TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Woods Does A Number On Field

ADVERTISEMENT

By MICK ELLIOTT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 15, 2007

ATLANTA - Just because the weather is lousy, the golf course as tame as a puppy and all the drama has pretty much left town, that does not mean the Tour Championship isn't living up to its promise as a super-sized week.

While dodging rain showers Friday at East Lake Golf Club, Tiger Woods shot 63, a tournament record for the second round. He fashioned a front-nine 28 that included five straight birdies followed by a 70-foot eagle putt at No. 9.

His two-day total of 13-under 127 is the lowest 36-hole score on the PGA Tour this season by two shots.

Any questions?

The world's No. 1 player is three shots in front of Woody Austin's 65-65, and in the tournament inside the tournament - the FedEx Cup points chase that will deliver a $10 million bonus Sunday night - Woods is absolutely, positively delivering, while others are stalling on the side of a lonely road.

Steve Stricker, second on the points list, is nine shots back at 4 under after a 67. Phil Mickelson, the only other serious challenger, shot 66 and trails Woods by seven.

Not that Woods cares.

'Winning always takes care of everything,' he said. 'The whole idea of this week is to go out there and get it done. At the halfway point I'm in good shape for that.'

Austin also positioned himself for a memorable week.

During last month's runner-up finish at the PGA Championship, the one-time Tampa credit union teller said the only disappointment in his stellar week was not having the opportunity to be paired with Woods in the final group.

Today he gets that chance.

'I like being in the arena,' Austin said. 'His arena is very electric. Just like Friday - there are plenty of people out there, but it's not like they're spread out throughout the golf course. I hit a good shot and you're waiting for people to clap and you don't hear much. But every time he did something, you heard it because he's got the people with him.

'That electricity that surrounds him, whether it's for him or not, when you're in that arena you feel it. And I'd like to feed off that as well. I enjoy being inside that arena because it's so electric.'

To no great shock, Woods generated the day's biggest buzz by dismantling East Lake's front nine.

'A nice little roll there from Nos. 4 through 9,' he said.

After opening with three pars, Woods hit his approach at No. 4 to within 10 feet for birdie and everybody's day began to change.

He birdied No. 5 by holing a 60-foot sand shot from a left-front bunker. The next three birdies came after approach shots inside 13 feet.

And finally the bomb.

Woods reached the 609-yard ninth hole in two, but still was 70 feet from the cup, putting uphill on the slow, marked greens. As the putt dropped into the cup, Woods smirked, then rubbed his temples with his left hand and offered an almost-embarrassed smile.

'Pure luck,' Woods said. 'If you could have been right behind the golf ball and see how that thing was bouncing all over the place, it was actually quite funny.'

Woods played the back nine with a lot fewer laughs, making his way home with two birdies and two bogeys, but the message is clear.

'I mean, what can you do?' Stricker said. 'He's making it from everywhere. He holes out a bunker shot. I have it inside him a couple of times and I walk off with par and he makes birdie.

'I played pretty good. I was 2 under and I'm five down. You just start thinking, 'Jeepers, what just happened?' He's got a lot of offense, if you know what I mean. You're just waiting for that run of holes, and then he takes off.'

TODAY ON TV

12:30-2 p.m., Golf Channel

2-6 p.m., WFLA, Channel 8

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT