Players Championship: Tiger Woods facing anxious afternoon wait at Sawgrass
TIGER WOODS is facing an anxious afternoon wait before knowing if he will play all four rounds of the Players Championship at Ponte Vedre in Florida.
GETTY
Woods added a one-under par 71 to his opening 72 to be right on the projected cut-off mark at one-under on the TPC Sawgrass Stadium course.
Woods' second round in the hot and very humid conditions was a mix of just two birdies, at his seventh and 12th holes and with his only bogey at the 18th - that he was playing as his ninth.
But a closer look reveals Woods hit just 12 greens in regulation but was never inside 10 feet with his approach shots.
“I just never hit it close enough,” Woods confirmed.
“The course could have been had today. It’s so hot, it’s playing short and the greens are receptive.”
If Woods should make the halfway cut in the $11million event it will ensure that the 14-time Major winner will contest all four rounds in a seventh of eighth events since returning to full-time competition earlier this year.
GETTY
GETTY
Fellow former Masters champion, Charl Schwartzel (66) and American Patrick Cantlay (68) enjoy the clubhouse lead on 10-under par.
The 33-year old South African-born Schwartzel produced similar nine-hole scores of 33.
“You keeping shooting 33s you are likely to win the golf tournament,” he said.
“There was nothing really that stood out that I need to go work on. This golf course identifies your faults really quickly, so the last two days it’s just been really solid, driving the ball well. Iron play is good, and also putting, hitting a lot of good putts.”
Schwartzel’s effort is his lowest round in 11 months since sharing second place in posting a similar 66 on day four of last year’s FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis.
GETTY
It’s also been two years since Schwartzel last tasted success in capturing the PGA Tour’s Valspar Championship in Florida.
Cantlay, 26 collected a maiden Tour victory last November and in the California’s second event of the 2017/18 wraparound schedule.
Also well-placed heading to the weekend is Australia’s Jason Day, and winner of last week’s Wells Fargo Championship, who did not drop a shot in a 67 to be sharing fourth place on eight-under par.
Former Players Championship winner, Phil Mickleson, and who played alongside Woods for two rounds, added a 73 to his horror first day 79 but at 8-over was headed home early.