Tiger Woods finishes second Masters round just four off the lead

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Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Just before leaving the practice round at Augusta National to resume play in the 84^th Masters at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Tiger Woods, who awoke at 3:30 a.m., found lengthy rough by the short-game area and hit numerous long irons.

With his ball resting in the second cut 203 yards from the 11^th hole, the five-time Masters champion wanted to try and replicate the dicey shot. He pulled it off nicely, the ball stopping just short of the green, and Woods got up-and-down for par. He parred the perilous par-3 12^th, and matched par on the 13^th to get through Amen Corner unscathed.

With a birdie from 15 feet on the par-5 15^th, Woods also finished his weather-delayed second round under par with a 71 to go with his 68 from Thursday.

Through 36 holes, Woods is in a tie for 17^th at 5 under and well placed, at just four shot out of the lead, to make a run at successfully defending his 2019 Masters title and securing a record-tying sixth green jacket.

“It was a quick turnaround last night, and then to get up this morning, and a little bit cooler, the ball is not flying as far, it’s heavy and looks like they got mowers on the fairways but certainly did not touch the second cut. It was more like the height of a third cut,” Woods said. “It was playing a little bit different, and they definitely got the greens a lot faster than they were yesterday.

“I certainly thought I could have maybe got a couple more out of it, but I didn’t. So eat fast and change clothes and get after it. I think that the scores will be low again today, and the greens are soft and the golf course is definitely gettable with no wind.”