Another day, another late morning and afternoon glued to the TV watching Tiger Woods in his return to competitive golf.
Big Cat returned Thursday for the first time since the Masters in April, shooting 3-over 75 at the 2023 Hero World Challenge in a round that started promising and dropped off toward the end. There was no shortage of excitement from Woods, however, and it was encouraging to see him moving freely throughout the day.
He sat 18th in the 20-person field after the opening day.
Woods teed off in the second round with Rickie Fowler at 11:02 a.m. ET. Check out his Friday round with shot-by-shot analysis below from Albany in the Bahamas.
Best shots: Check out Tiger’s Hero highlights
Hole 1 - Par 4
And we’re off in the second round, and just like the opening round, Tiger smokes his tee shot down the center of the fairway 290 yards and quickly picks up his tee. With 138 yards left to a front pin, Tiger hits a beautiful cut shot into the breeze to about 6 feet. On Thursday, he finished last in Strokes Gained: Approach, so it was an encouraging start with his second shot. Even more encouraging was pouring in his birdie putt to put a circle on the card early. Can’t have a better start than that.
Dialed in early 🎯@TigerWoods starts his second round with a nice approach on No. 1. pic.twitter.com/VdxDQl7L2W
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 1, 2023
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under through 1
TIGER OVERALL: 2 over
Hole 2 - Par 3
Wow, his tee shot on the par-3 second hole was even better than his approach into the first hole. Tiger sure looks sharp early in the second round. He stuffs his tee shot to 4 feet, eight inches, leaving another short birdie putt. On the attempt, he left no doubt, as the birdie putt drops for two circles in two holes. Can’t birdie them all if you don’t birdie the first two.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under through 2
TIGER OVERALL: 1 over
Tiger Woods starts his second round strong with back-to-back birdies on holes 1-2. 🐅🔥
📺: @peacock | #HeroWorldChallenge pic.twitter.com/Xu69w9ufVG
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) December 1, 2023
Hole 3 - Par 5
On to the first par 5 of the day, and Tiger is again nails with the big stick, smoking his tee shot 334 yards down the middle of the fairway, leaving only 220 yards to the hole. The sharpest part of his game, by far, in the first 21 holes back has been his driver, and that has been the case early in both days of play.
On his second shot, Big Cat gets a bit wayward as his shot drifts to the right side of the green and short in the waste area, leaving himself a tricky pitch to the hole to get within birdie range, an area he was inconsistent at in the first round. His pitch shot rolls out to 10 feet, leaving a birdie look but his longest of the day. He’s not able to make it three birdies in as many holesbut is able to tap in for par. Fowler, on the other hand, makes eagle.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under through 3
TIGER OVERALL: 1 over
Hole 4 - Par 4
Another tee shot, another fairway found for Tiger in the second round, making him 3-for-3 to begin the day. This shot goes 287 yards, leaving him a bit longer of an approach into the green. With 196 yards to a front right pin, Woods’ second shot comes up short, leaving him a testy chip for an up-and-down save.
However, he hits a beauty to 4 feet, leaving him an easy par putt, which he converts. No harm, no foul with his poor approach.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under through 4
TIGER OVERALL: 1 over
Hole 5 - Par 3
Time for the second of Albany’s five par 3s. And just like the first par 3, Tiger hits another good shot, this one flying right over the pin before rolling out to about 23 feet.
Shortly after hitting his birdie putt, Big Cat began chasing after the putt as it missed left of the hole and stopped about 5 feet from the pin. However, no harm, no foul. He cleans up for par and is playing steady golf after his stellar start.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under through 5
TIGER OVERALL: 1 over
Hole 6 - Par 5
Time for the second par 5 of three on the front nine, and Tiger again finds the fairway with his driver, hitting a 307-yard tee shot and leaving 281 yards to the pin. It’s early in the day, but Big Cat is leading the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee through his first six holes. On his approach, Tiger sends it for the green but leaves himself in the greenside bunker about 40 feet from the pin.
His bunker shot is better than on the par-5 third, rolling out just past the hole and coming to rest 5 feet away for a birdie try. And he knocks it in for his third circle on the card through six holes. Spectacular start after a sour taste left in his mouth following the first round.
3-under thru 6. pic.twitter.com/sMo8HRawpU
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 1, 2023
TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under through 6
TIGER OVERALL: Even
Hole 7 - Par 4
Time for the first short par 4 of the day, playing 344 yards in the second round. He again SMOKES his tee shot 328 yards, and it ends up in a front greenside bunker. Now we’ll get to see whether he can dial in his short game, as he’s got a tricky longer pitch shot coming up. If he can get up and in, it would be yet another birdie in his stellar start to the second round.
And he hits a beauty to a couple feet, which should be an easy conversion for yet another birdie to get him back to under par for the tournament.
Four birdies in seven holes. And he looks healthy. But how will his body hold up later in the round?
TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under through 7
TIGER OVERALL: 1 under
Hole 8 - Par 3
On the tee at the par-3 eighth is where Tiger hits a 4-iron to the 214-yard hole, however, it comes up short and left of the pin. This isn’t the first time he has had to get up-and-down today, but this is likely his testiest attempt of the day from the swell short left of the green.
He bumps his chip shot into the slope and it bounces a couple of times before tumbling onto the green and coming up a few feet short of the pin, leaving his biggest tester for par of the round.
However, a confident stroke and the ball finds the middle of the cup. Deep breath. On to the par-5 ninth.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under through 8
TIGER OVERALL: 1 under
Hole 9 - Par 5
Big stick off the tee box on the par-5 ninth, Tiger hits a low cut that misses the bunker on the left side of the fairway and rolls out quite a bit downwind. On the front nine, Tiger has been spectacular with driver in hand, this drive going 347 yards and leaving only 280 to the pin. A reminder, this guy could hardly walk eight months ago and is outdriving some of the best players in the world.
On his second shot, he blasts a 3 wood that lands on the green and trundles over the back. He has plenty of green to work with, a position he has been in a couple times Friday and been able to convert for birdie. If he’s able to here, that’s a 5-under front nine.
The chip shot comes out dead, leaving him a much longer birdie putt (13 feet) than he would’ve liked. The putt looked good the entire way before missing low, however he had a bit longer than he would’ve liked on the comeback. He knocks it in to turn in 4-under 32.
A clean start to Round 2 💪@TigerWoods is bogey-free thru nine holes in Round 2. pic.twitter.com/07J1sjOWi0
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 1, 2023
TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under through 9
TIGER OVERALL: 1 under
Hole 10 - Par 4
Tiger’s 4-under 32 was the lowest score on the front nine this week, though he was in the second group out on Friday, so someone could match or surpass it. However, first mistake off the tee today with the driver, as his drive goes left and is sitting in a rough spot on the edge of a fairway bunker.
After Thursday’s round, he talked a lot about his mental game not being sharp. How he responds to the first bad shot of the day will show a lot about how much competitive rust he has knocked off.
He hits a pretty great shot considering his stance and ball position. The ball finds the front left side of the green, and he’ll have a lengthy birdie putt.
He hits a brilliant lag putt to a foot. The mistake off the tee box doesn’t hurt him with an easy par.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under through 10
TIGER OVERALL: 1 under
Hole 11 - Par 5
On to the fourth of five par 5s on the day, where Tiger will look to make his second birdie after failing to get up and down for circles on the third and ninth holes. And this time, the driver finds the left side of the fairway. His second shot is a layup into the breeze, finding the fairway in a good position to attack the pin.
However, his third shot comes up well short from 95 yards and spins back away from the green. The short game will again be tested with not a lot of green to work with to get away with a par.
The chip is shaky, running past the hole about six feet, leaving another tester for par. And he walks it in. Tiger has been perfect scrambling today. Mentally, seems locked in.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under through 11
TIGER OVERALL: 1 under
Hole 12 - Par 3
A somewhat shaky last four holes after a stellar opening seven. However, toughest shot of the day thus far is the tee shot on the par-3 12th, into a stiff breeze. He hits a 4-iron to the middle of the green, a safe shot leaving a lengthy putt for birdie, but he’s on safe. Tiger hits another brilliant lag putt to a couple feet and cleans up for par. On to some scorable holes.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under through 12
TIGER OVERALL: 1 under
Hole 13 - Par 4
On the tee shot, Tiger watched for a long time as his ball floated through the air, but it finds the fairway and rolls out on the 502-yard par 4. This drive traveled 359 yards, but with his reaction, he may not have hit it how he wanted. Nevertheless, a bomb. His approach shot hits about 10 feet from the pin and rolls out a bit, leaving 13 feet for his first look at birdie on the back nine.
The birdie putt was aggressive but missed just right of the hole. No harm, no foul. But, the first mistake of the day comes on the 3 footer for par, which he looks as if he pulls it. First bogey of the day.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under through 13
TIGER OVERALL: Even
Hole 14- Par 4
Short, scorable par 4, and a good place for Tiger to get his first birdie since the short seventh hole. And he needs it after the blunder on the 13th. On the tee shot, he goes after it and hits a good shot that ends up in the short grass, but he’s in a low area with not a lot of room to work with. It’s another chance for Tiger the Artist to show off his hands, needing a strong short-game shot. He hits a brilliant shot to a couple feet, but again, the short putt misses to the left and looks as if it was a pull. Missed opportunity, but a par isn’t bad.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under through 14
TIGER OVERALL: Even
Hole 15 - Par 5
This is where Tiger’s round went backward on Thursday, so a big chance to finish strong today. He has made only one birdie on the previous four par 5s coming to the final one at Albany.
He finds the fairway with another perfect tee shot. His driver has not been an issue all day. In the opening round, he almost had to take an unplayable. Not the case today, in great position to make a birdie but needs to capitalize.
Only 182 yards on the approach shot, Tiger was talking to his ball quietly as it floated through the air, but a mistake as he missed left in the bunker, leaving basically no shot to the left pin. But, being a par 5, an up-and-down is good enough for a birdie.
However, his shot from the bunker rolls past the hole about 25 feet. His birdie attempt was even worse, flying past the hole and going back into the bunker. His fifth shot got out of the bunker and left roughly 10 feet for bogey, which he made
However, for the second straight day, Tiger had a bad 15th hole, but the bogey save was huge. Even par on the five par 5s at Albany in the second round.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under through 15
TIGER OVERALL: 1 over
Hole 16 - Par 4
Needing a big tee shot on a difficult par 4, he gets it. Another great tee shot, a club he has had no issues with through the first two days. However, into a stiff breeze, he had more than 220 yards to the green and came up short. It’s a much easier up-and-down compared to what Tiger faced on the previous hole, but he needs a par to get settled back in and finish strong.
“You wouldn’t believe how good that was,” NBC Sports’ Smylie Kaufman said of Tiger’s third, which rolled a few feet past the hole leaving a tester for par. However, the putt stayed high and missed right. Yesterday, Woods played Nos. 15-18 in 4 over. Today, he’s 2 over after 15 and 16.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under through 16
TIGER OVERALL: 2 over
Hole 17 - Par 3
With bogeys on three of the last four holes and reeling, Tiger finds the putting surface on the final par 3 and left himself roughly 25 feet for birdie. Should be an easy two putt for par to stop the bleeding and get to the 18th hole.
And stop the bleeding did he. Tiger drained the birdie putt, with the ball doing a 360 before finally dropping. He needed that and save a huge sigh.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under through 17
TIGER OVERALL: 1 over
Hole 18 - Par 4
Tiger pulls 3 wood on the final tee shot of the day and blasts a shot that hits the fairway but tumbles into the rough on the right side of the fairway. That unfortunate luck made his approach shot much more difficult down wind, and he caught it poorly and nearly ended up in the penalty area. But what’s one more up-and-down to end the day?
Plenty of green to work with for his third. it was a terrible lie, but Tiger hit his chip to a foot to close out his round with a par.
TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under through 18
TIGER OVERALL: 1 over
