Tiger Woods will start the weekend two shots off the pace at the Valspar Championship, a tournament where five South Africans made the cut, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
Louis Oosthuizen and Rory Sabbatini are SA’s best after 36 holes with the duo at -2, four strokes behind unheralded overnight leader Corey Conners. The round of the day though belonged to their countryman Tyrone Van Aswegen (65), who jumped 90 spots after going around Copperhead 10 shots better than on Thursday.
First, it was Woods mania on Friday as he took his comeback to a new level by showing glimpses of ‘Old Tiger’ and even taking the lead at one point.
Woods’ crisp iron-play set up a number of birdies chances like the one on the second hole where he converted from 12 foot to move tied at the top.
A bogey on his 18th hole saw Woods’ tally stand at 138 and -4, a score that puts him in Saturday’s penultimate pairing on the course.
‘Today was a good day,’ he said. ‘I feel comfortable out there.’
For Woods’ playing partners it wasn’t such smooth sailing as he beat playing partner Henrik Stenson by 10 shots and Jordan Spieth by nine.
‘The roars are a little louder,’ Spieth said. ‘There’s an energy about the galleries that you don’t have anywhere else.’
Imagine the roars on Sunday if Woods continues his progress?
The South African are also enjoying a week with an upturn in fortunes. Only Retief Goosen from the half dozen that started on Thursday won’t be in action on Saturday.
Goosen’s rounds of 75 and 77 saw him leave at +10.
At the top of the pile, it’s the form of Masters-bound trio Oosthuizen, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel that pleased many.
Oosthuizen, who couldn’t match his first round brilliance last week at the WGC-Mexico in the days that followed, moved alongside Sabbatini with a well-put-together 69. He turned at -1 with eight pars and a birdie at the fifth when he rolled in a 6 footer.
The one-time Major winner then made it two in a row, starting with a 186-yard tee shot on the par-3 13th hole to 8 feet before taking advantage of the long 14th hole by draining a 7 footer. A mistake on the penultimate hole saw him give up a shot but he’s firmly in contention with the swirling winds and cross breezes in play this week.
Grace was one better with a 68, five strokes better than Thursday and one that included five birdies with a drop at 17 after he was unable to get up and down on the 207-yard par 3.
For Schwartzel, it was a case of one step forward, two back as he closed with four bogeys to finish with a two-over par 73. The 2016 Valspar Championship winner was well-placed after 11, 14 and 17 but his inward nine saw him undo all of his early good work.
Veteran Ernie Els snuck into the weekend despite a trio of drops on his front side and a double drop on the 16th. He is +3 for the week, two behind Schwartzel.
Photo: Getty Images
