FARMINGDALE, N.Y. _ It's a testament to Tiger Woods and the comeback he put together at Augusta last month that he was able to make believers out of those watching at the fourth hole Thursday afternoon.
Forget, for a moment, that his morning started in messy fashion _ a double bogey on his first hole of the back nine at Bethpage Black. And never mind that his groupmate, Brooks Koepka, was well on his way to making history, shooting a course record. What Woods did over those 517 yards was nothing short of vintage: A strong drive to the left fairway, 220 yards to the green, and a 31-foot putt that broke left hard, as if magnetized to the hole. That eagle _ his first in the PGA Championship since 2001 _ made people think that anything was possible.
But the reality wasn't quite as neat: The uneven play that marked his back nine made its strong return on the front nine, as he bogeyed three of his last five holes. He finished the day at a 2-over-par 72.
