Springfield, N.J. – Tiger Woods certainly has a flair for the dramatic.
Even when he’s not on top of his game.
Woods birdied his 36th hole by two-putting from 15 feet on the 554-yard, par-5 No. 18, and gained the stroke he needed Friday to make the cut in the 87th PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club. Woods kept alive a personal streak of never missing the cut in a major championship since he turned professional in 1996.
The final-hole birdie completed a second round of 1-under-par 69, giving Woods a 36-hole score of 4-over 144 – the cut line. He stands 12 shots behind leader Phil Mickelson, who fired a second-round 65 and stands 8-under 132.
Mickelson holds a three-shot lead over his closest challenger, Jerry Kelly.
Woods must now be considered a longshot in the year’s final major. But at least he will be playing on the weekend.
“I didn’t know what the (cut) number was until I got to 18,” Woods said. “I wanted to get to even par.”
A 5-foot birdie on No. 15 carried Woods to the projected cut line. But he dropped back to plus-5 with a bogey on No. 17, the 650-yard par-5. Obviously thinking about an eagle opportunity, Woods whacked a 3-wood second shot from 296 yards and landed it pin-high. But the ball rested in a greenside bunker, against the lip. With no chance to make a backswing, Woods pitched out backward, away from the pin, to play it safe. But he faced a difficult shot from deep rough. He blasted out from the gnarly bluegrass to 15 feet and missed the par putt.
Now it was up to No. 18, a downhill, relatively short par-5 that has been playing more like a par-4 this week. After belting his drive safely in the fairway, Woods hit an easy 7-iron approach to the middle of the green, knowing a two-putt birdie would be enough.
Woods began the day in 113th place after opening with a 5-over 75 – his worst start, in relation to par, in a major championship since he turned professional.
Woods said he believes he is still in contention at the halfway point.
“I need to get into red (under-par) figures (Saturday), then I’ll know what I have to shoot on Sunday,” Woods said. “If there’s any tournament where you can move up the board, it’s a major championship.
“But it all depends on what Phil does.”
Woods, 29, arrived here with 10 major championships tucked away, including the Masters and British Open this year. But after struggling to find the fairway with his tee shots Thursday, he found himself in danger of missing the cut in a major for the first time since 1996, when he was an amateur playing for the Stanford golf team. He failed to finish one other major – withdrawing after the first round of the 1995 U.S. Open because of injury.
As a pro, Woods’ poorest finish in a major championship is a tie for 39th in the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y.
Beginning his second round at 5-over, Woods followed a birdie on No. 1 with bogeys on the next three holes. His early struggles included an ugly three-putt from 7 feet on No. 2 and an iron tee shot on the 194-yard No. 4 that drowned in the pond guarding the front of the green.
Prospects of making the cut appeared bleak, but Woods birdied three of seven holes, beginning on No. 6, to give himself a chance.
Mickelson followed his opening-round 67 with a sparkling 5-under 65. Starting his round on No. 10, Mickelson blistered the back nine in 5-under. His 31 included a birdie-4 on the monstrous 17th and an eagle-3 on the 554-yard 18th after knocking a 4-iron to within 20 feet of the pin.
After giving away two strokes with a double bogey on No. 1, Mickelson quickly shook off any bad vibes with a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 3 and a 6-footer on No. 5.
“The thing I was most pleased with,” Mickelson said, “was the way I was able to let go of some bad shots and forget about it and move on.”
Mickelson, who joined the PGA Tour in 1992, broke his majors hex by winning the 2004 Masters. Although his 2005 schedule includes three tour victories, Mickelson has been disappointed with his performances in the majors.
He finished 10th in the 2005 Masters but managed only a 74 for the final round. He did little more than make the cut in the U.S. Open (tie for 33rd) and British Open (tie for 60th).
“I’ve worked hard the last three weeks to try to give this my best shot,” said Mickelson, who tied for 10th at The International at Castle Pines. “There’s a lot of golf left, but I’m entering the final two rounds with a lot more confidence than I’ve had in a while.
“It’s not as though I’m trying to play conservatively or run away (with the lead). I’m just trying to take what the course gives me.”
Jerry Kelly, looking for his first major championship, holed out from a greenside bunker on his final hole, No. 9 and took sole possession of second place at 135, 5-under. Davis Love III, Englishman Lee Westwood and South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini are another stroke back at 136.
Among those missing the 36-hole cut were three players with Colorado ties: Denver native Jonathan Kaye (150), David Duval (151) of Cherry Hills Village and 2005 U.S. Senior Open champion Mike Reid (157), who played high school golf at Cherry Creek.
Staff writer Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
