AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods looked down after a few missed opportunities around Amen Corner to make a serious move on the leaders following a short weather delay. Then it hit him — literally. With Woods among the pines on the left side of No. 14, a security guard, trying to keep back patrons, ran alongside Woods and slipped into him. Tiger limped away. A scare averted, Tiger seemed fine.
Was he ever. He birdied No. 14, then posted another at No. 15. It was a full, complete, sometimes chaotic day in the second round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
Don’t believe that? Just follow along and see how everything happened in Tiger’s second-round 68, which has him entering the weekend one shot behind the leaders:
Before the chaos began …
Tiger Woods, going with the dentist look today, is headed to the first tee. None of the leaders out before him have pushed the pace. Still needs to be a little more aggressive than Thursday’s first round. A number that starts with a “6” should be the goal today.
No. 1: Par 4, 445 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 2 under
Tiger striped his tee shot on No. 1 on Thursday. Not so much on Friday. He had to scramble from the left trees in the second round to get himself an 8-footer to save par. This was the distance from which he struggled on Thursday. He drills his first test of the day into the center of the cup for a much-needed, day-starting par.
No. 2 : Par 5, 575 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 2 under
Strategy is critical around Augusta National. After a good drive, Tiger made a mistake with his second to the par-5 second hole. With the pin front right, Woods shortsided himself and couldn’t get up-and-down. Frustrating when you make pars on par 5s around here.
No. 3: Par 4, 350 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 2 under
Could be the first sign of his approach today: Tiger went big off No. 3, hitting drive up near the green. He couldn’t get the tricky pitch to the green close to the hole and had to settle for a two-putt par. Even through three for the day, he heads to the ultra-tough Nos. 4 and 5.
No. 4: Par 3, 240 Yards
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 1 under
Total for the tournament: 3 under
Tiger couldn’t convert over the first three holes, but gets a birdie at No. 4. And that’s rare. It’s just his ninth birdie in his career at the fourth. Along with the No. 1, it’s the hole on which he’s struggled the most here at Augusta National.
No. 5: Par 4, 495 Yards
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 2 under
Tiger clearly is not enjoying the lengthened fifth hole at Augusta National. Two days, two bogeys. So the one he got at No. 4 with a birdie he promptly gave back with a bogey at No. 5.
No. 6: Par 3, 180 Yards
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 1 under
Total for the tournament: 3 under
Tiger erases his bogey at No. 5 with his second birdie of the day. He rolls in a 20-footer at the par 3 sixth hole, complete with putter raise and mini-fist pump.
No. 7: Par 4, 450 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: 1 under
Total for the tournament: 3 under
Tiger misses a birdie try at No. 7. He was aggressive with the roll. He heads to No. 8. He failed to birdie the par-5 second. Can’t afford to miss two chances on the first nine.
No. 8: Par 5, 570 Yards
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: Even
Total for the tournament: 2 under
You have to take advantage of the par 5s at Augusta National. Pars are giving away shots to the field. Bogeys, well, that’s a big no-no. Yet that is exactly what Tiger just did after hitting his tee ball in the bunker at No. 8. He plays the two first-nine par 5s in 1 over.
No. 9: Par 4, 460 Yards
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 1 under
Total for the tournament: 3 under
Example of why golf makes no sense: Tiger makes a bad, bad bogey at No. 8. He hits a so-so approach at No. 9, leaving himself a 37-footer up the hill. Of course, he makes that. So he cancels a poor bogey with an unlikely birdie. He makes the turn in 1-under 35 and sits four behind the leaders.
No. 10: Par 4, 495 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: 1 under
Total for the tournament: 3 under
Tiger has reached the no-disaster part of the golf course. The only goal is to get through Nos. 10 and 11 without a big number. He makes par at 10. Now it’s off to Amen Corner.
No. 11: Par 4, 505 Yards
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 2 under
Total for the tournament: 4 under
So much for playing conservatively at one of the hardest holes at Augusta National. Tiger takes an aggressive line on his second shot then rolls in the putt for the first birdie of the day by anyone at the 11th. He’s now at 4 under, three back of the lead.
No. 12: Par 3, 155 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: 2 under
Total for the tournament: 4 under
Coming out of the weather delay, Tiger with a huge miss at No. 12. He had just 5 feet after stuffing his tee shot at the par 3. He missed. If he was hoping to keep his momentum coming out of the brief break, that didn’t help.
No. 13: Par 5, 510 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: 2 under
Total for the tournament: 4 under
Those four green jackets hanging in Tiger’s closet were largely won at Augusta National’s par 5s. He’s owned them. Not this week. After a par at the 13th, he remains 1 over on the par 5s today and just 1 under over the seven he has played through two rounds.
No. 14: Par 4, 440 Yards
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 3 under
Total for the tournament: 5 under
A wild scene at No. 14. Tiger in the trees let, hit his shot and a security person following the group raced ahead to keep the patrons back and slipped on the wet ground and catches Woods’ right foot. Tiger limps ahead. An unreal sequence.
If Tiger Woods somehow wins his fifth green jacket, everyone will point to the 14th hole in the second round. Tee shot in the trees. Wild recovery to 20 feet. Run into by a security guard who slips on the wet ground and collides with his right leg, causing Tiger to limp away. Finally, of course, he makes the birdie putt.
No. 15: Par 5, 530 Yards
Score: Birdie
Total for the day: 4 under
Total for the tournament: 6 under
Tiger Woods finally makes a birdie at a par 5. So after misses at No. 12 and No. 13, the literal run-in with a security guard at 14 seems to have awoken him. A huge first pump after rolling in a long birdie at No. 15.
No. 16: Par 3, 170 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: 4 under
Total for the tournament: 6 under
Finally a moment of calm amid the chaos: Tiger with a simple two-putt par at No. 16.
No. 17: Par 4, 440 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: 4 under
Total for the tournament: 6 under
With a chance for Tiger to tie for the lead, he couldn’t coax in his 10-footer for birdie at 17. He’ll head to No. 18 one shot behind.
No. 18: Par 4, 465 Yards
Score: Par
Total for the day: 4-under 68
Total for the tournament: 6 under
Tiger Woods cannot get his 14-foot birdie putt at the last to fall. Still, he posts 4-under 68 and stands one shot behind leaders Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen.