PGA Championship: Tiger Woods misses cut; Brooks Koepka extends lead
Tiger Woods had a pretty rough day at the PGA Championship on Thursday and it didn’t get any better Friday. Woods finished the second round of the tournament shooting a 73, one stroke worse than his Thursday score.
As a result, Woods missed the cut and will not be competing this weekend at Bethpage Black. Brooks Koepka, meanwhile, shot a round of 5-under to lead at 12-under for the tournament. He is seven strokes ahead of Adam Scott, Luke List and Jordan Spieth.
Tiger Woods misses cut after failing to birdie final hole
Hole 18 – Par 4, 407 – Only the third fairway Woods has hit all day. He smiles after hitting a 294 drive that leaves him 113 yards from the hole. Poor approach, landing on the green, but spinning back into the intermediate rough. He needs a miracle shot to make the cut. He’s 40-5 away… and no. He leaves himself 5-4 for par. He missed the cut in the 2018 U.S. Open up the road at Shinnecock, and he’ll miss the cut here. The Masters magic has evaporated. He makes the putt for par. Shoots 72-73.
Sam Farmer | 3:32 p.m.
Tiger Woods needs to birdie final hole to make the cut
Hole 17 – Par 3, 193 – Tiger hits a six-iron at the flagstick, which is up in the top left corner. The ball bleeds down to the middle of the green. He’s in two-putt territory, almost 39 feet from the cup. Woods badly needs a birdie, but his chances are much better on 18. A nice putt fails to turn left and runs just past the right edge. He drains a 4-5 putt for par and preserves his chance to make the cut with a birdie on 18.
Sam Farmer | 3:22 p.m.
Tiger Woods needs to respond fast in order to make the cut
Hole 16 – Par 4, 473 yards – Tiger has only hit two fairways today, and this isn’t one of them, even though his drive looked blue-line straight. It winds up just off the fairway to the left. His second shot makes it to the fringe, about 25 feet short of the hole. At plus-5, he needs to play the last three holes at one-under for a realistic chance of making the cut. Not a bad putt, but he hit it slightly past the cup. He makes the putt for par.
Sam Farmer | 3:04 p.m.
Tiger Woods finds the fairway, makes par
Hole 15 – Par 4, 477 yards – At long last, Tiger finds the fairway with his tee shot – a 306-yarder. The raindrops are starting to fall. First time all day that everyone in this threesome has been in the fairway together. Tiger has 171 yards to the hole. His approach puts him on the green but with a lot of putt left. He’s 33-8 from the hole. He two-putts for par.
Sam Farmer | 2:50 p.m.
Tiger Woods bogeys another hole
Hole 14 – Par 3, 162 yards – Francesco Molinari snugged his tee shot in close to the pin, and Keopka hit to the middle of the green. Tiger hit a nine-iron to the right side of the green, presumably intending it to fade to the left. No show luck. He’s got a mile left for his putt – or 55-5, to be specific. Hit it a little hard, blowing it nearly 10 feet past the pin. He misses the comeback, then makes a short putt for a three-putt bogey. He’s at plus-five, and the situation looks grim.
Sam Farmer | 2:32 p.m.
Tiger can breathe easier… for the moment
Hole 13 – Par 5, 596 yards – Following a beautiful drive by leader Koepka, Tiger yanked his drive 276 yards into a fairway bunker on the left. He’s coming off three consecutive bogeys and his body language is really starting to betray his frustration. Hits a safe shot out of the trap to the middle of the fairway, advancing the ball 167 yards. Then, a terrific third shot directly over the pin from 157 yards for an 8-foot-6 putt coming back. He knocked it in for birdie, keeping alive his hopes of making the cut.
Sam Farmer | 2:21 p.m.
Got any plans this weekend? Tiger might not either
Hole 12 — Par 4, 504 yards: Starting to sound like a broken record here, but Tiger Woods missed the fairway again, although this one isn’t too far off. Iron gets it to 51 feet from the hole. He zips the potential birdie shot way past the hole, now at least seven feet away for par. Just left for his third straight bogey since birdying 9. He’s at five-over, which could free up his weekend plans pretty fast.
In case you were wondering, Adam Scott is still on fire. Seven birdies through 14. He’s alone in second at six-under, three back of Koepka.
Chuck Schilken | 1:58 p.m.
Tiger Woods bogeys a second straight hole
Hole 11 — Par 4, 428 yards: Tee shot off to the right into the thick rough. Calls it a “bad shot.” Trying everything, went with a three-wood this time. Nice second shot though, five wood through the green. Hits it out of the rough, sets up a tricky shot for par, about 15 feet out. Misses again, taps it in for a second-straight bogey.
That drops Tiger to four-over, with the cutline currently at three over. Yikes!
Chuck Schilken | 1:40 p.m.
Tiger can’t keep up the momentum again
Hole 10 — Par 4, 492 yards: This is where the trouble started for Tiger yesterday — and it was the first hole he played. That double bogey set the tone for much of his tournament so far, but maybe the momentum from the birdie on 9 will carry through.
Misses the fairway, far left. Not looking good coming out of the deep rough. Wedge drops in front of the pin, sets himself up to save par. Nope. Bogey on 10 puts him at three-over. But small consolation — Koepka bogeyed as well, his first time over par all week. At nine-under, Koepka still has a four-stroke lead over Jordan Spieth and Tommy Fleetwood.
Chuck Schilken | 1:21 p.m.
Crowd pleaser
Hole 9 — Par 4, 464 yards: Finally makes the fairway, but iron flies over the flag to set up a birdie putt of 30-plus feet.
Aaaaaaand he makes it! Back at two-over with the cut projected at three-over. Once again, the crowd is quite pleased, to say the least. And Koepka misses his birdie putt, but makes par to stay at 10-under. (Btw, sounds like I was wrong about the boos for Koepka — apparently they’re saying Broooooooks, which makes much more sense).
Cue the Bon Jovi — we’re halfway there!
Chuck Schilken | 1:04 p.m.
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Par for the course
Hole 8 — Par 3, 201 yards: Everyone looks good off the tee, could have a trio of birdies. Koepka comes up short, Tiger misses left, Molinari is off as well. Pars all around.
Chuck Schilken | 12:47 p.m.
So much for that momentum
Hole 7 — Par 4, 488 yards: Another tee shot left into the rough. Doesn’t really help himself with his second shot but sets himself up for a shot for par from about six feet out. Missed it. Bogey puts him at one-over for the day, plus-three overall. This is kind of what happened yesterday, when Tiger looked like he was getting into a groove with a two birdies and an eagle within a four-hole stretch but couldn’t keep up the momentum.
Tommy Fleetwood has moved into sole possession of second at six-under, four back of Koepka.
Chuck Schilken | 12:40 p.m.
Birdie — cue the crowd
Hole 6 — Par 4, 402 yards: Tee shot 251 yards but slightly off to the left. Still hasn’t hit the fairway. Nice second shot over the pin, though, to set up a birdie shot from about 17 feet out just in front of the rough. Nailed it! The crowd is pleased.
First birdie of the day to go even for the round and plus-two overall. With the putt to save par on the last hole and now this one, Tiger could be getting into a groove.
Chuck Schilken | 12:18 p.m.
Fist pump
Hole 5 — Par 4, 470 yards: Tee shot into the rough again, off to the left about 180 yards from the hole. Iron into the bunker in front of the green. Not much on his shot out of the bunker, sets up a putt for par from about 10 feet out. Good putt, fist pump. Tiger remains at plus-three overall, with Data Golf still projecting a four-over cut. Koepka makes par as well, still bogey-free for the tournament.
Chuck Schilken | 12:05 p.m.
Nothing is easy for Woods today. Koepka is another story
Hole 4 — Par 5, 527 yards: This is where Tiger Woods eagled yesterday, but not a great start today. He misses the fairway left, has to go for the safe shot out of the rough. Wedge onto the green sets up a birdie putt of about 20 feet. Misses just right. Taps in for par, at one-over for the day on what is considered to be the easier part of the course.
Koepka just misses an eagle but birdies for the third time in his first four holes. Now at 10-under overall.
Chuck Schilken | 11:50 a.m.
Missed opportunity on 3
Hole 3 — Par 3, 221 yards: For the first time today, Tiger Woods hits his tee shot dead center, about 12 feet in front. Birdie putt lips out, too fast. Makes par from about three feet out, but kind of wasted that sweet tee shot. Still at plus-three overall, plus-one for today.
By the way, Adam Scott is on fire, with birdies on four of his first five holes.
Chuck Schilken | 11:30 a.m.
Tiger Woods bogeys on 2
Hole 2 — Par 4, 383 yards: Tiger birdied this one yesterday as well. Today, his tee shot veers slightly right into the rough, about 168 yards from the hole. He goes conservative with his second shot, getting the ball back into the fairway and well short of the green. His wedge shot drops close to the hole but spins back several feet to set up a tricky shot for par. Gets it close, but not close enough. Taps it in for bogey on 2. Meanwhile, Koepka birdies again for a four-shot lead at nine-under overall.
Chuck Schilken | 11:18 a.m.
Here we go
Hole 1 — Par 4, 408 yards: Tiger Woods and his threesome are starting the day on the front nine today (they started on the back yesterday). Hopefully for Tiger that means he will get off to a better start today — he birdied this hole yesterday (after starting the day with a double bogey on Hole 10).
Quite a greeting from the Tee 1 gallery for the threesome that includes the winners of the last four major championships. Interestingly, there’s a smattering of boos among the cheers when Koepka is introduced. He has no problem making the fairway though.
Same with Molinari (not the boos). Nothing but raucous cheers for Tiger though. He appears to possibly slip on his tee shot and the ball veers left into the crowd.
Woods directs the fans of his way as he assesses his shot out of the thick grass. The gawkers and photo seekers are causing a delay.
From about 126 feet out, he gets it into the bunker to the right of the hole. Nice bunker shot rolls past the hole, in good position to make par from about five feet out. He makes par, as does Molinari. But Koepka makes an easy birdie putt to go to eight-under overall to extend his lead to three.
Chuck Schilken | 11:05 a.m.
A look at the leaderboard
We’re about a half-hour away from when Tiger Woods and the rest of his threesome tees off, and Koepka is still in command of the leaderboard at seven-under. Jordan Spieth has finished his round and has moved into second at five-under overall (four-under today). Daniel Berger and Dustin Johnson also are in the clubhouse — they’re in third place at four-under (Berger shot a minus-four today, Johnson a minus-three).
Chuck Schilken | 10:10 a.m.
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So you’re telling me there’s a chance
According to datagolf.ca, the most likely cuts right now are four over par (47.3% chance) and five over (35.2%).
Of course, making the cut in such a manner won’t really get Woods any closer to his 16th major championship — especially if Koepka keeps playing at the ridiculous level he’s at right now.
Chuck Schilken | 8:26 a.m.
Sam Farmer is reporting from the PGA Championship in Farmingdale, N.Y. Chuck Schilken is reporting from Los Angeles.
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