Tiger Woods turned grinder again on Friday, battling his way around
Muirfield Golf Club in the second round of the 142nd British Open.
Woods
scrambled to make par throughout the day, closing his round of even-par
71 with a birdie on 18 to get him back to 2 under for the tournament.
As tough as the course is playing, he should still be in contact with the leaders by the end of the day.
First-round leader Zach Johnson 95-under 66) had teed off when Woods finished his round.
Woods is chasing his 15th major championship, but his first since the 2008 U.S. Open.
ROUND 1: Course setup faces criticism
ESPN has the TV broadcast.
LEADERBOARD: 142nd British Open
Woods
played with 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, who opened with a
4-over 75. We tracked their progress throughout the day.
No. 18, 470 yards, par 4:
The brutal closing hole ... Woods with an iron is in the fairway but
well back; he'll have a long second shot. McDowell, too, finds the
fairway. From 218, Woods knocks it on the green and will have a pretty
good look at birdie. Would be a good way to finish a round that was
mostly a grind. McDowell finishes with a par and ends up with a 71 to
stat at +4 for the tournament. Woods' birdie putt, from about 10 feet,
goes down, so Woods closes with a birdie at 18 and gets back to 2 under
for the day after an even par round of 71.
No. 17, 575 yards, par 5:
Was a scoring hole Thursday, but it's playing into the wind Friday.
Both Woods and McDowell could really use a birdie. Woods with his
3-metal smacks it into the middle of the fairway ... but reaching in two
will be difficult, even from there. The hole is playing 100 yards
longer (at least), thanks the wind shift, than it did in Round 1. Woods
rifles a fairway metal at the green (from 318) and it stops in a swale
in the fairway short of the green. He'll have a wedge is in hand, trying
to get it close. Into the wind, Woods knocks it onto the green but not
far enough back. Long birdie putt. At this point, Woods better get in
par-par. Woods leaves his birdie putt inches short and taps in for par.
Woods stays at -1; McDowell also makes par and is at +4.
No. 16, 186 yards, par 3:
This par-3 is playing into the wind for the first time this week, and
Woods finds the green — screaming "Bite! Bite!" all the way. It does, on
the upper tier of the green but a difficult birdie putt. Good speed
down the slope and a foot for par. There has been but one birdie at 16
so far. Woods didn't add to that total. Woods stays -1.
No. 15, 448 yards, par 4:
Woods, again with an iron, smacks it dead center and gets a solid roll.
McDowell also finds the fairway and gets a good roll. McDowell from 174
yards knocks it up and runs it past and into a bunker. Woods' shot hits
hard and rolls over the green. Woods chips it up to about 5 feet.
Another one of those testers for par. McDowell hits a beauty from the
bunker. Pars for both ... and perhaps missed opportunities ... irons off
the tee, wedges from the fairway and both had to scramble for par.
Woods stays at -1, McDowell at +4.
No. 14, 475 yards, par 4:
Woods' tee shot with a long iron is true but lands soft and gets no
roll. He'll have a long second. McDowell's tee shot finds rough. Woods,
from 227, lands it lovely on the green ... and then it rolls off the
back and keeps rolling. His third is pretty good from where he is and he
will have a good chance to save par. McDowell's 50-footer up the hill
comes up just under 4 feet short. McDowell raps the par putt, and it
hits the hole, goes 1/3 of the way down and spins out. Bogey 5. He will
drop back to +4. Woods has 2 feet for his par saver. Woods stays at -1.
No. 13, 190 yards, par 3:
Woods' 5-iron is true and finds the green. McDowell with a 4-iron ...
drives it low and just past the hole at the back of the green. On
Thursday, the club of choice on this hole was a 7-iron ... it was
downwind and the ball was rolling on the green. Two birdie putts
upcoming. Woods comes up short with his 35-foot birdie putt but calmly
knocks in the par putt. McDowell's downhill left-to-righter goes down
for birdie, and he is back to -3.
No. 12, 379 yards, par 4:
The greens were watered Thursday night, so they are not quite as fiery
... but the wind has changed directions. Woods with an iron off the is
safely in the fairway and away from the bunker at 260 yards. Woods'
second. The birdie putt is up the hill but over a ridge ... his speed is
off, short by a couple of inches. A par to stay at -1. McDowell also
makes par to stay at +4.
GALLERY: FRIDAY AT THE BRITISH OPEN.... read more here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2013/07/19/british-open-2013-second-round-tiger-woods-hole-by-hole/2567447/
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