Tiger Woods claimed more history at August National on Friday, making the cut for a record 24th consecutive time.
Of course, his sights were fixated on a far greater goal — a record-tying sixth green jacket.
Woods broke the cut record he shared with three-time champion Gary Player, who advanced to the weekend 23 straight times beginning in 1959, and 1992 winner Fred Couples, whose own streak lasted until 2007.
“It means I have a chance going into the weekend,” said Woods, whose even-par 72 left him 1 over through 36 holes. “I’m here. I have a chance to win the golf tournament. I don’t know if they’re all going to finish today, but I’m done. I got my two rounds in. Just need some food and some caffeine, and I’ll be good to go.”
Before the tourney began, his odds of making the cut were +110, and +14000 to win outright. Now, his odds of winning the tournament have just shortened to +12500.
It was a grueling day for the five-time Masters champion, even more so considering the 48-year-old has endured numerous injuries, countless surgeries and a devastating car wreck that nearly cost him his right leg.
Woods was back at the course before sunrise to finish up the final five holes of his opening round, which was cut short by darkness after storms Thursday morning delayed the start of the tournament by 2 1/2 hours.
He made a couple of bogeys to complete a 73, then had less than an hour to rest up for another 18 holes.
With the wind howling again at Augusta National, Woods had to do all sorts of scrambling to compensate for one wayward approach shot after another. But he kept pulling off nifty chips and clutch putts to keep his score safely above the cut line, which was projected at 4 over when he finished his round.
“I was forced to get up-and-down a few times today, and I was able to do that,” Woods said. “A lot of those chip shots I was able to get up-and-down because I left it in the perfect spot, and that’s understanding how to play this golf course. … Most of the up-and-downs I was in a perfect spot.”
Woods went through a stretch of six straight holes before the turn where he made nothing but birdies or bogeys, but he settled things a bit on the back nine with a single bogey at the 14th — where his approach from 150 yards sailed into the gallery behind the green — and a two-putt birdie at the par-5 15th after clearing the pond with two booming shots.
Woods headed into the weekend likely to face a daunting deficit, with leader Bryson DeChambeau at 7 under with three holes remaining.
But Woods, of course, still thinks he has a chance to equal Jack Nicklaus’ record of six green jackets.
“I’m right there,” he said. “I don’t think anyone is going to run off and hide right now, but it’s really bunched. The way the ball is moving on the greens, chip shots are being blown, it’s all you want in a golf course.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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