Explore More

AUGUSTA, Ga. — When he walked off the 18th green at soggy Augusta National to compete his second round, it didn’t look good for Tiger Woods.

He’d just bogeyed 18, which followed a bogey on 17, and he was 3-over par, one outside the Masters cutline.

Then a compelling scenario unfolded. Justin Thomas, one of his best friends, struggled on his way home behind Woods and helped move the cutline to 3-over par from 2-over, allowing Woods to not only make it to the final 36 holes but tie the tournament record for most consecutive cuts made at 23 in a row.

Woods, who’s never missed a Masters cut as a professional, tied his good friend Fred Couples and Gary Player with the 23 consecutive cuts.

“I’ve always loved this golf course, and I love playing this event,’’ Woods said before knowing he has clinched a spot in the third round. “Obviously, I’ve missed a couple [cuts] with some injuries, but I’ve always wanted to play here. I’ve loved it. I got a chance to play [the weekend].’’

Woods, who was on the 12th tee when second-round play was suspended due to dangerous weather on Friday, began the day perfectly when he stuffed his shot onto the 12th green, about four feet from the hole.

But Woods, who was 2-over at the time, pulled the putt and missed it.

“At 12 … it was a good shot, it was 145 (yards),’’ Woods said. “We knew the number. Joe (LaCava, his caddie) went up and got it yesterday, which was good. We hit it a few times on the range and felt comfortable over it. I hit a good shot. Then I hit just a terrible putt. I pulled it.’’

He birdied the par-5 15th hole to get to 1-over and give himself some cushion, but Woods gave that cushion back with bogeys on 17 and 18.

“On 15, at least it didn’t go in the water this time when it hit the flag,’’ Woods said, referring to the 2013 Masters when he hit the flag stick on 15, like he did Saturday. “So that was nice. Made a good putt there and then just didn’t finish very well.’’

Once the cut was made, the third round began at 11:30 a.m. Saturday and the players went off in threesomes off the first and 10th holes. 

The 47-year-old Woods, a five-time Masters champion, was paired with Thomas Pieters and Sungjae Im in the final group off the 10th tee.

Brooks Koepka (12-under) entered the third round as the leader over Jon Rahm (10-under). Amateur Sam Bennett is alone in third at 8-under, followed by Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland at 6-under. 

ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlf3R7j21maXBfqbaosdFmrqinlKh6rq3KnqpmpZGowaa%2B0maarqxdqbWiusqsZK2nXZ%2FCtMDIp2StoJ%2BirrR50q2pnpmbYrCwutOipa6do2Q%3D