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Tiger Woods flirts with the cut line in US Open second round as he battles the brutal Pinehurst setup
Tiger Woods began his battle with the devilish Pinehurst No. 2 Friday afternoon as he launched yet another far-fetched quest to make the weekend of a major championship.
The 48-year-old teed off alongside Matt Fitzpatrick, 29, the 2022 US Open champion, and Will Zalatoris, 27, at 1.14pm ET, nine shots back of overnight leaders Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay.
The 15-time major winner had opened his first round with a coveted birdie Thursday but it was all downhill from there as Pinehurst bared its teeth. Woods fell victim to the brutal setup as six bogeys over the toiling 18 holes saw him card a four-over 74.
After making the cut and finishing last at Augusta, Woods missed the cut at the PGA Championship in May and he will be desperate to avoid a repeat in North Carolina as he began his battle to finish the right side of the cut line.
And he begun his plight in the right direction. After remaining even-par through the opening three holes, he dialed in his approach to the fourth green to within 17 feet of the hole before sinking the birdie putt.
Tiger Woods began his battle to make the cut at the US Open at Pinehurst Friday
But the treacherous conditions saw Pinehurst claw it back at the fifth, with Woods instantly handing a shot back on the par-five.
He continued to flirt with the projected cut line of four-over when he wrapped up his front nine with bogey-four at the ninth, heading into the turn at five-over for the tournament.
His descent into danger dragged on into when a dropped shot at the 12th saw him slump to six-over and put him precariously on the wrong side of the projected mark.
Woods' opening round had followed a now-familiar pattern with the golf icon toiling around the course but what followed was unusual. Instead of capitalizing on his early tee time and giving his ailing body a rest, Woods headed to the range to finetune his game.
‘I'm hoping I don't get too tight in the car ride back - I can get tight in air-conditioning,’ Woods said following his round.
‘It can go so far the other way here - the wrong way. It's just so hard to get back. This is a golf course that doesn't give up a whole lot of birdies… I thought I did the one thing I needed to do today, which is drive the ball well. I just didn't capitalize.'
Woods had been bullish about his chances when he arrived in North Carolina earlier this week.
'I feel like I have the strength to be able to do it,' he said. 'It's just a matter of doing it.
Woods teed off nine shots back of overnight leaders Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay
His plight started in the right direction, making a birdie at the par-four fourth
The 15-time major winner instantly handed a shot back at the next to remain even for the day
'This golf course is going to test every single aspect of your game, especially mentally.
'We've been working on that and making sure that I understand the game plan and be ready in two more days. It's like home. Hot and humid is what we deal with every single day at home in Florida, so that's nothing new.
'It's just making sure that I keep hydrated and the mental tax that the heat will bring. It's going to bring it to all of us, not just me. Everyone is going to be tested.
'It's going to make for long rounds with the falloffs and run-offs on the greens. The rounds time-wise are going to be a little bit longer. Then when you're out in the heat for that length and period of time, that's going to take a little bit of wear and tear.'