Woods moves to within 2 shots at desert event
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Maybe those swing changes are paying off for Tiger Woods.
Woods moved into contention with a 3-under 69 Friday after three birdies over five holes on the back nine in the second round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in United Arab Emirates, finishing two shots behind leader Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (67).
"I've grown to understand what Sean [Foley] wants me to do and how my body is going to do those things and produce the numbers he wants me to produce," Woods said.
Olesen made seven birdies in his first 12 holes for a one-shot lead over Gareth Maybin, 18, of Northern Ireland (70) and Matteo Mannasero of Italy (65).
"For me it's very special. It's not many years ago I was watching them on TV," Olesen said of the world's best golfers. "I know it's tough, but I'm trying to keep playing my own game and do my best."
Rory McIlroy finished with a 72 after a two-stroke penalty for brushing away sand in front of his ball on the fringe at the ninth hole.
McIlroy, 22, the reigning U.S. Open champion, playing again with Woods and top-ranked Luke Donald (72), opened with a bogey and double bogey on the third after an errant drive and some shaky putting.
He rallied with three birdies before a double bogey on the ninth. That's when Donald spotted the sand infraction and called him on it.
Players are allowed to brush away sand on the green but not on the fringe.
"Wasn't thinking clearly and a penalty there," McIlroy said. "My ball was just maybe six feet off the green and there was a lot of sand in between my ball and the hole."
McIlroy, the co-leader after the first round with a 67, managed two birdies on the next three holes after the infraction.
Woods started slowly with two birdies and a bogey on the front nine. He warmed up with birdies on the 11th, 12th and 15th before dropping a shot on No. 16 after an errant drive landed in deep rough.
"I thought I played well," Woods said. "I made a couple putts here and there, but it was tough out there. The greens got a little quicker, a little bit drier and the rough is certainly getting deeper and more lush."
The best score of the day came from Manassero, who made seven birdies in a bogey-free round.
Woods is tied for fourth in a group that includes McIlroy and Robert Karlsson of Sweden (72).
• Farmers Insurance Open: The tougher South Course at Torrey Pines suited Kyle Stanley just fine in La Jolla, Calif. Stanley overcame a double bogey early in his round by running off four birdies on the front nine for a 4-under 68, giving him a one-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker going into the weekend. Snedeker, who first gained notoriety as a rookie at Torrey Pines when he shot 61 on the North Course, had a 64 on the North to make a swift climb up the leader board. He is coming off hip surgery at the end of last year and made his season debut at the Humana Challenge last week by getting into the hunt. He tied for eighth. Stanley, long off the tee and as polished as any of the PGA Tour rookies who won last year, was at 14-under 130. The tournament will have to do without hometown star Phil Mickelson on the weekend. He shot himself out of the tournament with a 77 on the South in the opening round, and didn't make nearly enough birdies on the North to make the cut. Mickelson had to settle for a 68, missing the cut for the first time in 10 years at Torrey Pines.
First Published January 28, 2012 12:00 am
