OLYMPIA FIELDS, Illinois – Not even a 37-foot putt to par in the final hole could stop Tiger Woods’ disastrous round – or get him to stop and talk to the media – Friday.
Woods has been stuttering since returning to the PGA Tour last month, and at the pace he is going, he is on track to get out of the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta next weekend.
Woods scored a 5 out of 75 in the second round of the BMW championship on Friday and is 8 over in total entering the weekend. The top 30 players in the FedEx Cup leaderboard after this weekend qualify for the Tour Championship. That means Woods has some substantial work to do in the next couple of days here; is currently tied for 55th place in the tournament and must finish around fourth overall to enter the top 30 in the FedEx rankings.
The total of 8 overs equals Woods’ fourth worst score for saving through 36 holes in a non-important PGA Tour event as a professional, according to ESPN Stats & Information. His worst score was 13 in the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Woods didn’t show much of anything after returning to tour from his five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. He finished in 37th and 40th place at the Memorial and PGA Championship respectively.
Woods had a bogey and a double bogey in the first nine on Friday before getting his first birdie at the 11th par-4. But then he followed him with a bugbear into the next hole. He went through a tough stretch on the back nine, with bogeys on four or five holes.
Tournament officials said Woods would not speak to the media after the round.
Not qualifying for the Tour Championship could be a good thing for Woods; it would prevent him from playing for three consecutive weeks, which he no longer does so much due to back problems. The US Open is scheduled for September 17th at the Winged Foot.
Woods basically summed up his second round on the 14th hole when his second shot rolled off the green, leaving him a nearly 73 foot putt. He sailed from the hole and the back of the green, leaving him a 14 footer. He ended up with a bugbear.
He looked like a par 4 18th bogey that would suit Woods, who drove him into a fairway bunker and then hit his second shot just 52 yards, leaving him at 161 yards. His approach went far to the right of the pin, leaving him a nearly 37 foot putt for par. But Woods, who is only 57th on the pitch for shots earned in put, ended the long putt on a good note.
It was almost the only time Woods smiled on his tour – and more or less the only time he wanted to on Friday.
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