cut, Woods said: “I figured that [the putt] was just outside left. Those two [Reed and Koepka] missed it left and that’s all I was committed to — understanding that putt wasn’t going to break.
“Whether it was for the cut or not, I was just committed to that putt wasn’t going to break. Those two showed me that the putt hangs, the wind’s coming off the right so it’s going to hold it up a little bit more, and I trusted it and I hit it and I made it.’’ Woods’ putting this week has been — in a word — atrocious.
His 64 putts are the most he has taken through two rounds in a nonmajor since 2006 at Bay Hill. Those are the numbers of an 18-handicapper. When he finished his Friday round his strokes-gained-putting was at 4.070, meaning he has given up more than four strokes to the field. That number was his personal worst since 2012.
Accentuating those numbers is the fact that he hit 26- of-36 greens in regulation, which would suggest a fairly good score.
“I’ve hit it good enough to be right up next to that lead,” Woods said. “If I just putt normal, I’m right there. I’m hitting it fine, and I just need to make some putts. Hopefully, this weekend I’ll hit it the way I’ve been hitting it and get a hot putter on the weekend. You never know.”
What Woods does know is this: He’ll need an epic weekend to catch the leaders.
Malnati, who never has won on the PGA Tour, will measure what he described as calmest nerves he’s felt this week when he steps to the first tee Saturday with the 36-hole lead.
“I’ve been trying to embrace just being a little more calm and relaxed on the golf course this week,’’ he said. “It will be a good test [Saturday] to see how I feel walking to the first tee. I’m sure there will be some nerves.
“I came into this week with the word ‘process’ written on my glove,’’ Malnati added. “Just focus on my process and be at lease with the results. I mean, I always have fun. I love my job, and I even love my job when I suck at it.’’
Tiger sinks final putt to make Wells Fargo cut