AUGUSTA, Ga. – Let’s just put this out there, shall we? Once Tiger Woods appear he’d be abiding from a continued blow at this week’s Masters, the Tiger Woods Hating Brigade believed Woods would absence the cut so abominably that the arcade would artlessly point and laugh, awkward him appropriate out of the bold altogether. The Tiger cheap new era hats Woods Sanctification Society believed Woods would bead birdies like grenades, atomic the greens and the leaderboard en avenue to addition blooming jacket.
Both contingents are appropriately delusional, and both were appropriately wrong, as Woods accomplished the additional day of the Masters at 2-under and safe for the weekend. Sure, he’s 12 acclamation abaft baton Jordan Spieth, but that’s not the point. Woods, both because of contempo abrasion and an continued aeon of poor play, was even money, at best, to accomplish the cut … and that’s one hell of a fall.
“Tiger vs. the Field” has become “Tiger vs. the Early Departure.”
“To basically change an absolute pattern,” Woods said anon afterwards the round, “and put it togehter and put it in a position area I can attempt in a above championship like this is something I’m actual appreciative [of].”
Woods played Friday’s annular absolutely the way he bare to: demography advantage of acceptable break and aspersing mistakes. He birdied the first, again bogeyed the sixth, but got aback that achievement and one added with cheap snapbacks hats birdies on the next two holes. He had but a individual baboon on the aback nine, but managed several continued par saves, including a 14-footer on 17 that he acclimated to accomplish commonly and now cards alone rarely.
We’re 5 years from Woods’ acknowledgment to Augusta afterward his fire-hydrant-and-scandal-induced layoff. That year, Woods shut out distractions of every stripe, like planes aerial biting signs, to accomplishment in a tie for fourth. For a guy who basically formed up to the advance with around no prep, accepting not played a aggressive annular in months, Woods’ achievement on that anniversary was conceivably the a lot of absorbing non-winning clash of his career.
“I’m still appropriate there,” Woods said, announcement that optimism that borders on delusion. “I’m 12 back, but there’s not a lot of guys (18) advanced of me. And with 36 holes actuality to go, annihilation can happen.” Woods again referenced 1996, the abominable Masters in which Greg Norman coughed up a six-stroke Sunday lead. Tiger will not be the endure to do so.
We’ve still got a means to go, but if Woods can ability addition brace of superior circuit this week, the 2015 Masters will rank up there in the account of “quality non-wins.” There’s no way Woods will be in annihilation abutting to contention; cheap hats there’s just too abundant arena to accomplish up and too abounding players advanced of him. But if he’s able to accompany home a top-five finish, that will quiet the Bag-It-Tiger contingent, and accord achievement that bigger times lie advanced for Woods.