Posted on: Saturday, August 18, 2001
Woods rallies to make PGA cut
Associated Press
DULUTH, Ga. — The flair for the dramatic was all too familiar for Tiger Woods.
The stakes were not.
David Toms and Shingo Katayama were safely in the clubhouse yesterday with a share of the lead in the PGA Championship, but the moment again belonged to Woods.
As usual, he delivered.
Faced with missing the cut for only the second time in his pro career and the first time in a major championship, Woods turned in another heart-stopping performance by making back-to-back birdie putts that were as long as his odds of playing on the weekend.
Woods rammed in a 40-footer from off the green on No. 15, then holed another from 30 feet on the next hole to scratch out a 3-under 67 and finish at 140. At the time, those two putts left him right on the cut line, although Woods ultimately had one shot to spare.
"I've always believed you've got to give it everything you have, and that's what I did today," Woods said.
The hard part awaits — getting back into contention from nine strokes back.
The long list of players ahead of him include Phil Mickelson, who had his second straight 66 and was one shot behind, along with Bob Estes (65). British Open champion David Duval (68) and two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els (67) were only three out of the lead.
Such is the state of Woods' game that he now celebrates making the cut.
He clinched it with an approach that easily cleared the water on the 490-yard closing hole and landed safely on the green, leaving him two putts away.
Woods smiled and looked sideways at caddie Steve Williams and chatted with Duval as they walked down the fairway.
"I was telling David this is a lot harder ... than trying to win a tournament," Woods said. "I've been there more times on the other side."
Lost in the hoopla over Woods making the cut was more record scores on a steamy day at Atlanta Athletic Club, where the heat index neared 100 and players draped towels over their shoulders so they could wipe the sweat off their faces.
Katayama, a 28-year-old player from Japan with a cowboy hat right out of the "Howdy Doody" show, birdied the last two holes for a 64. Toms had a 65 to join him at 9-under 131, tying the PGA record for 36 holes last set by Els at Riviera in 1995.
Even 44-year-old Mark O'Meara joined the act. He became the oldest of 20 players to tie the major championship record of 63.
"I hope it will motivate him," O'Meara said of Woods after finishing his bogey-free round before Woods teed off. "I think when he sees me on the board he'll say, 'Man, I can beat that O'Meara guy with my eyes closed."'
O'Meara was at 135, just four shots off the lead.
Toms came into the PGA Championship in 14th place in the Ryder Cup standings. He no longer is motivated solely by making his first team.
"I'm playing well enough right now where I can win this golf tournament," said Toms, whose five PGA Tour victories include a come-from-behind win over Mickelson in New Orleans earlier this year.
Toms knows enough not to count out Woods, especially having played with him in the final twosome of the third round last year in the British Open, which Woods won by eight strokes to complete the career Grand Slam.
"If he makes the cut, with the game he has there's no reason he can't win the golf tournament," Toms said. "It would be nice to have him around. It would get some more people out there."
The large galleries saw quite a show yesterday. Fifty players broke par on greens that are not firm enough to get dangerous.
O'Meara, winless since 1998 when he became the oldest man to win two majors in the same year, led the charge and proved that no matter how long the course, the shortest stick in the bag is usually the best weapon.
It will have to work for Mickelson this weekend if he wants to shed the label as the best player never to have won a major.
"I feel comfortable in this situation, being here a number of times now," Mickelson said. "However, having not won one, there could be doubts that creep in. That's something I'm overcoming now. I would very much love to win."
