AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods has two more rounds at this 87th Masters. The 15-time major champion finished his weather-delayed second round in heavy rain on Saturday morning, signing for a one-over 73 and securing he made the cut for a record-tying 23 consecutive years.
But just barely.
Woods finished three over for the week, right on the cut line. The top 50 and ties make the cut at the Masters, and with just a handful of groups finishing their rounds on Saturday morning, the cut line was at two over but with a slight chance to move to three.
Playing in a downpour and dealing with winds of 12-15 mph, Woods finished his second round bogey-bogey and fell outside of the cut line at three over, but that put exactly 50 players inside the cut line. That meant Justin Thomas and Sungjae Im, the only two players still on the course at two over, would help five golfers at three over (including Woods) make the cut if they didn’t play their final few holes par or better.
At the time Woods finished, Thomas had two holes remaining, and Im had three.
Im saved par on 16, but Thomas drove his ball left on 17, had to punch out and couldn’t get up and down. Bogey. Thomas also bogeyed 18 and missed the cut altogether. Woods had already made the cut now, but Im bogeyed 17 and made par on 18, also falling to three over.
The made cut ties Woods with Fred Couples and Gary Player for the record of most consecutive cuts made at the Masters. Woods has missed some starts here due to injury, but his only missed cut remains from 1996, his last year as an amateur. He won the tournament for the first of his five victories a year later in 1997, and still hasn’t missed the cut here as a pro.
Woods, who shot 74 on Thursday, finished only 11 holes on Friday before the tournament was called due to inclement weather and a pair of trees collapsing in front of the 17th tee box.
He was even through 11 holes — bogey on 7, birdie on 8 — and made his first swing of Saturday on the iconic par-3 12th. He stuck it to 3 feet but missed the birdie putt. He got it back when he hit the flag with his approach on the 15th and then drained the birdie putt from 27 feet.
Woods, who had a noticeable limp on Saturday, missed the green on 17 and failed to get up and down, leaving his par save on the high side. That dropped him to two over. On 18 he pulled his drive way left and had to punch out from the pine straw. His approach spun back to 50 feet and he two-putted from there. He then needed help to make the weekend. He got it. His Masters streak lives on.