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Tiger will need to make a big move this weekend to advance to Atlanta.
LEMONT, Ill. -- It was another frustrating round for top-ranked Tiger Woods on Friday at the BMW Championship at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club. He followed up a 2-over-par 73 Thursday with a 72 and stands at 3-over 145, nine strokes behind co-leaders Matt Kuchar and Charlie Wi.
"I made nothing today," said Woods, who used 28 putts. "I hit the ball a hell of a lot better than my score indicates. I had a lot of putts inside 15 feet, and I think I made one there on the last hole, and that was it."
Woods struggled with the pace of the greens, which aren't as fast or smooth as in previous years because of a hot summer in the Chicago area.
"I feel like I'm hitting good putts; they're just not going in on these things," he said. "A lot of putts were lacking speed. It's hard to make myself hit putts that hard, but I've got to make the adjustment."
Woods will have to make a big move this weekend to advance in the FedExCup playoffs. He entered the tournament tied for 51st in the points standings and needs to climb into the top 30 to play in THE TOUR Championship in two weeks at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. For that to happen, Woods must finish in the top five in the BMW Championship and is currently tied for 40th.
"I'm just trying to post good numbers, hit good shots, place the ball accordingly on the correct side of the fairways, correct side of the greens, and go from there," said Woods.
An early back-nine starter with K.J. Choi, Woods parred the first four holes, missing a seven-foot birdie attempt at the par-3 12th hole. He finally broke through with a birdie at the 218-yard, par-3 14th, draining an 11-foot putt.
After pars at 15 and 16, Woods birdied the 427-yard, par-4 17th. He hit a nice drive, then knocked his approach shot from 164 yards 27 feet from the cup and buried the putt. However, a poor drive into the right rough led to a bogey at the par-4 18th hole, and Woods made the turn in 1-under 35.
On the front side, Woods parred 1 and 2, then bogeyed the par-4 third hole. At the latter, he drove into the left rough, hit his second shot from 186 yards into a front, greenside bunker, blasted to six feet and missed the putt.
Following a par at the fourth hole, Woods double-bogeyed the 509-yard, par-4 fifth. His tee shot found the right rough, then his approach from 198 yards caught a left, greenside bunker. Woods failed to reach the putting surface with his explosion shot, chipped to 10 feet and missed his bogey putt.
Due to all the hard work Woods has put in adjusting to a new swing change with Sean Foley, his short game has suffered.
"Oh, absolutely no doubt," he said. "When I went through the changes with Butch and Hank and now with Sean, I went through stretches where I didn't chip the ball well or putt well because there's only so much time you have to spend, and I've been working hard on my full swing. It's coming around, but certainly my short game is not where it needs to be."
Woods parred the next three holes, then closed with a birdie on the par-5 ninth hole. He hit a good drive, then knocked his second shot into the left bunker, blasted five feet and made the putt.
For the day, Woods hit eight of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens in regulation.
Last year in the third round, Woods posted a course-record 9-under 62 and went on to win for the fifth time at Cog Hill. He needs a similar performance to advance to THE TOUR Championship.
"I did it last year on the weekend," said Woods. "Hopefully, I can do it again."
He begins third-round play Saturday at 8:35 a.m. ET on the 10th tee with Ryan Palmer and Brian Davis.