Tampa Tribune, Fla., Mick Elliott Column: Tiger Hits His Stride, Takes Lead At PGA

Aug 11, 07:50 AM

Current Headlines: By Mick Elliott, Tampa Tribune, Fla.

Aug. 11--TULSA, Okla. -- The putt from 15 feet on the 18th hole at Southern Hills Country Club began to take the break about two paces from the hole, gently bending to the right and feeding toward its waiting target. With each turn of Tiger Woods' Nike One golf ball, noise from the surrounding gallery built like a warming jet engine, rising in volume and power.

When barely a foot of the journey remained, the roar leveled slightly as if ready for full ignition and liftoff. Still on track, the putt responded by dripping into the left edge of the hole. But it would not stay.

Like a suddenly frightened animal, the ball darted into the cup, only to complete a quick U-turn and pop out the front side.

Woods already was raising his left hand into the air, stabbing his putter into the sky in celebration, when the ball reappeared. A stunned look crossing his face, the world's best golfer dropped the club and turned his back to the moment.

This time history dodged the bullet.

A second-round 62, what would have been the best score in major championship history, was that close. Instead, Woods tapped in for a 7-under 63, becoming one of 21 players who on 23 occasions have gone as low during one of history's 403 major championships.

"I knew if I made that putt on the last hole, it would have been a nice little record to have," Woods said. "I got 62 1/2 ."

There is, however, significant consolation.

At 6 under, Woods leads the 89th PGA Championship by two shots over Scott Verplank.

And that's not all. Now he has history on his side.

Six previous times Southern Hills has hosted major championship golf. Each time -- three PGAs and three U.S. Opens -- a player with at least a share of the 36-hole lead went on to win.

Also, as Woods goes for his 13th career major, he will take confidence in knowing he is 7-0 in majors when leading after two days.

"There's no doubt," he said. "I know what to do. It's just a matter of going out there and doing it."

Friday looked simple enough.

Beginning the day 1 over and six shots out of the lead, Woods birdied Nos. 1, 4 and 5 to begin his climb up the leader board. A bogey at 7 from a greenside bunker momentarily slowed the march, but an 8-iron to 1 foot at the ninth and a 9-iron to 4 feet at 10 pushed him to 3 under.

"It was the ideal start today," he said.

At No. 12, Woods saved par by drilling a 30-foot putt after escaping from a buried lie in a greenside bunker, and responded to that boost by birdieing the next three holes.

"I was just trying to get myself back in this tournament," he said. "And lo and behold, here I am."

Two strokes back at 4 under is Verplank, a former Oklahoma State University star and local resident, who had a pretty good day of his own by shooting 66. Three back are Stephen Ames (69) and Geoff Ogilvy (68). Tampa native Woody Austin is 2 under and in solo possession of fifth place after an even-par 70.

Though Woods did not get solo ownership of the lowest major championship round, the 63 does rank as a career best in one of golf's four premier events. Three times he has recorded a 61 in PGA Tour events, but Friday's round will rank high.

"There's no doubt," he said. "I hit the ball really well and there was a nice little stretch there at 9, 10 and 11. I just felt that, you know, all day I was in control. The hard part was making some putts out there because the greens were not smooth. Luckily, I left a lot of putts below the hole where I could take a pretty good rap at them, trying to take some hops out of it."

It worked. Woods need 24 putts -- six fewer than he used Thursday when he shot 71.

Verplank, 43, a Ryder Cup veteran and empowered by homegrown support, could be a serious threat to Woods' chase to move another step closer to Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships.

He won his fifth PGA Tour title this year at the Byron Nelson in Dallas, and as a Ryder Cup member with Woods, is not likely to be awestruck by the challenge.

"My emotions are fine," Verplank said. "I've decided I was going to really try to enjoy this week, have a good time here because there's a lot of extra demands that could really wear you out if you let them."

He started with eight pars before charging into the early lead with birdies on the ninth, 11th, 15th and 17th holes.

"I'm kind of the guy that I only have to hit a couple decent shots to start thinking I'm pretty good again," said Verplank, a former U.S. Amateur champ who won a PGA Tour title -- the Western Open -- as an amateur but has battled diabetes since age 9. He also has been slowed by three elbow surgeries.

"I'm happy that I've won five times on the tour," Verplank said. "I'm disappointed that I haven't won more. You know, if you can make heads or tails out of that, good luck."

Reporter Mick Elliott can be reached at (813) 281-2534 or melliott@tampatrib.com.

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