Tiger Woods rallies to make cut at PGA Championship

TULSA, Okla. — Few players battle on the golf course like Tiger Woods does. 

And battle Woods did in Friday’s second round of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills, where he spent the afternoon desperately fighting to make the cut and stay alive for the weekend. 

Explore More

From Swift to sports: The best last-minute gift ideas for live event fans

Paige Spiranac defends Michael Block after post-PGA Championship uproar

Michael Block’s cocky Rory McIlroy boast may have gone too far

Woods, in trouble on his back nine after a double bogey on the 11th hole dropped him to 5-over and the wrong side of the cut line, rallied to shoot a 1-under 69 Friday to get to 3-over for the tournament. 

When it was over, Woods, buoyed by his rally, was talking like someone who still believes he can win in the place where he won the 2007 PGA — despite the fact he’s 12 shots out of the lead. 

“You can’t win the tournament if you miss the cut,’’ Woods said. “I’ve won tournaments — not major championships — but I’ve won tournaments on the cut number. There’s a reason why you fight hard and you’re able to give yourself a chance on the weekend. You just never know when you might get hot. I’ve won tournaments being on the cut number. 

“This weekend I’m going to have to go low. I’m hoping I can shoot a number like Bubba [Watson] did today [63] tomorrow. That’s where my mind is at right now. Hopefully I can post a good round and at least move up the board, get myself within striking distance on Sunday. 

“I’m pretty far back, but you just never know. Major championships are hard to win. There’s a mission, and that’s to go ahead and win this thing somehow.’’ 

It appeared that the par-3 11th was going to be Woods’ undoing when he took the sloppy double. He airmailed the green long and left, hit his second shot over the other side of the green into a bunker, splashed out to the green and two-putted. 

But Woods rallied with two birdies and six consecutive one-putt greens. 

His best saves came right after the bogey. On 12, he was forced to make a 14-foot par-save putt to stay at 5-over, leaving himself with a must-have birdie on the par-5 13th hole to inch back into contention to play the weekend. 

Woods striped a 336-yard drive into the fairway and made his eight-foot birdie putt on 13 to get back to 4-over. 

Woods promptly put added stress on his putter on the par-3 14th when he missed the green and then left his chip shot 14 feet short of the hole. Facing another must-make, he calmly poured in the par-save putt to stay at 4-over and on the cutline. 

On 15, Woods got himself into trouble again. After splitting the fairway with his tee shot, he had just 155 yards to the flag and overshot the green and left himself short-sided in the back bunker, needing an exquisite up-and-down to save par. 

And that’s exactly what he did, using a deft soft-handed touch to splash his sand shot to 3 feet from the hole and save yet another par. 

Woods then attacked the 521-yard par-4 16th hole, the third most difficult on the course, with a 313-yard drive and a 209-yard approach shot to within four feet of the flag for birdie. 

During his opening round, Woods’ limp was more pronounced, looking like he was laboring and he said he was in pain afterward. 

Rory McIlroy, who played with Woods the past two days, marveled at Woods’ fight on Friday. 

“I mean, just unbelievable making the cut at Augusta and making the cut here,’’ McIlroy said. “I was joking with Joey [LaCava, Woods’ caddie] yesterday saying he could have come back and played like Honda and Valspar, two of the flattest courses on Tour [and] it might have been a bit easier for him, but he comes to two of the toughest walks that we have. Just incredibly resilient and mentally tough. 

“He’s the ultimate pro. Looking at him [Thursday], if that would have been me, I would have been considering pulling out and just going home, but Tiger is different and he’s proved he’s different. It was just a monumental effort.’’