AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods isn’t just back, he’s in the conversation at the 86th Masters. He opened with a methodical 1-under 71 in the opening round Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club.
He had an early tee time Thursday. He heads out in the late wave Friday, alongside Joaquin Niemann. The third in the group, Louis Oosthuizen, withdrew before the second round began with an injury. Woods left the course Thursday tied for 10th and 4 behind the lead. On Friday, anything can happen. He could make a charge, move to the middle of the pack or be in a fight to make the cut.
We follow every step he takes on Day 2 at the Masters:
What awaits him
The sun is out. The wind is up. The conditions are perfect at Augusta National. When Woods arrives for his 1:41 p.m. ET tee time, these are the pin locations he’ll try to navigate.
The hole locations for Masters Friday. #themasters pic.twitter.com/MRIWs7N9Du
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 8, 2022
No. 1: Par 4, 445 yards
Next on the tee …@TigerWoods pic.twitter.com/juKIDSVjo2
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 8, 2022
The first remained a problem for Woods. Just like in the first round, Woods was wide right off the tee. A day earlier, he was short of the bunker. This time, the ball made it there. His approach missed the green, forcing an early test of the short game that struggled he struggled with on Thursday. He failed to convert and opened his round with a bogey for the 23rd time. He now stands 17 over during his career on the first hole at Augusta National.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 1 over
Total for the tournament: Even
No. 2: Par 5, 575 yards
Woods decided on a different approach at the second, but got the same result. Instead of going with 3-wood, as he did Thursday, he chose driver and found his second consecutive fairway bunker in Round 2. From there, everything looked familiar — layup, so-so pitch, missed putt. He has not taken advantage of the par 5s so far at this Masters.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 1 over
Total for the tournament: Even
No. 3: Par 4, 350 yards
Woods went conservative off the tee, opting for an iron. In perfect position, the wind grabbed his approach and pushed it right of the green. Just like at the first, he could not get up and down. This time a 7-footer for par slid by on the low side. A rough start, especially with the four-hole stretch that begins at the par-3 fourth.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 2 over
Total for the tournament: 1 over
No. 4: Par 3: 240 yards
Another misfired iron from Woods required him to come up with some short-game magic. And he didn’t have any – again. His 30-footer to save par came up two rolls short. Woods hoped to make a move up the leaderboard on Friday. Instead, with three bogeys in four holes, he has to right things or the conversation will turn to whether he can make the cut.
Tiger Woods is 3-over through four holes, his worst score through four holes in 92 career rounds at the Masters Tournament.#theMasters
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) April 8, 2022
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 3 over
Total for the tournament: 2 over
No. 5: Par 4, 495 yards
Things haven’t gotten better for Woods. He made a mess of the fifth hole for a third consecutive bogey and fourth in five holes to start the round. Another missed drive – this one way, way right – forced a pitch out and ended with a missed 10-footer. Cut watch has officially begun.
Score: Bogey
Total for the day: 4 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 6: Par 3, 180 yards
Finally, Woods played a hole with little drama. At the par-3 sixth, which kick-started his round on Thursday thanks to a near ace, Woods found the lower shelf of the green. He produced a drama-free two-putt to get off the bogey train for the moment.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 4 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
No. 7: Par 4, 450 yards
Two well-struck shots gave Woods a look at his first makeable birdie putt of the day. He hammered the 14-footer through the break, leaving a testy 5-footer coming back. He jammed that into the middle of the hole to save par. Had he missed, going from a good look for birdie to a three-putt bogey, would have been disastrous. Instead, he lost no ground as he continued to search for his game on Friday.
Score: Par
Total for the day: 4 over
Total for the tournament: 3 over
