Although Tiger has declared himself 100% fit and capable to play golf, are there still lingering and nagging effects from his multiple knee and back surgeries?
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The mistake on the par-5 hole set up the signature moment of a 5-under 66 on Friday in the Quicken Loans National that put Woods in contention for his first victory in almost two years.
Comfortable? Hey, he actually smiled.
The 39-year-old nearly recorded a hole-in-one on the par-three 16th after seeing his tee shot land inches from the hole, but he admitted it was not his day, telling his press conference: “Basically it was a fight all day”.
And as a competitor, he’s thinking about what he needs to do. If Woods does not win the title at the National this weekend, Woods will not qualify for the tournament.
Woods’ resurgence hit another major roadblock Saturday in the third round, while the most of the field was going low (including his playing partner Charles Howell III). “You just keep cracking and someday it’s going to crack”. I went the exact opposite way. “Hopefully, I’ll be in the playoffs and we’ll move from there”. He had 11 birdies and a bogey on the par-5 eighth hole. His bunker shot barely crawled onto the green. The unlikeliest was his final birdie, a 36-footer on his next-to-last hole that he celebrated with a big fist pump.
One shot back on the crowded leaderboard is the reigning Players Championship and Scottish Open victor Rickie Fowler after a 68. He scattered the galleries to the left of one.
The other story on most people’s mind is would be regarding Tiger Woods.
That’s something we haven’t seen lately, and after his agonizing performances this year it’s nothing short of big news. “I have a lot of good memories here”. “I couldn’t find it”.
“I finally made some putts”.
That’s exactly what he did. He is even through the fourth hole.
The worst round of Woods’ week was his 3-over 74 on Saturday.
He’ll start Sunday nine shots back.
On the 12th tee, Woods sliced his ball into the water hazard to the right of the fairway. Actually, it went 160 yards. “Made bogey at eight and a double at 11”.
Woods hit ten of 14 fairways, and reached 14 out of 18 greens in regulation. But he later bungled a drive that led to his only bogey of the day. I fought hard. I made some sweet up and downs and hit some really good shots. “I was very pleased with that and made a few putts, but also I missed a bunch, too”. Found a little bit of something on the putting green, squared my shoulders up just slightly. They met for the first time on Tuesday.
At 18 he sank a curling 10-footer for birdie to shoot 34 on the back. Trying to make an up and down here and there, scramble and turn a round (from) terrible into a scoring round.
With wind and rain making it miserable for players and fans, the 33-year-old Norwegian managed to carve four birdies out of her round and finished on an impressive seven under par 137.
He walked away from the eighth with a bogey, his first of the day.
Woods closed out his front nine with a massive 42 foot birdie putt to finish 4-under.
Two good chances slid past on the next two holes.
Walker (37) has won three times on the Challenge Tour but can not take anything for granted. “I warmed up (and) it was in indicative of how I played today”. Some guys’ careers are 48, 50 years long.
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“Did I slap it all over the place?” I haven’t played Ryder Cup, yet. “It’s just the nature of our sport”.
