After making history, Tiger runs into trouble at Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Tiger Woods made history Friday at Augusta National Golf Club by making his 24th consecutive cut in the Masters Tournament.

Despite making history, he shot himself out of contention on Saturday.

Woods began Saturday day one over and seven shots off the lead, a big gap but one he thought could still be overcome. But after playing the first five holes of his third round in even-par, Woods began to melt down off the tee and on the greens.

Woods shot 40 in 1997, when he went on to win his first green jacket by 12 shots, and again in 2004, when he tied for 22nd.

Woods had to play 23 holes on Friday after darkness brought an early end to his opening round. Yet he not only persevered through a marathon day, Woods shot a second-round 72 amid such blustery conditions that the average score was 75.09, the highest for the second round of the Masters since 2007, when it was not only windy but also cold.

Woods had driven the ball well, hitting 22 of 28 fairways, and he had offset some poor approach shots — just 17 of 36 greens in regulation through two rounds — with an excellent short game. Woods began the day in the top 10 in putting this week.

What had been his strength this week — off the tee and on the greens — was his downfall on Saturday.

Now, his 100th round at the Masters on Sunday looked as if it would be an early stroll through the Georgia pines before Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and the rest of the leaders decided who would slip into the green jacket later in the day.

“I’ve been able to play here since I was 19-years old,” Woods said Friday night. “It’s one of the honors I don’t take lightly, being able to compete. The years I have missed, I wish I was able to play because there’s such an aura and mystique about playing this golf course that I don’t think that — unless you have played and competed here, you probably don’t really appreciate.”

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