Tiger Woods survived a rules scare, a heavy fever, a severe rain storm and then unfortunate to get ‘mud’ ball at the last to post a two under par 70 on day two of the Hero World Challenge in Windermere, Florida.
Woods round included a 13th hole eagle, and his first all year, along with three birdies through 17 holes to be four under for the round and headed for only his seventh sub-70 all year.
However Florida’s Sunshine State status was left very sodden when a huge downpour lashed the course around 3pm local time and quickly flooding fairways, bunkers and greens on the Isleworth Estate course.
The storm resulted in an 82-minute delay with Woods returning to the 18th tee only to collect mud on his ball from the tee shot that saw him have the crowd scattering around the green.
But Woods then ‘duffed’ his third, a chip of some 10 yards, and walking off with a double bogey ‘6’ on the Isleworth Estate course where he was a resident for over a decade.
Tiger Woods clearly struggling during his round of 70 on day two of the Hero World Challenge. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
“It was disappointing to come back from the delay and double the last but overall my game wasn’t all that different from day one,” he said.
A day earlier Woods had shot his worst score in 14 of 15 appearances in the event, and in a tournament he’s won five times and finished runner-up on just as many occasions.
However before tee-off on day two of the $US 3.5m Woods was officially pardoned in yet another of golf’s ‘Trial by Video’ sagas.
A number of viewers complained Woods may have improved his lie on a slope at the left of the 17th green on day one after banging his club into ground, and moments before his ball seeing his ball roll back down the slope and close to where he had taken his first chip shot.
Tiger Woods makes a mess down the last on day two of the 2014 Hero World Challenge. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
But the PGA Tour’s Mark Wilson cleared the 14-time Major winner of any rules discretion.
Woods was clearly sweating before teeing off, and it wasn’t over any rules violation, and admitting while hitting balls on the Isleworth range he’d had awoke to a 102 degree temperature.
“I wasn’t feeling my best, that’s for sure, but it is what it is,” he said.
“I just got to stay hydrated and try and keep things down. But then I just didn’t get any sleep all night even with the fever breaking out there on the course this afternoon.”
Tiger Woods delights Sophie Carpenter after his round on day two of the Hero World Challenge. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (68) enjoys the clubhouse lead on nine under par but in a bizarre scenario Jordan Spieth, and the on-course leader, elected to mark his ball just short of the 18th green near 5.50pm local time as he was unable in the darkness to make out the flagstick some 30-feet away.
Spieth, and winner of last week’s Australian Open, was leading by two shots at 11-under par and will return at 10.15am Saturday morning to complete his round.
