Woods takes control at Torrey Pines
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2008 Buick Invitational | Round Two | 26 Jan 2008
Tiger Woods took control of the event he has dominated since turning professional by adding a second round of 65 at the easier North Course at Torrey Pines and now leads the Buick Invitational by four shots over the “story of the week” – Kevin Streelman.
Woods has won this event on five occasions with four of those victories coming in the last five seasons. After his solid opening round on the more demanding South Course yesterday he was always going to prove a handful for his competitors today as he took to the North Course and, it would seem, has established a winning break.
If it was any other player it would be premature to suggest such but this is Tiger Woods and his record from this position is almost faultless.
Streelman is, however, the story of the week.
Gaining his PGA Tour card via the lengthy process of all three stages at the USPGA Tour School last year, Streelman had resigned himself to the fact that even as first alternate he was unlikely to get a start in this event despite the fact that he was at the course and waiting for good fortune to blow his way on Thursday. Then Mathew Goggin withdrew and with only a few minutes to get to his tee time, he made it and somehow managed to shoot 67 on the North Course.
Today, Streelman added a very impressive 69 at the South Course and tomorrow faces his most exciting yet perhaps most nervous day in golf. He will play with the game’s greatest in round three and will learn a lot about himself in that situation.
If he is able to come though that initiation with even a reasonable round then he will have done well especially given that three days ago this scenario would have been all but a wild dream.
Stewart Cink is alone in third, one shot behind Streelman and five behind Woods while at 6 under and in a share of 4th is the leading Australian, Aaron Baddeley, along with Boo Weekley and Brad Adamonis.
Several other Australians are also well placed. Stuart Appleby and John Senden are at five under, Nathan Green and Robert Allenby at four under, Rod Pampling, Steve Elkington and Matt Jones at two under and Jason Day is at even par.
Those players have made the cut and will play the weekend while Nick O’Hern and Nick Flanagan made the cut but under the new PGA Tour rule regarding weekend field sizes they have officially made the cut but will not get the chance to play the weekend.
They receive prizemoney but will not have a chance to advance their cause.
