Aug 16, 2019; Medinah, IL, USA; Tiger Woods walks to the 9th tee during the second round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Medinah Country Club – No. 3. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Tiger Woods was unable to keep a mid-round charge going Friday and will have to rally over the weekend at the BMW Championship in order to qualify for next week’s Tour Championship.
Woods traded a pair of birdies and bogeys over his first nine holes at Medinah Country Club outside of Chicago to make the turn in even par for the second round. He then reeled off three birdies over the next six holes and was in prime position in the fairway on the par-4 16th hole.
However, Woods left his approach shot in the bunker and was unable to get up and down to save par. He then bogeyed the 17th hole to fall back to 1-under for the day and went on to card his second consecutive 1-under round of 71.
“Left quite a few shots out there,” Woods told reporters after the round, adding that he was unable to capitalize on better ball striking than his first round.
At 2-under par entering the weekend, Woods is well off the pace entering the weekend and needs to finish in 11th place or better to advance and defend his Tour Championship. His inconsistent round on Friday included five birdies and four bogeys while hitting 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation.
The telling statistic was successfully scrambling in just one of five attempts while also needing 30 putts to get around Medinah’s No. 3 course.
Woods has been unable to capitalize on a course softened by heavy rains of late. Meanwhile, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama set a course record of 8-under 63 playing just a few groups behind Woods.
Woods said he thinks it will take “something in the mid-60s” to give himself an opportunity to compete with the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings at East Lake in Atlanta next week.
—Field Level Media