The huge crowds that followed Tiger Woods on Thursday and Friday at the Wells Fargo were pretty reserved for a Woods gallery.
And for good reason — there wasn’t much to scream and shout about. Sixty-four putts for 36 holes will do that and that’s how many Woods took, shooting two-over and making the 36-hole cut by a shot.
Woods gave them a little something to cheer about on Saturday, getting out early before the wind with overcast skies taming the greens somewhat.
Woods put up six birdies offset by three bogeys, among them a three-putt bogey from 42 feet at his final hole. In all, another round with 31 putts. Despite the closing bogey, Woods shot 68, breaking par for the first time this week and getting himself into red numbers at two-under, tied for 31st.
“I was so close to shooting about 7, 8 under today,” said Woods, who three-putted the final hole from 42 feet for a closing bogey. “I still didn’t have enough pace on a couple that I left on the lip. I’m close, I’m hitting the ball well enough to contend, to win this golf tournament, but I just haven’t made putts.”
Woods revealed after his round that he changed his stroke.
“I changed my [putting] stroke a little bit and went a little more old school, how I used to putt, a little more handsy, a little more wristy, and the toe moving a lot more, and it worked,” he said.
Still, 95 putts for 54 holes may be a career high for Woods.
“It’s not fun, trust me, it’s not fun,” he said of his putting woes.
