Two For 62: Donald Ross Helps Tiger And Rory Find Their Way

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have never co-led a PGA Tour event.

That all changed on Thursday at birdie-friendly Aronimink, a classic Donald Ross design that provided the intersection for the crossing of the two great golf talents.

Donald Ross designs are honest, there in front of you.  Many of the par threes are downhill, many of the par fives and fours have uphill approach features.  His fairways are generous and the fun begins around the greens if you happen to miss them.

Woods and McIlroy both found a golf course that helped them find what each desperately needed — a super low round.  Super low as in 62, eight-under par and for the first time in their careers, the two superstars are tied at the top and it just happens to be a playoff event — the BMW.

Age before beauty, so Tiger first.

You know how Woods has been messing around with different putters as of late, abandoning that little jewel that he won 13 majors with — yeah, the Scotty Cameron Newport 2.  But all it took was some missed putts the past two weeks and the past beckoned, Little Scotty was calling, whispering — “Hey, don’t forget about me.”  That magical wand found its way back into Woods’ bag and it responded.

“It felt good,” Woods said of that special instrument. “I remembered the feel of it and how it swings.”

Man did it swing on Thursday.

“Made the one from 20 feet out of the gate,” Woods said of his first Scotty swing on his first hole, the 10th.  Then he made another from 13 feet at 12, 10 feet at 13 then at the par five 16th, Woods hit what he called his shot of the day:  “I hit a three-iron from 230 to five feet for eagle.”  He was five-under through seven then at the 18th, his ninth, he stuck his approach to four feet and shot 29.  “I made a few putts today and shooting 29 helps.”

Woods called the Aronimink greens “perfect.”

Tiger then got right after it with a 13-footer for birdie at the first to get to seven-under.  The 59 watch was on but a run of five straight pars put it on hold.  Birdie at the short, 375-yard seventh was a piece of cake and suddenly a career round was in sight.  But a pull-hook four-iron at the difficult eighth turned into his only bogey of the round then an easy birdie at the reachable 18th was good for a two-putt birdie to finish the day.

It was obvious that his decision to skip the Wednesday pro-am helped.  “Today I’m a little tired,” Woods confessed, talking about battling the Philly heat and humidity.  He said a nice ice bath might be on his post-round activity sheet.  “It was hot and humid.  Weeks like this are tough on the body,” said the man with a 42-year-old body.

But he was already looking forward to an early tee time on Friday.  Times were moved up to try and beat predicted afternoon storms.

“We go early tomorrow,” he pointed out. “So it will be a quick turnaround.”

Then there was Rory.

Tough to be disappointed with 62 to tie Woods, but Rory had a legitimate shot at 10-under.  He had it eight-under through 15 with the easy seventh staring at him.  He chose driver,  found the left rough, then from 68 yards he came up short in a bunker, blasted to seven feet then missed the par putt.  At the difficult eighth, the 246-yarder that spoiled Woods’ clean card, Rory found problems,  missed the green, hit a sloppy chip and settled for bogey.  “Not the end of the world,” he later observed.

Rory made up for it with easy birdie to close his day with 62 to tie Tiger.

“Really good,” McIlroy said afterward.  “I’ve been working on my wedge play a lot.  It’s something I’ve struggled with all year.  It’s getting better.  I wasn’t taking advantage of the great drives I was hitting.”  Rory said skipping the Northern Trust helped.  “I haven’t had time away from tournament play to work with my coach,” he confessed.  “I saw good signs in Boston last week and I continued to see good signs today.”

What he also saw was his name next to Tiger’s at the top.  Two 62s.  Rory and Tiger tied for the lead.

And that’s never happened before.