Tue, Aug 16, 2005 page20

• Tiger finally gets out of the woods

  • NY TIMES NEWS SERVICESPRINGFIELD
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  On Friday, Tiger Woods was one shot removed from missing the cut in a major tournament for the first time since he turned professional in 1996.

  Late Sunday, Woods was the clubhouse leader, clinging to the hope that he could still be part of a playoff to decide the 87th PGA Championship. Then the round was suspended because of inclement weather with 12 players still on the Lower Course at Baltusrol.

  Woods was in a three-way tie at 2-under-par 278, two shots behind Phil Mickelson, the leader with five holes to finish, and one behind Steve Elkington and Thomas Bjorn. All three must finish play on Monday.

  

  PHOTO: REUTERS

  Woods, who finished his round Sunday with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18, was asked if he thought it strange to be in contention after barely making the cut.

  "No, it's not," he said. "The only reason I say that is because it's a major championship. And if you shoot good rounds in the 60s, you move up the board."

  He added: "If this was like the Bob Hope, and I shot the same scores, obviously I'd be lapped by five, six shots every day. But this is a different deal. You feel like if you're shooting scores in the mid-60s or high 60s, you're going to move up that board and you might even get yourself back in it."

  Woods was speaking from recent experience.

  After struggling to a 5-over-par 75 and a tie for 113th place in the opening round at Baltusrol, he had to make birdie on the par-5 18th Friday just to make the cut. He finished the day in a tie for 62nd.

  Given new life, he fired a 4-under-par 66 Saturday to pull to even par for the tournament, tied for 20th place. He was still six shots behind the lead.

  Woods opened the final round Sunday with a bogey on the first and third holes, but he turned his game around on the seventh hole, after a 39-minute delay because of the weather. Just before the delay, he had pulled his drive left into an unplayable lie; when play resumed, he took a drop and the accompanying penalty stroke.

  His third shot on No. 7 landed in heavy rough to the left of the green, just shy of a bunker on a steep incline. Staring at what should have been at least another bogey, Woods somehow holed his chip shot for the unlikely par. He had his right leg in the bunker and his left leg on the uphill slope of the rough when he took the shot.

  As he said later, it was "some miracle fluke shot."

  "It should have been about 20 feet past, but it went in, so I got lucky," said Woods, who birdied the next hole. "From there, I really played some good golf. I wish I would have gotten off to a better start. But this golf course ain't easy, especially the first seven holes."

  Woods did not have another bogey for the remainder of his round. He made birdie on the 14th hole to pull back to even for the tournament. Later, Woods said he started to become aware of the leader board at the 16th hole.

  That was where Woods fell just short of sinking a birdie putt. When it missed, it left him sinking to his knees on the green. As he made his way to the 650-yard 17th hole, Woods said, he had visions of playing the final two holes (both par-5s) at 3 under par.

  Woods not only reached the 17th green in two shots but he also nearly chipped in for an eagle. His second shot, a walloping 2-iron that was headed directly at the flag, eventually rolled over the green and into the rough. He eventually made birdie to move to one under par for the day and the tournament.

  On the 554-yard 18th, Woods said he hit his best drive of the week. It was too good, as it turned out. The ball went through the fairway and into the rough. Woods' approach shot again went past the green. But Woods was able to get down in 2 again for another birdie to move to two under par for the tournament. And it put him right back into the thick of things.

  Afterward, Woods, who has already won 10 majors, was asked to assess his play in the four majors this year.

  "I had a wonderful four tournaments," said Woods, who won the Masters and the British Open and finished second in the US Open. "I won two; I was close in one."

  Woods then paused and smiled.

  "And I don't know about the other one yet," he said.
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