Tiger Woods of the United States will play on the 11th during the first round. (Reuters)
Augusta, Ga. – Tiger Woods was trying to stabilize the ship as the wind threatened to blow up his Masters return as he reached the middle of the second round on Friday with five shots back by clubhouse leader Charles Schwartzel and Im Sung-J.
Returning this week after a car accident in February 2021 and having almost lost his right leg, Woods lit up the golf world on Thursday when he posted a one-under 71 to crank up expectations.
When Woods started his second round, it was the challenging wind situation that bothered the 46-year-old instead of giving him a foot problem. He stumbled into four of his five opening holes, three of them straight from the third.
A three-over walk in the sixth tee and dangerously sliding near the four-over cut line, Woods re-teamed up with Nervous Purse on the sixth and seventh holes before finally collecting his first birdie on the eighth.
The five-time Masters champion went on a three-over turn for his round. It was a day when golfers were in a state of complete survival.
Im, who led Cameron Smith in an overnight shot, saw his advantage quickly disappear with the first bogey and it was the rest of the day’s fight for South Korea who hit four more bogeys for 74 runs in two overs.
Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, was one of the very few golfers who was able to cope with difficult situations. He posted what stands as the round of the day so far, a three-under 69.
“Par is a great score,” said South Africa’s Schwartzel. “I think if you shoot equally well here in this condition, you’re playing good golf. It was hard.
“I think we had some luck this morning. It was very cold but we didn’t deal with too much wind for the first five or six holes.
“It has become difficult.”
At the back of the leaders are 2020 Masters champion Dustin Johnson (73) and Harold Werner III (71) who are enjoying their first tour at the Augusta National.
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