By F. Edwin Miller
Along with the strong winds affecting play at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course, Tiger Woods’ chances are looking up.
(Andrew Redington, Getty Images North America)
Ocean Course’s four-time winner fended off the wind to end the PGA Championship’s second round on Friday with a (-1) par 71 to tie Vijay Singh and Carl Pettersson for the tournament lead (-4) heading into Saturday.
“It is a little bit brutal out there because you’re playing so much drift,” Woods told reporters about the weather conditions. “Even if you hook or slice the golf ball, it doesn’t matter, it still drifts it back at the end.”
Despite Kiawah’s persistent winds, Woods expressed even more persistence in his chase for the year’s last major title.
“As far as the last couple majors, I’m right there with a chance. I like that,” Woods said. His finishes in major tournaments have significantly progressed throughout 2012 (T40 in The Masters, T21 in US Open, T3 in Open Championship). His last major win came in 2008’s U.S. Open.
The last 16 majors concluded with 16 different champions (none of them Woods). With continued play like today’s, Woods can indeed extend the streak to 17 and put an end to his four year major drought.