(Reuters) – Tiger Woods was in danger of missing the cut in his PGA Tour return at this week’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, while overnight leader Tony Finau grabbed a share of the early second-round clubhouse lead on Friday.
Woods, competing on the PGA Tour this week for the first time in five months, made two late birdies to salvage a four-over par 76 at Muirfield Village Golf Club that left him three over on the week and one shot outside the projected cut line.
“Well, not very good,” Woods, who has never missed the cut in each of his previous 17 Memorial Tournament appearances, said when asked to assess his round.
“I three-putted two holes early and, whatever kind of momentum I was going to create, I stifled that early and fought it the rest of the day.”
Despite not having to deal with the windy conditions that rattled many top players during Thursday’s opening round, the five-times Memorial champion could only put together a round that included three birdies, five bogeys and a double-bogey.
Woods, who started on the back nine, was six over on the day when he reached the par-five seventh hole where he mounted a late charge by making two consecutive birdies. But at the final hole Woods settled for par after sending his tee shot way right.
Finau (69) overcame two early bogeys with five birdies, including one at his final hole, to move into a share of the clubhouse lead with fellow American Ryan Palmer (68).
Spain’s world number two Jon Rahm (67) offset a bogey at his penultimate hole with a closing birdie to sit one shot off the early pace, while reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland (70) and Chez Reavie (67) were a further two shots adrift.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
