TPC Boston, MA …
Tiger Woods was brimming with all-round confidence after producing a bogey-free 66 on day two of the Dell Technologies Championship near Boston.
Woods managed five birdies, and none better than a 25-foot gem at the 14th, for an eventual four-under par tally and just seven shots off the lead with two rounds to play on the TPC Boston course.
Fellow American Webb Simpson broke an all-England logjam atop of the board in holing an eight-foot putt for eagle at his closing hole in a round of 63 and move to the top in the $9m event at 11-under par.
Tiger Woods clearly delighted after shooting a 66 (Photo @tourmiss)
The England duo of Tyrrell Hatton, and signing also for a 63, along with Justin Rose (67) share second place on 10-under par while a third Englishman in current European No. 1 Tommy Fleetwood (65) is fourth on eight-under.
Woods managed a first birdie at the par-3 third hole and then moved to three-under for his round with birdies at the seventh and 10th holes.
The former long-time World No. 1 then drew the loudest roars all day from a sports-proud Boston in finding the green with a 200-yard second shot on the par-4 14th and holing the birdie putt.
“That was a good little putt and I’ve had that putt before,” he said.
Photo – @tourmiss
“I just tried to be confident in my read. And it came out okay.”
Woods then birdied the 17th and if there was any disappointment it was at the last when his second shot into the par-5 18th rolled off to the back of the green from where he chipped and two-putted for a par.
In contrast to last week’s disappointment, Woods was good in all facets of his game missing just two of 14 fairways, finding all but four greens in regulation and recording 27 putts and eight fewer than a 71 in round two of the Northern Trust.
“I absolutely, I played well today. I hit it well. I really rolled it on my lines. A couple didn’t go in, but it was a good, solid day all around,” said Woods.
“I can’t say percentage-wise how much better today’s round was on yesterday’s efforts but yesterday I hit a couple of bad ones. And today I did not. The only bad shot I hit today was my tee shot on 8. I stuck it in the ground. But other than that, it was a good day.”
And while seven shots behind Simpson, who produced his lowest score since a similar second round 63 on route to victory in this year’s Players Championship, Woods is confident of making-up ground over the closing 36-holes.
“I’ve got some work to do still, I’m six back but this is a golf course you can’t sit still on,” Woods said.
“You have to keep making birdies, you have to keep getting after it. Conditions are going to be like this the rest of the weekend, you’re going to see plenty of birdies out there.”
