Don’t look now but it’s going to be interesting as all get out down there at the Honda Classic.
Don’t look now but Eldrick T. Woods is right there in the hunt, lurking just four shots behind the co-leaders with 36 difficult holes yet to be played.
“We’ve got a lo-o-o-ong way to go,” warned Woods on Friday after he shot a one-over par 71 that left him at one-over through the first 36, just four back of Luke List and Jamie Lovemark.
“Anyone can win this golf tournament right now,” said Woods, who has 79 more PGA Tour victories than the co-leaders combined, who have exactly zero between them.
Woods might have been closer had he not been snared at the infamous “Bear Trap.” After making the turn one-under, he carefully plodded his way through the first five holes on the back nine, making par on all of them. At the par three 15th, the begining of the Bear Trap, his tee shot sailed right, got caught by the wind and found the water. He’d end up with double-bogey five there. At the par four 16th, his drive found the rough and he bailed left on the green, leaving himself a 65-foot, difficult, winding putt. He putted it off the green and ended up with a three-putt bogey.
He bounced back at the very tough 17, he hit a beautiful draw that left him just 12 feet for birdie and he made it and would finish with 71 on a day when low scores were hard to come by.
“It was just a tough day, wind howlin’ — it’s hard to make putts. Feels good, feels solid, it was a good round,” said Woods. “I made two bad swings and they cost me at 15 and 16. The key is to keep hitting greens and giving myself looks.”
List snuck out early in the day and posted 66 and no one came close to that. He’s three-under. Lovemark finished late, shot 69 to join him.
How tough was it? Defending champion Rickie Fowler won’t be around for the weekend. After an opening 71, Fowler started his second round on the back nine and made six bogeys and the 40 he shot left him out of the final 36. He ended up with 76 — seven over.
Biggest name close to the lead is Justin Thomas. He shot 72 and is one-under. His round was ruined by a four-putt double-bogey at the 16th — he had 17 pars the rest of the way.
Rory McIlroy survived with a pair of 72s for his first two rounds.
