Most no one expected this. Tiger Woods is in contention to win again on the PGA Tour.
Woods shot 5-under 66, tying his low round of the year and setting his best mark in relationship to par, to get into contention at his Quicken Loans National at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va.
The 14-time major winner started his Friday round on the 10th hole, where Woods started a run of four consecutive birdies on Thursday to complete the comeback from a hideous 3-over-through-four start. He wasn't able to capitalize like the day prior, but got off to his now typical slow start, sprinkling in a bogey at the par-5 14th after Woods barely got off the tee following a near whiff with his tee shot. However, Woods again rallied quickly, sticking his approach to the 15th to 3 feet for an easy birdie. Woods played an efficient 18th, leading to a 10-foot birdie to turn under par.
From there, Woods was all systems go. He stuck it close at the first and drained a 20-foot birdie at the fourth, both holes he bogeyed on Thursday. He again birdied both front-nine par 5s, with the second being his last birdie to round out the 66.
At 8-under 142, Woods posted his best 36-hole total since he went 66-61 en route to an eighth title at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, next week's tournament the world No. 266 can only qualify for with a victory, which would get him back into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Woods hasn't put four good rounds together in a long time, so it's easy to hedge and wonder if he'll explode on the weekend under the pressure of securing an unlikely 80th PGA Tour win. However, Woods seems to know something we don't.
"I'm in a good spot. I'm looking forward to the weekend," Woods said with a knowing look. "I'm looking forward to getting after it."
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