Relief for Tiger Woods as he lives to fight another two days at Masters | Tiger Woods
Trees might have fallen, however an idol didn’t. Spectators nonetheless reeling from the astonishing Friday afternoon episode when a trio of Georgia pines crashed to the turf had been at least cheered by the survival of Tiger Woods for this main’s closing 36 holes.
Woods maintained an outstanding file of by no means lacking a Masters reduce as an expert, a streak that now extends to 23. He has tied Gary Player and Fred Couples at that determine, a event file. Incredibly, Couples additionally made it into the delayed spherical three at chilly, rain-soaked Augusta. Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas had been amongst these to bow out as Woods and Couples rolled again the years. The Masters actually is all about custom.
Woods returned at the 12th tee on Saturdaymorning to full spherical two. Which is hardly the softest of begins. The 15-times main winner performed a elegant iron to inside 5 toes of the cup. His birdie alternative slid by. “I hit just a terrible putt,” he stated. “I pulled it.”
Woods picked up a shot at the 15th to transfer comfortably contained in the reduce line. Drama – usually – adopted. Woods dropped photographs at the 17th and 18th to depart a nervous wait at three over par.
The horrible end of Thomas, a detailed pal of Woods, helped the 47-year-old. Thomas performed his closing 4 holes in three over, that means a 78 and a plus 4 complete. Thomas exited stage left as Woods, who has been in clear bodily misery all week, earned a third-round tee time. To his credit score, he appeared completely blissful about that regardless of dipping temperatures and his aching physique.
“I’ve always loved this course and I love playing this event,” he stated. “I’ve missed a couple with some injuries, but I’ve always wanted to play here. I’ve loved it. I hope I get a chance to play this weekend. I’m sorry. I got a chance to play on the weekend. I wish I get a chance to play two more rounds.” His want was to be granted.
Augusta National’s personal prayers had been answered. The epic degree of rain forecast for Saturday failed to materialise that means a Sunday end ought to be possible. The event committee applied a two-tee begin and three balls for the third spherical as a way to compensate for time misplaced when play was halted on Friday afternoon. Curiously, given the fortunate escape by spectators, nothing extra was stated in regards to the incident when the timber toppled between the 15th and 17th holes.
Couples completed two photographs forward of Woods, at plus two, to ease into the closing half of the event. At 63 years, six months and 5 days, Couples is the oldest participant to make a Masters reduce. “There really isn’t a secret,” he stated. “Everyone loves this place. That doesn’t imply you’re going to play properly. If I hit it actually stable, I’m a very good iron participant.
“Yesterday, a few the bogeys I made, I fatted an eight iron on the seventh with a fairly straightforward shot, pondering perhaps I ought to have hit 9. But it was slightly funky little lie. Then I flew it on 17 about 4 toes from the outlet and it bounced over. Most folks would have gotten them up and down. I bogeyed each of these holes. Other than that, moreover butchering 13, I hit a lot of the greens and I had a number of birdie possibilities.
“I’m excited to make the reduce. That’s why I come right here. The final 4 years have been actually mediocre golf. Maybe one 12 months I used to be semi shut to making the reduce. But that’s my goal and I did it. It’s not like ‘Ha, ha, ha. Now I can screw around and play 36 holes for fun.’ I’m going to try to compete.”
At the top of affairs, Jon Rahm moved inside two of Brooks Koepka’s 12-under-par lead. Resuming on the 10th, Rahm performed his first 5 holes in a single beneath. He made a birdie 4 at the 15th, dropped a shot at the par three 16th, birdied once more on the penultimate gap and bogeyed the final. A 69 was the sum of Rahm’s second-round efforts when all was stated and accomplished.
Confirmation that McIlroy missed the reduce at 5 over was no shock. The former Masters champions Sergio García, Danny Willett, Bubba Watson, Mike Weir, Bernhard Langer and Vijay Singh additionally departed the scene.
Adam Scott, who did make the spherical three draw, described the unusual circumstances. “I hit a three iron into 18 and I only had 186 yards to the front,” he stated. “It didn’t even pitch to the front. So it’s playing long. Normally that club flies 240.”