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Tiger battles into the weekend for major reward at PGA / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Tiger battles into the weekend for major reward at PGA
Tiger Woods battled his way through sore legs and double-bogey disaster to make the cut at the PGA Championship, hungry to make the most of his few chances to play.
The 15-time major winner, struggling with severe leg injuries suffered in a February 2021 car crash, fired a one-under-par 69 on Friday to reach the weekend on three-over 143 at Southern Hills.
"Coming back here to a place that I've had success on, to play against the best players in the world, that's what we all want to be able to do," Woods said. "Fortunately enough, I'm able to somehow do it."
Woods won the 2007 PGA on the same course, setting an 18-hole record with a 63 in the process.
But Woods spent weeks hospitalized and months unable to walk before starting the rehabilitation that enabled him to return after 14 months at last month's Masters, where he shared 47th and was happy to be able to walk 18 holes.
"I've had a great PT (physical therapy) staff that have put Humpty Dumpty back together, and we'll go out there tomorrow," Woods said.
Such chances will be rare for Woods in the future.
"I'm not going to be playing a lot of tournaments going forward. They're going to be the biggest tournaments. I want to be able to play the major championships. I've always loved playing them."
Woods said his right leg, held together with rods and screws, felt better than Thursday when he shot 74. Asked to put it on a 1-10 scale, he said, "All of that."
After a double bogey at 11 that put him over the cut line at 144, Woods birdied the par-5 13th and par-4 16th to safely reach the weekend, but he also blasted a bunker shot at 15 to three feet and saved par there.
"Had to fight back, which I was able to do," Woods said. "At 15, that was a tasty little bunker shot. I didn't like putting myself there, but I liked executing the shot."
Woods is declaring he still has a chance to win, even as he hits the weekend 12 strokes off the pace.
"You can't win the tournament if you miss the cut," he said. "There's a reason why you fight hard and you're able to give yourself a chance on the weekend. You just never know when you might get hot.
"This weekend I'm going to have to go low. I've got to do some things physically to get myself there tomorrow and it will be a quick turnaround.
"Hopefully I can post a good round and at least move up the board, get myself within striking distance on Sunday. I'm pretty far back, but you just never know."
J.Scott--SFF
