Reading between the lines of what might and might not be next for Tiger Woods

MELBOURNE, Australia — Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry had a mid-round stretch of 5-under-par in four holes for a 9-under 63 Saturday to give Belgium a five-stroke lead after three rounds of the World Cup of Golf. Pieters and Detry started the day level with South Korea after a steady 71 in terrible rainy conditions in the foursomes (alternate shot) format of Friday. On Saturday, they took advantage — along with the 27 other teams — of much improved weather conditions at Metropolitan and the fourballs (best-ball) game. Belgium, which completed the front nine with two birdies and an eagle, then birdied the 10th, had a three-round total of 19-under 197. Three teams were tied for second — Mexico, Italy and South Korea. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who won last week’s Australian Open, and his partner Roberto Diaz, shot 65. Italy’s Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore dropped two shots on the par-5 14th when both players had balls run back down off the green from slopes just off the putting surface, but recovered for a 66. South Korea’s Byeong Hun An and Si Woo Kim, who chipped in for eagle from just off the green on the 16th, finished with a 68. Three teams were tied for fifth — Sweden, Australia and England, six behind Belgium. Sweden’s Alexander Bjork and Joakim Lagergren shot 64 and Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith 65. Leishman and Smith let an opportunity slip on the back nine. They shot 6-under 30 on the front nine — four birdies and an eagle — but had six pars to start the front nine before a birdie on 16. “Probably a story of two different nines,” Leishman said. “Got off to a great start obviously but cooled off a bit on the back nine.” England’s team of Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter shot 67. The final round Sunday will be played in the foursomes (alternate shot) format. Bjork said he and Lagergren combined well to shoot one of the best rounds of the day. “When I was off, Joakim was on, and when he was off, I was on,” Bjork said. Americans Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley, who were one of the weather casualties on Friday with a 79, improved to a 66 Saturday but were 14 strokes off the lead and in 21st place.

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Even with a tee shot into the water for another double bogey, Tiger Woods could see the big picture in the Honda Classic. He was four shots out of the lead going into the weekend. Luke List delivered a round not many others found possible in such difficult conditions Friday, a 4-under 66 that gave him a share of the lead with Jamie Lovemark (69). They were at 3-under 137, the highest score to lead at the halfway point of the Honda Classic since it moved to PGA National in 2007. So bunched were the scores that Woods was four shots out of the lead and four shots from last place among the 76 players who made the cut at 5-over 145. More importantly, he only had 13 players in front of him. “This is a difficult golf course right now,” Woods said. “Making pars is a good thing. I’ve done that, and I’m right there with a chance.” And he has plenty of company. Tommy Fleetwood, who won the Race to Dubai on the European Tour last year, scratched out a 68 and was one shot out of the lead along with Webb Simpson (72), Russell Henley (70) and Rory Sabbatini (69). Justin Thomas and Daniel Berger each shot 72 and were in a large group at 139. They were among only 10 players remaining under par. Fleetwood laughed when asked the last time he was at 2 under after 36 holes and only one shot out of the lead. “Maybe some junior event,” he said. “It’s good, though. These are the toughest test in golf. Generally, one of the best players prevail at the end of weeks like this. Weeks like this challenge you to the ultimate level. Whether you shoot two 80s or you lead after two rounds, you can see what you need to do and see where your game is. Because this is as hard as it’s ever going to get for you.” The difficulty was primarily from the wind, which blew just as hard in the morning when List shot his 66 as it did in the afternoon. More aggravating to the players are the greens, which are old and bare, firm and crusty. It’s a recipe for not making many putts. Defending champion Rickie Fowler had six bogeys on his front nine and shot 77 to miss the cut. “It’s unfortunate that the greens have changed this much in a year,” Fowler said. “They typically get slick and quick on the weekend because they dry out, but at least there’s some sort of surface. But like I said, everyone’s playing the same greens.” It looked as though List was playing a different course when he went out with a bogey-free 32 on the back nine, added a pair of birdies on the front nine and then dropped his only shot when he caught an awkward lie in the bunker on the par-3 seventh. “It’s very relentless,” List said. “There’s not really too many easy holes, but if you hit fairways and go from there, you can make a few birdies out there.” List and Lovemark, both Californians, have never won on the PGA TOUR. This is the third time List has had at least a share of the 36- hole lead, most recently in South Korea at the CJ Cup, where he shot 76-72 on the weekend. “It’s kind of irrelevant because there’s going to be 30 guys within a couple shots of the lead,” List said. “It’s going to be that type of week.” He was exaggerating — there were 11 players within three shots of the lead. And there was another guy four shots behind. Woods brought big energy to a Friday afternoon that already was hopping before he overcame a sluggish start and holed a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 9 to make the turn at 1 under for his round, and leaving him two shots out of the lead. Everyone knew it just from listening to the roars. Woods had his chances, twice missing birdie putts from inside 10 feet at Nos. 10 and 12, sandwiched around a 12-foot par save. His round appeared to come undone when he found the water on the 15th and made double bogey for the second straight day. Then, he hit out of a fairway bunker, over the water and onto the green at the dangerous 16th hole and faced a 65-foot putt. He misread the speed and the line, so badly that it was similar to a car driving from Chicago to Denver and winding up in Phoenix. A bogey dropped him to 2 over. The big moment was the 17th hole, 184 yards into the wind and over water. That’s where Rory McIlroy made triple bogey earlier in the day that ruined his otherwise solid round of 72, leaving him seven behind. Making it even tougher for Woods was that Brandt Snedeker hit 5-iron before him to about 6 feet. Woods got to the tee and the wind died, meaning 5-iron was too much and 6-iron wouldn’t clear the water. He went with the 5-iron. “I started that thing pretty far left and hit a pretty big cut in there because I had just too much stick,” Wood said. It landed 12 feet below the hole for a birdie putt. Thomas made 17 pars and a double bogey when he three-putted from 6 feet on No. 16. He felt the same way as Woods. “I’m in a good spot — really good spot — going into this week,” Thomas said.

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PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Tiger Woods will be around at the Genesis Open this weekend – unfortunately he won’t be playing. In his role as tournament host at Riviera Country Club, Woods will stick around in Los Angeles for his official duties and will also work on his game after a second round 5-over 76 has him well outside the projected cut line at 6 over. The 79-time PGA TOUR winner had a tough day off the tee and on the greens hitting just four of 14 fairways (one of which came after bouncing off a tree) and needing 32 putts. “I didn’t really play that well today. I missed every tee shot left and I did not putt well, didn’t feel very good on the greens and consequently never made a run,â€� he lamented afterward. After going out in 2-over 37, Woods birdied the 10th hole to put himself right around the projected cut. But then he promptly made three straight bogeys, two with three-putts, to cut short just his second full field event since back fusion surgery last April. “I didn’t feel very good when I was warming up with my putting. The greens were fast and bumpy, and I knew that,â€� Woods said. “I need to miss the golf ball below the hole … when the greens get this fast and this bumpy, anything above the hole is virtually luck if you make the putt. I kept missing it above the hole and that’s what was ticking me off.â€� It will be just his 25th career missed cut on TOUR in 330 starts once the second round is finished early Saturday. With two tournaments and six rounds of competitive golf now under his belt, Woods said he had good and bad to reflect on when addressing the bigger picture. “I’m both pleased and also not very happy with some parts of it. It’s nice to be back competing again and to be able to go out there and play, practice after each round … something I haven’t done in years … keep building,â€� he said. “(But) just the inconsistency of it. One of my hallmarks of my whole career is I’ve always hit the ball pin high with my iron shots, and I have not done that. “My wedge game is fine, but my normal iron shots that I’ve always had dialed in for much of my entire career, it’s just not there.â€� Woods also sighted the vast differences to playing golf at home versus on TOUR and said the only way to get better was to play more tournaments. He will get his next chance soon having committed to next week’s The Honda Classic near his Florida home. Playing consecutive weeks is a sure sign Woods is not worried about his back, instead saying only his feet and knees were sore – from old age. He will be joined at The Honda Classic by the 2012 champion Rory McIlroy – who saw first-hand this week how Woods played. “He’s very close, he is very close. Give him a little bit of time. He’s still figuring a few things out with equipment – sort of in between drivers – but he’s close,â€� McIlroy said. “He hits enough good shots to know that if he sort of pieces it all together, he’s going to be right there. I think everyone just has to be patient with him, especially him being patient with it and just give himself time. “It’s a good thing he’s playing next week just to get back at it.â€�

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