OUT OF THE WOODS

Rules snafu hurts round, but Tiger's health no longer a question mark

NASSAU, Bahamas — The fact that the news involving Tiger Woods in Friday’s second round of the Hero World Challenge had to do with a curious rules situation, and not his health, was good news to Woods and all of his supporters.

This tournament, which Woods hosts in conjunction with his foundation, has provided some anxious, if dramatic, moments for him over the past three years.

Three years ago, Woods, unable to play at the time because of his chronic back issues, grimly spoke about the possibility he might never be able to compete again, asking, “Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?’’

Two years ago, at the start of what felt like his 19th career comeback, Woods gingerly played four rounds at Albany Golf Club and it felt like he and everyone else were waiting for the other shoe to drop with his back ailments. Sure enough, two months later in Abu Dhabi, Woods had to limp away from the game midtournament, with his back again in tatters.

Last year, in yet another anticipated comeback, it was apparent to all who watched that Woods appeared to be all the way back physically — though his world ranking had plummeted to 1,199th.

What followed was a 2018 season in which he won his 80th career tournament (the Tour Championship, the last one he had played before this week), contended to win both the British Open and PGA be- fore falling short and elevated his ranking from 1,199th to 13th.

That brings us back to this week where Woods, at 2-under, enters the weekend eight shots behind leader Jon Rahm and Henrik Stenson, who are both 10-under.

Woods ruined a chance to stay within striking distance of the lead when he made a sloppy mess of No. 18 on Friday, taking a double-bogey 6 that sabotaged an otherwise strong round.

And the double could have been a triple had it not been for a relatively generous ruling on what slow-motion replay showed was a double hit of a punch shot out of a palmetto bush on 18.

Rule 14-1a in the Rules of Golf states that “the ball must be fairly struck at with the head of the club and must not be pushed, scraped or spooned.’’

Under the new rules that go into effect on Jan. 1, there will be no penalty for a double hit.

More at issue than his rules snafu was the fact that, for the second consecutive day, Woods posted a score that was higher than what he probably should have shot. On Thursday, it was a triple bogey on No. 12 that derailed his round and left him with a 1- over 73. On Friday, it was No. 18, as well as spotty putting — with four birdie putts inside of 10 feet missed — that turned a lower number into 69.

“Today I hit it like I normally do,” Woods said. “If I could have putted like I normally do it could have been 8-, 9-under.”

Even though in the micro — this week — picture none of this was good news; in the bigger picture and when you consider the uncertainties that faced Woods a year ago at this tournament, the fact that he was lamenting his poor putting Friday was a good thing.

On Thursday, he admitted to being a bit wistful about this week, about being here having had the successful year he had and now having expectations for more.

“Yeah, there have been a lot of thoughts of that ... this entire week of where I started at last year coming into this event and looking at how the year’s panned out,’’ Woods said. “It’s been pretty amazing.’’

Now, regardless of where he finishes in this elite 19-player field by tournament’s end Sunday, the story surrounding Woods will not be that he survived the four rounds at the Hero without getting hurt or whether his body will be able to withstand the rigors of a full season.

We know the answers to those questions.

The focus now will be on a future that Woods had little idea he still had in front it him.