Tiger Woods started so well at the PGA Championship, his first round beginning with a smooth, easy birdie on the very first hole at Southern Hills Country Club. But as his day progressed, things got harder — his body started to fail, his game started to falter.
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He heads into the second round needing to make a move — to stay within eyesight of contention and avoid spending his Friday just trying to make the cut. He’ll be alongside Rory McIlroy, who was the 18-hole leader after a strong opening-round 65 on Thursday, as well as Jordan Spieth, who needs a good round after a slow start.
Here is how things are going on Friday at the PGA Championship:
No. 1: Par 4, 451 yards
Woods was wide off the first tee. He gingerly walked off the tee, headed down the rough to find his ball. With a good lie, he lofted a wedge onto the green and then navigated a two-putt for a relatively easy opening par. He opened the day hovering around the cut line. So the early part of his round will be key.
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Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Where he stands in the tournament: 4 over
No. 2: Par 4, 480 yards
Woods spent a lot of time trying to figure out the wind off the tee. It didn’t help. He missed the fairway right, just as he did at the first. He then dumped his approach from 187 yards into the front bunker. But after a brutal day out of the sand on Thursday, Woods hit a perfect blast in his first attempt Friday. That touch allowed for a kick-in par.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Where he stands in the tournament: 4 over
No. 3: Par 4, 444 yards
Took three tries, but he hit a fairway. A safe approach left a long, long birdie putt. About halfway to the hole, you could see in Woods’ eyes he thought it had a chance to go in. Instead, it lost speed and stopped a foot short. But on a hard day, with a tricky wind, three pars to start is not bad.
At least he didn’t do this:
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Where he stands in the tournament: 4 over
No. 4: Par 4, 377 yards
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The stinger made its first appearance of the second round. But this wasn’t with 2-iron, which was the stinger of choice on Thursday – and which didn’t always work out well. This 3-wood stinger found the fairway and led to a routine par.
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Where he stands in the tournament: 4 over
No. 5: Par 5, 656 yards
Golf requires skill, for sure. But a little luck never hurt. After a perfect drive, Woods hit a not-so-perfect layup at the gargantuan par-5. But the ball landed in the rough and got a good bounce and tumbled into the fairway. That allowed him to control distance and spin on the wedge approach, which he stuffed to 6 feet. He made the putt for birdie and moved inside the cutline while getting into red numbers for the day.
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Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 1 under
Where he stands in the tournament: 3 over
No. 6: Par 3, 226 yards
A solid tee shot left Woods with a 20-footer for birdie. And for the second time in his first six holes, Woods thought he had made a putt that eventually did not drop. He thought, for a moment, he had made the one at No. 3. He thought, again, at No. 6, he made it. But this putt slid by on the low side. One thing is clear: Woods is into this round.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 1 under
Where he stands in the tournament: 3 over