Round 2: U.S. Open
June 18 2010
6:15 pm
Tiger’s still in it
Seven back. A U.S. Open weekend to go.
You may have a question as to whether Tiger Woods has a chance at this 110th U.S. Open. But Tiger?
Uh, no. He’s talking a good round or two and . . . .you never know.
“ I’m right there in the championship,’’ he said. “I just need to make a few more birdies, a few more putts on the weekend and I’ll be right there.
“. . . .I feel good. I’m right there. As we know, the U.S. Open is only going to get tougher. They put some water on it last night and that’s probably the last drink they’ll get. So it’ll firm up.’’
And when it does? Tiger needs to make some birdies. He was 12-under here when he won in 2000. These last two days? He’s had three birdies total. And he’s sitting there at 4-over. A 74, followed by a 72.
This isn’t 2000 and what transpired that week isn’t even a factor. Just consider his answer when someone asked how hard it was to block out that performance.
“Very easy,’’ he said matter-of-factly. “Very easy.”
So you like where you are, someone asked once again.
“I’m right there in the championship,’’ he reiterated. “I just need to make more birdies. I’ve put the ball where I needed to. I’ve missed on the correct sides. All the shots I’ve hit, I’ve only short-sided myself twice.’’
And put himself into an unplayable lie on the third hole with 3‑wood. “ I just hooked it,’’ he said. “ I was trying to hit a hook down there and roll it down there and just way overdid it. ‘’
That was for his second consecutive bogey and third in five holes. He got one back at the par-3 seventh to get to 4-over. Again, the mantra was birdies.
“I just need to keep progressing and keep moving my way up the board,’’ he said. “It’s a long haul. The U.S. Open is not going to get easier as the week goes on. Especially on the weekend. And from what I hear it’s supposed to be overcast, so I’m sure there will be a few more birdies than we normally would see.’’
As for the greens? He had some harsh criticism for them Thursday afternoon.
And when a reporter asked if he wanted to take any of that back? He shook his head..
“No, we were all talking about that this morning on the range,’’ he said. “You just got to ask the guys.’’
Pressed, he explained that the poa annua greens here are just tough. They’re smoother in the morning “because what happens when you roll them in the morning, you smash down the poa, and then in the afternoon the poa comes back up and then you get some sun and then it starts popping. You can see it germinating, it starts turning white, the white heads start coming up. So it gets a little bit more bumpy in the afternoon.’’
Watering the greens made everything a bit easier and the greens softer even than earlier in the week when Tiger played early morning practice rounds.
If Woods is right, he could be contending for his fourth U.S. Open title over the weekend. And, before he walked away, someone asked one more time what he thought of his position.
“I feel very good,’’ he said for the third or fourth time. “I’m right there and I’m only, what, seven back. And this is a long haul at a U.S. Open. This is a long haul.’’
With that, he hauled himself up the hill and into the locker room. No matter what anyone else thought, he didn’t have any question he was in it. – Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner - SI Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 
I enjoy watching-Happy Tiger is playing-Tiger said he blocks things out-I wonder-He has a lot on his shoulders-Still rooting for him-either a win or in the top 10
Hang in there Tiger
this man is crude, obnoxious and uncouth, he should be ignored
This is the mentality of a true champion! Go Tiger!
I simply wish him the worst.
Nobody fears tiger anymore.In fact most of the players on tour and a huge majority of the general public despise him now for what they’ve realized he really is. Its such a joke that the media,including this one (pgatour.com) still give him so much coverage.Sad indeed
Haters Tiger will win this open and all of you will kiss his ring
Looks like a change at the top. Tiger’s out of the championship. I do hope Tiger is right about his comeback is a long long process (years).
Looks like Phil will be #1. Not bad for a forty year old.
ben bernasty your still reading his articles shame on you
if people like you stopped reading maybe they would stop covering
Bt….didnt read it…only posted my opinion about the man…Obviously your just another clown that cant handle the truth
and if people like you bt stopped blindly supporting such a poor excuse for a role model …which obviously he is to you ,THEN they’d stop covering….get over it man…Im entitled to my opinion
Who is this Ben Bernasty dude man, the guy rocks!!!
oh wow… more uneducated Tiger Bashing… Ben Bernasty, I have a question for you? Do you know much about human beings and their flaws?? We all have them… absolutely every single one of us… Tiger is no exception.. he has made his mistakes and come out and been a man about it…. do you know the stories of Mickelsons past, Montgomeries infedility, Kobe Bryants infidelity… thats life mate… get off your high horse and appreciate what these people do for a living..and thats play sport.. entertainment..
Dam right JT! its about time someone said the truth! Tiger has made some mistakes in his past but thats what it is..the past..move on and stop making tiger re-live his mistake..just appreciate him for what he is..a dam good golfer and move on and besides his one mistake he is still a good role model for kids who want to be a golfer.
I remember watching a movie some years ago, it was called “The Great White Hope”. I never really understood it. All I recall was that the newspaper folks, referee’s etc wanted to see a white male be the people’s champion instead of the current reigning champion who was black.
I am not sure why this comes to mind. Perhaps it is because the white male american media keeps refering to Phil as the people’s champion. It is interesting, that I am not familiar that other media male or female from anywhere else speaks that mantra.
Who is the greatest golfer of their era. Was it Jack, Arnold, Gary, Hogan, Snead, Nelson, or Jones. Who really cares. They are all fantastic golfers and great competitors. What the media writes is of no significance. They have their biases and will always write appropriately. They are frequently wrong and they never write an apology. At the end of the day all that matters is how many major wins and how many wins altogether in one career that defines greatness and dominance in ones sport. Commom sense is common sense. Are we so dumb that we need a bunch of white guys trying to convince us to agree with their point of view as to the best golfer is? Is the record of evry golfer not readily available in the public domain, for each of us to make up our own minds? Or do we need to be spoon fed by them?
Wow, Bernasty – I’ve read your comments over the past 2 days and you have some serious issues, man. I’m not a Tiger fan either, but it is truly pathetic to get on pgatour.com to pick fights with those people. Get off this site and get back to beating your wife and kids, you ridiculous freak.
Bernasty – easy to be 6 foot 4 and a 100 kilos sitting behind a keyboard and computer screen champ.
Go Tiger go and win THIS OPEN. And shut up those who forget their own sexapades and crticize others. Remember these’ self appointed moral leaders’ also tried to pillory Bill Clinton and today he stands the tallest.
I’m always amazed at the amount of angst in humans. We must appreciate Tiger for the greatness he has shown us…the mastery and brilliance in playing a game that we love. To hate him can only reflect some pretty deep seated sense that you yourself are inadequate….a hack in the game of life.
Hehe,
Lets be honest, I used to be one of those people if the Golf was on and tiger was playing and in contention i would watch it right until the end. When he got caught doing the horizontal tango With not 1 but over a dozen other dance partners something changed. I still think hes a great golfer but then again the legend who was Tiger had gone forever. Funny thing is he knows it aswell and I think its possible that we have watched Tiger win his Last major.
I feel sorry for his wife most of all…
Anyone who plays Golf at a higher level knows you cant have any mental baggage With you out on to the course. It just shows through that he is still not finished mentally With all the shit going on his life.
Yeah, you can`t possibly have that much hate for Tiger. Leave him alone, he has paid the price already.
I think Tiger will win this U.S OPEN,
He needs a bit of luck now and has paid the price.
He is still a massive icon and will be for some years to come, come on Tiger win this thing and shut a few people up.
Good luck.
I can’t believe there is anyone out there that is still a fan of Pants on the ground, jojo the circus boy Woods. It is the never ending lying, coming out of the never ending liars mouth that bothers me. And if you want to step up to the plate and claim you are a Tiger fan so be it, but let me remind you not once do I want to see a negative post about Phil or the rest of the good players on the tour because you haven’t a leg to stand on. And please don’t let me have to hear we all have flaws, and we all have sinned. No one but no one has sinned like tiger and then lied about it like tiger and has pretended to be something else like tiger, and that would be no one.
Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Don’t judge a man by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character” Character doesn’t seem to matter anymore. Our sportsmen and politicians can do awful things and we give them a pass. yes we all have flaws but let’s not overlook the character of these people.
For all those people who dont like tiger because of his off course actions, fine dont watch him. But for us people who still like him, its because we like watching him play golf and how he’s played golf in the past. When he’s on the course and we are watching him, what he did off the course doesn’t matter. I don’t care what kind of a role model he is…i like watching him play golf, so i will support him.
And seriously for all those people ‘cyber-bashing’ tiger
1. I bet none of you would say it to his face, you have to hide behind a computer screen
2. You all talk like you’ve never done anything wrong in your life. Only someone who is perfect and made no mistakes what-so-ever (which is noone on the planet) could have the audacity to critisise him.
Stop crying on computer blogs and watch him play golf!
Well, Tiger knows he is out of contention but just shy to admit. He could be in contention only if he made at least a 65 in the 3rd round. To win he would have to hit another 65. Ten years ago it could have been likely but not now Tiger.The winning number is going to be 8 or 9 under par.
Tiger is well in contention. Do not be surprised if the winning score is over par…actually i reckon it will be plus 2 or 3. All he needs is an under-par round tomorrow and he’ll be way in it!
I enjoy watching Tiger play.How he lives his private life, I feel is his business. I may not agree in what he did,nor would I recommend it to others, but then he probably would not agree to what many of us have done in the past.It is too bad that we are not all perfect like many of those who have criticized Tiger, yet have likely have done what Tiger did, if not worse.
Let us enjoy the talent that this man brings to the golf game, and let him work his way out of the problem that he has created for himself.
yeh! go tiger anybody who is a true tiger fan knows that he can turn this tournament around in one day let alone two days my money is on tiger !!!!
BEST SPORTSMAN EVER TO LIVE!!!!
People make mistakes, get over it for gods sake. Cumon Tiger!!
I wish him the best of luck. He’s always provided great entertainment. To all of those people who wish him harm or failure, I pray to God that you get your wish thrown back onto yourself times three.
I’ve always loved to watch Tiger when he was playing great golf. I’m obviously disappointed that he no longer is the amazing golfer who formerly dominated major championships. Do I think he can really make himself the 110th US Open champion? Not a chance. Should I deny him the right to think (or hope) that he can pull it out? No. Will I be glued to my TV hoping to see great golf from ALL players INCLUDING Tiger? You better believe I will!
Go Tiger! Who cares what others think! I could NOT care less about his private life. I watch his golf, which is awesome EVEN though he is not totally on is game. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TIGER!
Ben Bernasty and the rest of you Tiger haters….you don’t like Tiger…..we get it. But you are obviously valid golf fans or have any idea what you are talking about. You say most of the players on tour despise him? Oh…do you have some secret way of contacting tour players to ask them questions? Wow, that is really cool. I will give you one of my decoder rings if you share your tour contact secret. Here is a fact for you ……the guy has won 14 majors and 70 something times on tour, no one else actively playing even sniffs that. That kind of talent just doesn’t go away moron. You idiots act like he hasn’t won in years….it’s been about 7 months! How about being in the thick of things in the Masters after not playing for months…..no credit there I guess.
If he never wins another tournament he will still be considered one of the greatest golfers ever. Having said that I think it would be Elin’s sweet revenge if he didn’t win another major again. If life becomes fair in his life that would be the dues he pays for the pain inflicted on his spouse. I think that would turn about fair play if that were to happen. I couldn’t help but laugh when he hit some silly shots yesterday during the round, life has a way of coming back to bite you, maybe the Tiger has found his match.
I always wondered where the people who never made any mistakes in there lives were, and now I know. They are all blogging. Mmm, should of looked here sooner.
Can any of you who seemed to have never made any mistakes in there live please give me some pointers It seems I can’t get through a day without making at least one.
Any advise will be appreciated.
What a lot of people fail to realize is that the only reason the PGA has grown as much as it has is because of Tiger. Tiger draws in so much money, its unbelieveable. If Tiger leaves the game of golf, people don’t watch as much so they don’t cover as much. Even tournament players like that he is in golf because of the money
Where was Tiger when Fuzzy Zeller made a harmless joke about fried chicken and lost all his endorsements. All Tiger had to say was lighten up folks but he never and it has come back to haunt him.
Tiger Fan -agreed… Woods has taken the game of golf to a different level… Kathi…your opinion taken into consideration… I am a fan of Tigers sporting ability… just like I am fan of Mickelsons sporting ability.., just like I am a fan of Kobes sporting ability.. these days weve taken sporting fanaticism to a new level where we crave to know how our sports heros live everyday, we want to know what they eat and drink, we drive them away from us by prying into their everyday existence.. thats the pathetic nature of the life today in the sporting world… the media has lost itself on sports coverage…taken it to a new level and we are all on the bandwagon of lapping up all the crap they serve us about peoples private lives! dont sit behind your television and judge these people we dont even know!!!
Let’s get something straight people… Tiger’s “B” game is almost good
enough to beat all of these guys he’s right there now and not showing
the “A” game. Is he a slime ball? No question…one too many people
have stated in galleries that he is rude, arrogant and still feels he’s
entitled to do anything he wants. SO WHAT? He’s a golfer…and if he
never wins again he will go down as one of the greatest or in my opinion
a thread behind Nicklaus. Remember this is about money to the networks. Don’t tell me the network can’t wait to see Sunday with Tiger
in contention teeing off mid afternoon and then Mickelson following
and completing his round around 10:30 pm EST. If Tiger could finish
today at +1 for the tourney and be within 5 shots tomorrow when most
of these guys pull their choke jobs watch out. After all this nonsense
I just stated..I see Els or Westwood winning the whole thing
MM,Everyone makes a mistake or two, but 12 {twelve} mistakes in a row. And no morals in your body. My wife would have shot me 12 {twelve} times.
Stop the Tiger bashing.He is great a golfer and an asset to the game.The key here is to Forgive and Forget.The game is in any case bigger then the person.Go Tiger….do your best, it’s your livelyhood.