GREENSBORO, N.C. — Tiger Woods signed up for his first Wyndham Championship knowing a win definitively would keep his season from ending.
He’s halfway there.
Woods shot a 5-under-par 65 on Friday to share the second-round lead with rookie Tom Hoge.
“I’m only at the halfway point,” Woods said. “Only 36 holes. We’ve still got a long way to go.”
Woods and Hoge were at 11-under 129. Hoge shot a 67.
The sport’s biggest name put himself in prime position to contend for his first victory in more than two years, one that would send him into the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Woods followed his best round since 2013 — a first-day 64 — with one almost as good. He made his big move up the leaderboard on the back nine, with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and an eagle on the par-5 15th to take a share of the lead.
“I just couldn’t get anything out of my rounds (before this tournament) and a couple lucky bounces here, take advantage of those opportunities — it’s just the flow,” Woods said.
Now he’ll spend Saturday playing with an unfamiliar rookie. When asked if he would recognize Hoge to see him, Woods responded: “No, I wouldn’t. What is it, or him?”
“I look on the Champions Tour leaderboard and I know every one of those guys because I played against them and I played with them,” Woods said. “Now I come out here, I don’t really know a lot of people.”
At No. 187 on the FedEx Cup points list, Woods definitely would crack the top 125 with a win, and he’d qualify for the Barclays next week in New Jersey. Depending on how the math works out, a solo second-place finish also might be enough.
Thumbnail photo via Rob Kinnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
