Tiger Woods just four off the lead after superb 65 at TPC Potomac
Saturday 30 June 2018 08:20, UK
Tiger Woods matched his best score of the year as he stormed into contention with a superb 65 on day two of the Quicken Loans National.
Woods was particularly impressive on the greens as he found his range with his new putter at TPC Potomac, carding seven birdies and just two bogeys to close on five under, just four behind early clubhouse leader Beau Hossler.
The 42-year-old gave himself an early lift as he rolled in a 25-foot putt for birdie at the 10th, although he gave the shot straight back following a poor second to the next before holing another good putt from close to 20 feet at the 12th.
After a further birdie at 15, Woods had his lone blemish on the greens at 17 when he missed from six feet for par, but his response was spectacular as he pitched in from 30 yards for an unlikely three at the 18th.
The Woods long-game was also in fine order as he reached the 606-yard second in two and safely two-putted for birdie which he followed with a 25-footer for another gain at the third.
A flick with a wedge to two feet at the fifth set up his seventh birdie of the round, and Woods did well to get up and down from greenside bunkers at both the eighth and ninth as he remained on five under par.
"I hit good putts and that was something I did all day yesterday, I started the ball on line and with the right speed and they just didn't go in," he said afterwards. "So if I just continued doing that, which I haven't done in probably four tournaments, they were going to start falling and today they fell.
"I felt like I played well enough to shoot the score I shot and I didn't want to lose it on the last couple of holes. I could have easily lost it. but I made two nice saves on eight and nine and was able to post five under for the day.
"I'm not that far back, and I'm in a similar position where I was at the Valspar. The scores aren't going to be that low and it's going to be a tough weekend - it's going to be hot, you know it's going to be long grinds.
"It will be hotter than now which is scary, but it'll be over 100 degrees and it'll be a long weekend. But, mentally and physically, I'm in a good shape and good position right now.
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"I think I'm not that far away from putting it together where I can win. Right now I'm only four back, the golf course is getting a little more difficult and I just need to be patient with it, there's a long way to go."
