Tiger Woods had exactly the start he wanted to his round yesterday. Tied for 17th halfway through the Farmers Insurance Open, he figured putting up a good round would put those ahead of him on notice, not to mention set him up for a final 18 with a legitimate shot at the hardware. And he did hit the ground running; he carded birdies on the first and third, sank a crucial chip for par on the fourth to keep the momentum going, and then capped his front nine with two more birdies to make the turn at four under on Moving Day. By the time he stood on the 10th tee, he was just two strokes off the lead.
Unfortunately for Woods, the back nine of Torrey Pines South proved to be a damper. His three-putt adventure on the 11th was ominous; he lagged his 55-foot attempt for birdie, and then couldn’t make good on the ensuing six-foot putt. He remained erratic the rest of the way, even needing to can a 15-foot knee knocker for par on the last hole to at least sign for a number in the 60s. “It was important to make that putt,” he noted in retrospect. “It was important to have some positive momentum going into tomorrow.”
To be sure, Woods isn’t likely to claim his ninth victory in the pride of La Jolla, California, and, in the process, break a tie with Sam Snead for the most number of career wins on tour at 82. It isn’t simply that he’s five strokes off the pace set by red-hot John Rahm, or that he has 12 others, including the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, and Patrick Reed, ahead of him; it’s that he remains inconsistent at best. He could have had an outstanding start; his 69 was just about the worst he could have put up given the way he struck the ball. He then followed it up with a disappointing 71. And then there was his roller-coaster effort yesterday.
Regardless, Woods is certain to keep grinding today — because it’s the way he is, and because he knows he’s going for more than the title. Also at stake is his standing for a spot in the Olympics; he’s right at the cutoff for Team USA, and he’d like to climb higher on the list. And so his motivation isn’t the question. Rather, it’s if his game will cooperate with him enough for his intentions to produce results.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
