Tiger battles on second nine, makes cut at Torrey Pines

Buzz surrounds Tiger as Palmer leads Rahm by 1

Ryan Palmer is the 36hole leader in the Farmers Insurance Open. Jon Rahm is right behind, poised to reach No. 1 in the world. And for the first time in 29 months, a PGA Tour event will feature Tiger Woods on the weekend.

Palmer finished eaglebirdie on the North Course at Torrey Pines for a 5-under 67. That gave him a one-shot lead over Rahm, the defending champion who birdied two of his last three holes on the North for a 66.

The biggest buzz, as usual, was for Woods. He kept his fairway-lined following in suspense over his closing stretch on the front nine Friday simply by trying to make the cut, and it came down to the very last hole .

A wild drive was saved by a perfect flop shot to escape with par on No. 6. Another superb chip on the reachable par-4 seventh set up a birdie, the first time all week he was under par. A chip that bounced hard and rolled off the back of the green led to bogey and left him one shot outside the cut line. From gnarly rough right of the fairway on the par-5 ninth, he hammered a 6-iron to the wrong side of the green, leaving him two putts from 75 feet to make birdie and get to the weekend.

A beautiful lag for a tapin birdie gave him a 71.

“It was a grind. I fought hard,” Woods said. “Typical. Just me going out there and fighting for whatever I can get. It’s all good.”

There’s a reason Woods has gone so long August 2015 at the Wyndham Championship without making a cut. This was only his second PGA Tour since then, the greatest reminder of back surgeries that effectively cost two full years of golf.

He won the first battle two more days.

The next one is a bit more ominous. He still was 10 shots behind Palmer, who is going through a minor resurgence of his own. Palmer, who was at 11-under 133, spent the last 18 months at home after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. After her last dose of chemotherapy a year ago, followed by 35 radiation treatments, Jennifer Palmer has had nothing but clean scans.

Then, Palmer had surgery on his left shoulder to clean out bone spurs and had not played since August until he headed to Honolulu two weeks ago.

“A lot of distractions behind me,” he said. “So we’re definitely playing a little more free and clear.”

The biggest distraction on another gorgeous day at Torrey Pines was a pair of bogeys early. He kept his patience, chipped in for eagle at the turn, and then finished with a beautiful approach to 12 feet on the par-5 eighth and a 20-foot birdie putt on the ninth.

And now he has to deal with a big presence in golf Rahm.

The 23-year-old Spaniard won in a playoff last week in the California desert, moving him to No. 2 in the world. If he were to win this week, Rahm would go to No. 1.

European Tour

DONALDSON LEADS DUBAI

CLASSIC >> Welsh golfer Jamie Donaldson followed his opening 62 with a solid 3-under-par 69 to take the clubhouse lead in the weather-interrupted second round of the Dubai Desert Classic on Friday.

Tee times were delayed for nearly three hours because of thick fog. That led to none of the afternoon groups, including Rory McIlroy and defending champion Sergio Garcia, being able to finish their second round when darkness suspended play.

Donaldson was on 13-under 131 at the halfway stage, with Li Haotong second, one shot behind after a consecutive 66s.

Branden Grace shot 65 to lie third in the clubhouse at 11 under.

Miguel Angel Jimenez moved to 10 under with a 68. Thomas Aiken (67) was tied with Jimenez.

Among those still on the course, McIlroy was 10 under after 11 holes.

LPGA

HIGH WIND SUSPENDS PLAY

>> Brooke Henderson bogeyed the first hole to drop into a tie for the lead before the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic was suspended for the day and later cut from 72 to 54 holes because of high wind that moved balls on an exposed green.

Sustained 30-35 mph wind gusting to the low 40s hit the Ocean Club Golf Course, forcing officials to stop second-round play at 8:39 a.m.