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ATLANTA – In several cases where Tiger Woods was a weekend contender during his return season in 2018, he found himself staring at the leaders, fighting for contention, but he came short.
Now, for the first time in more than three years, he has a 36-hole spot in a PGA Tour event, having struggled on Friday against a bad day at East Lake Golf Club, but he still managed a double . less than 68 years to tie Justin Rose, ranked first.
The duo will be the last of the third round of Saturday's championship, both with a two-shot advantage over Rory McIlroy.
The PGA Tour plan was to add the number of maths – and less numbness – to the Tour Championship and the crowning of a FedEx Cup champion. Instead, as Justin Thomas says, it's just "weird".
The PGA circuit, with FedEx and Wyndham, is changing the system for its one-year run and playoffs next season.
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"It's a tough course," said Woods, who leads for the first time since the 2015 Wyndham Championship, where he finished 10th. "A lot of things are going to be done here – it's basically what I'm trying to do – I'm trying to do a bunch of pars and water a few birdies here and there."
And it's a good formula for Woods, who can not hope to win a shootout, but who is much better served when a tough day like Friday does not hurt him. He finished in the top 10 in 17 previous starts this year.
Much of his hard work on Friday was canceled by a double boguey 6 at the 16th hole, where after taking a 2-bird lead with a birdie on 15, Woods became stingy after a misbehavior and tried to find the green by striking a 185-meter tree. His ball reached 30 yards short-cap in a bunker.
He had to jump to the side and was unable to get up and down, being content with a double boguey who dropped him with Rose. Both players made a birdie on the 18th hole to finish at 133.7 under par.
"In hindsight, I probably should have just thrown in and the worst I would have to do would be a 5," Woods said. "And with my wedge game right now, a pretty high percentage, I would have understood it, but I thought I could sneak in there and go up and have a good angle did not work. "
Rose, who lost two weeks ago in the playoffs at the BMW Championship in Keegan Bradley nevertheless won the first place of his career. The Englishman shot 67 times on Friday and would capture the FedEx Cup – and a $ 10 million bonus – if he were to win the tournament.
Nine-time PGA Tour winner, who has also won 11 more international victories, Rose, 38, has been golfing for a year. Since last year, he has won four victories in the world and ranks in the top ten.
He finished second in each of the last two playoffs of the FedEx Cup.
"It's a cool story for sure," said Rose about Woods returning and playing with him on Saturday. "I can not really think that way, of course, people are excited to see Tiger play again, he is obviously right about the shape and feels very comfortable there. Looks good with the blade (putter).
"So it's exciting for people to see him again at his best and it will be fun to play with him."
But Woods was not at his best Friday. He warmed badly and had one of his worst performances at the PGA Championship, where he finished second ahead of Brooks Koepka. Woods touched only 7 of the 14 fairways and only 11 of the 18 greens.
And yet, his only boguey was a three-putt in the ninth, then the double came after these troubles on the 16th. He had birdies on the second, 12th, 14th, 15th and 18th of November.
"I have not touched it very well today," Woods said. "I did not really have the clarity of yesterday, and it was pretty obvious, at least for most, I missed the ball in every place I needed, so I always had a good angle and my short game has been good. "
Woods is participating in the season's championship, which is ending for the first time since 2013, and finished 20th in the FedEx Cup standings. He needs a win and many more scenarios to win his third FedEx Cup (2007, 2009).
Rose is ranked second in the standings and in a position to claim the overall title and a $ 10 million bonus. FedEx leader Bryson DeChambeau shot 75 times and had 13 shots in a tie in 27th place.
McIlroy shot 68 and made 12 birdies through two rounds to score two goals, while Billy Horschel (65), Patrick Cantlay (65), Jon Rahm (68) and Justin Thomas (69) find themselves tied for the fourth time, three strokes back.
Five players who will compete for the next week in the United States at the Ryder Cup are outside the top 20 and the peer for the tournament – Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, DeChambeau and Koepka.
Koepka, the winner of the US Open and PGA Championship this year, shot 78 times, just his third score in the '70s in his last six tournaments and the highest since his return in April from wrist surgery. He is the last in the field of 30 men.
"We're only halfway, and this journey, the way it's happening right now, you have to be so patient," Woods said. "It's hard to make birdies, and besides, it's hard to close the ball, it's very easy to make mistakes, to make a few bogeys here and there, and to watch most of the terrain, that's all." is essentially what they are doing. "
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