ESPN Commentary

Originally Published: April 10, 2009

Masters rally not mission impossible

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By Gene Wojciechowski
ESPN.com
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Masters Round Two Highlights

Perry, Campbell tied for Masters lead

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Masters Round Two Highlights

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- You think he's done, don't you? Cooked. History Channel'd. No way Tiger Woods wins this Masters, right?

He's 7 strokes out of the lead after two rounds. There are 18 players ahead of him, and they're not exactly all stiffs, either. And did I mention Woods is putting as though he's using a garden rake?

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TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty ImagesFor the second straight day, Tiger Woods bogeyed the 18th hole at Augusta National.

No hard feelings. I understand. Him, not so much.

"Is 7 strokes doable?" I asked him not long after he signed his Friday scorecard, the one with the totally unsatisfying even-par 72 on it.

"Yeah," he said.

That's it. One word. But it's the four-letter word that counts.

As long as Woods thinks he has a chance to leave Augusta National with his fifth green jacket, I'm happy to serve as his sportswriting caddie. If it were any other player, I'd jump off the golf cart. But I'm not bailing -- not when there are 36 holes remaining and not when the fellas setting up the course have yet to slip on their brass knuckles.

I'm not the only one who thinks he can pull this off. Jeev Milkha Singh, who played the first two rounds with Woods, didn't hesitate when presented with the Tiger Comeback Scenario.

"Oh, yeah, for sure," Singh said. "On this golf course, I think for sure it's doable. The wind picks up ... back nine ... it's a different ballgame."

It won't be easy. Woods has never trailed by this many strokes midway through a major and won. But he has trailed here by 6 strokes after 36 holes and ended up in Butler Cabin (2005 -- The Chip-in Heard 'Round the Solar System). He was behind by 4 strokes in 2002 and won then, too. In all, six of his 14 major victories have come when trailing at the halfway point.

So it isn't impossible. Nothing ever is with Woods.

This hasn't been vintage Masters Tiger. He leads the field in scowls, sarcastic remarks and missed opportunities. His opening-round 70 could have been -- and probably should have been -- something in the 66-68 range. He admitted as much afterward.

Friday's round was also an 18-hole exercise in frustration. He opened with five consecutive pars, then went schizo: birdie on No. 6, bogey on No. 7, birdie on No. 8, bogey on No. 9.

He stayed at 2-under, although I'm not sure how. His drive on No. 11 ended up among the pines. On the par-3 12th, a hole so hard it ought to come with a complimentary hug, Woods got up and down from the junk. He birdied the par-5 13th, but only after hitting his second shot into the crowd. He two-putted from Atlanta to save par on No. 14. He chipped it close on No. 15 for a kick-in birdie, but gave back the stroke on the par-4 18th -- the second straight day he bogeyed the hole.

Was he upset? A teensy-weensy bit.

A sampling of the brief meeting with reporters just behind the 18th green:

"Tiger, tough day at the office?"

"Yeah."

"What was the problem, conditions?

"Conditions were tough. It was just tough all around."

"The wind difficult?"

"Yeah, you might say that."

And later ...

"Did you get frustrated with your game, with yourself?"

"Uh, yeah."

He wasn't impolite, just steamed. Woods and his caddie, Steve Williams, then made a beeline for the driving range. Once they got there, Tiger reportedly kicked over his bag, then spent about the next hour hitting the bejabbers out of balls. The driver was the club of choice.

Woods said he has to "clean up my rounds" if he's going to challenge over the weekend. The first thing that needs soap and water is his putting game.

"I can say that he hasn't holed many putts in the first two days," Singh said. "When he starts holing putts ... "

When he starts holing putts, Woods is still going to have to contend with all those guys in front of him. It's an impressive group, but I don't think there's anybody who terrifies Woods.

Co-leader Kenny Perry has won four of his past 20 tournaments, but never a major. Chad Campbell is also major-less.

Angel Cabrera has a U.S. Open title. Todd Hamilton has a Claret Jug. Tim Clark beat Tiger in WGC-Match Play. Jim Furyk owns a U.S. Open championship. Anthony Kim made a Masters-record 11 birdies Friday. Geoff Ogilvy won a U.S. Open. Padraig Harrington has two British Opens and a PGA Championship. Nick Watney might be the most consistent player on the PGA Tour this season. Vijay Singh is a three-time major winner. And then there's Phil Mickelson, who also owns three majors, including two green jackets.

But other than Mickelson and the 46-year-old Singh, none of them has ever won here. Woods has -- lots.

A question sticks out after Friday's round. Someone asked whether Woods was thinking about those 7 strokes separating him from the leaders.

"As of right now, no," he said.

But he will. He knows it. So do the players in front of him.

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com. Hear Gene's podcasts and ESPN Radio appearances by clicking here.