Rocco Mediate said Tiger Woods cannot hit the shots he used to when he was at the peak of his game. Tiger Woods went out Friday in the second round at Torrey Pines and hit shots like he used to hit when he was at the top of his game. And so, he leads the Farmers Insurance Open at 11-under after crafting a beautiful 65 that included an eagle on No. 18.
Now comes the hard part.
With a lead going into the weekend, Woods was all but money during the height of his dominance. He had won 30 of 32 times that he held a 36-hole lead. But of the last six times he has held that advantage, he has won just twice. Not good, especially for him.
“We have a long way to go,” Woods said. “It’s a pretty tough course.”
Woods shot a first-round 4-under 68 on the harder South Course in Round 1. On the easier North Course, Woods was awesome, despite a steady rain. He leads over Graham DeLaet, Josh Teater and Ross Fisher, all who sit at eight under.
The timing of Woods’ play was almost on purpose to counter Mediate.
“Nothing he did ever surprised me,” Mediate said to USA TODAY. “He’s that good. But he can’t do it anymore because his golf swing is different. It doesn’t produce the shots he used to hit,” Mediate added. “Do I think he’s finished winning majors? No. Does he have as much desire? Yes. But you could ask him to hit any shot blindfolded back in the day and he could. Now he can’t. I know what I’m seeing. I know what I saw before. And it’s not the same.”
Maybe not, but he sure looked like the old Woods Friday.
He birdied the first two holes then closed out the front 9 by sandwiching birdies around a bogey on No. 8. He parred the first four holes on the back and then made birdie on the par 5 No. 14 and the 174-yard par 3 at No. 17. Finally, he closed the round by getting on the 516-yard par 5 closing hole and making the eagle putt to send him into the weekend looking as strong as he has in some time.
