Woods Ties, Breaks Scoring Records

A K R O N, Ohio, Aug. 26, 2000 -- The major championships are done for the year.

Tiger Woods is not.

Just five days after winning his third consecutive major inrecord fashion, Woods once again found himself playing in adifferent tournament than everyone else, and certainly playing adifferent game.

He flirted with a 59 for the second day in a row. He became onlythe fourth man in competition to reach the 625-yard 16th in two.And he walked off Firestone Country Club by matching one record,breaking another, and not even knowing it.

Woods had a 9-under 61 to tie the course record set by JoseMaria Olazabal in 1990, and his 125 set a new standard on the PGATour for 36 holes.

What does it all mean?

“It’s taking a lot more under par to win the tournaments now,” said Phil Mickelson, who had a 66 and goes into the weekend tryingto make up a seven-shot deficit.

Large Lead, Big Hopes

Woods pumped his fist and smiled when his 6-foot par putt on the18th disappeared into the cup, as if he were aware there wererecords at stake.

Not true.

“I didn’t want to finish with a bogey for the second day in arow,” he said. “I’m just trying to hit good, solid shots. I justwant to get the ‘W.’”

That shouldn’t be too difficult.

The seven-stroke lead is the largest of his career, and thelargest on tour since Olazabal led by nine strokes at Firestone in1990 in what was then the World Series of Golf. His 125 broke therecord of 126 previously held by six players — it was first set byTommy Bolt in the 1954 Virginia Beach Open, and last matched byDavid Frost in the 1999 St. Jude Classic.

Only four other players have had a 125 in consecutive rounds,but not the first two.

“He’s been playing so well, it’s not like we’re in shock,” said Jim Furyk, who played with Woods on Friday — or at least walked in the same fairway as Woods.

Mickelson finished one stroke behind Woods in the NECInvitational last year. And while Woods appears invincible thisweek, Mickelson wasn’t about to declare the tournament over.

“A little disappointing you would even bring that up,” saidMickelson, who had a 66. “One of my thought processes was,‘Listen, if I can make some birdies, I can get in the final group.’I think there’s some real benefits to that.”

Justin Leonard had a 67 and was at 133, while Furyk had a 69 andwas another stroke back. Woods had a six-stroke lead after 36 holesin the U.S. Open, and went on to win by 15. He led by three strokesat the halfway mark of the British Open and won by eight.

Conquers ‘The Monster’

The 37-man field is for Presidents Cup and U.S. Ryder Cup teammembers, plus the top 12 Europeans from the European tour moneylist. It is a small gathering of elite players, but Woods is in aclass by himself.

His approach shots hit their mark as easily as someoneshooting a free throw. Drives were long and shaped perfectly down thetree-lined fairways of Firestone. Woods played out the shots in hismind, and executed them to near perfection.

“You have an idea of where you want to put the golf ball,” hesaid. “When you’re able to do that, that’s when the game looks easy.”

Proof of that came on No. 16, a 625-yard hole known as “TheMonster.” In the first round, Woods nailed his drive but decidedagainst going for the green from 285 yards away. He also noticedthat a little more to the right, and his drive would catch a slope.

So on Friday, he aimed a little more right, caught the slope andwound up only 269 yards from the pin.

“Go for it,” screamed the gallery, perhaps aware that onlythree players have ever reached the green in two during competition— Arnold Palmer, Raymond Floyd and John Daly.

Make it four.

Woods caught his 2-iron as pure as can be, slapped hands withcaddie Steve Williams and watched as the ball landed 8 feetdirectly behind the flag, then bounced twice into thick groundbehind the green.

“I only had 256 to carry, which I know I can hit that if I hitit solid,” Woods said. “The hard part was a slight downhill lie,which meant that I really had to stay committed to the shot, andpossibly even release it a little early to get some more loft onit. I hit it flush.”

His chip grazed the lip of the cup for a tap-in birdie.

That epitomized the entire round. Mickelson had the lead earlyon with a birdie-eagle start, but that didn’t last long. Woods hitan 8-iron from a 176 yards into the par-5 second hole and made the12-footer for eagle, then birdied three straight starting on No. 4to leave everyone else in his wake.

“Phenomenal,” said Colin Montgomerie. “I can only see that gap widening.”

No End in Sight

That was the case Friday at Firestone. That’s been the case allyear.

Woods has had at least a share of the lead in his last sixrounds, and 16 of his last 25 dating to the second round of theMemorial. It also was his 29th consecutive round at par or better,the longest streak since the PGA Tour began keeping such statisticsin 1980.

When will it end?

“I really don’t feel it is a streak,” Woods said. “I feel like I’m just playing well. I think if I work hard and have a lotof patience and manage my game well, I can play this game at a highlevel for a long period of time.”

Since the next major isn’t until the Masters in April, perhapsthe next feat in front of Woods is a 59 — or lower. For the secondday in a row, he gave himself a chance, and the gallery was egginghim on.

“Fifty-nine!” they shouted as he walked down the 13th fairway,8 under through his first 12 holes and needing three birdies on hisfinal six holes to reach the magic number. Woods said he neverheard them, and a 59 never crossed his mind.

“What people?” he asked innocently. “I had no clue how many under par I was. At the time, I think I had a five- or six-shotlead. I just tried to increase that.”

With a 10-foot birdie on the 17th, Woods had a chance to breakthe course record. But his drive on the 18th took one last rollinto thick rough, and his approach landed over the flag and ranthrough the green.

A 61 was the best he could manage.

Then again, he still has two rounds left.