Bend it like Tiger: Woods breaks Internet with one bunker shot

By Rahul Banerji

It’s already being called the shot of the tournament – and there are two days still to go with 45 of the world’s 50 best golfers very much in the fray.

But when Tiger Woods is on the prowl, extravagance is never very far away. On day two of the $10.25 million WGC-Mexico Championship, the 14-time major winner pulled out an extraordinary stroke from his repertoire that all but broke the Internet.

Having clawed his way up the leader-board from tied 25^th, Woods was in a spot when he found a fairway bunker on his last hole of the day. Up ahead was a tree, the green 135 yards away.

“The ball was sitting down just enough where I didn’t think I could clear that tree,” he said later. “I also had 130 yards, but it’s hard to get it up when the ball’s sitting down like that.

“So I went back to try to cut it with an 8-iron and then I realised that’s going to come out too hot; it’s going to miss the slope. I ended up going back to the 9-iron and I realised, ‘Jeez, I’ve really got to slice this thing.

“So I opened up and gave it as much of a cut motion as I possibly could and it worked out.”

One to remember

That cut motion freeze-frame became the shot of the day, literally with the accompanying clip all the buzz on Twitter and Instagram. For cricket fans, it was like a batsman fending away an awkward bouncer. Such was the degree of slice that the club ended up in front of his face pointing downwards, and not over and behind the shoulder as it usually does.

In the event, Woods’ putt for his seventh birdie just lipped out but the resultant par gave him a round of 5-under 66 and a share of eighth place after a first day 71.

It left him six shots behind day’s leader Dustin Johnson (11-under 131) and five adrift of Rory McIlroy and Matt Kuchar, who seems to have left the Mayakoba victory – and consequent fallout – well behind him.

Fleetwood has a flier

Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood, who opened with two consecutive eagles, were tied fourth on 7-under ahead of Ian Poulter and Australia’s Cameron Smith on 6-under, while Tiger shared eighth place alongside four others, including Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

“I had that one three-wiggle there at 17,” Woods said. “But overall it was a pretty good day. I felt like I got a lot out of the round and plotted my way around the golf course nicely and never really got out of position.

“The ball wasn’t flying as far today. It wasn’t as warm, wasn’t as windy, so it was a little bit easier to do the calculations, and with my feels. Yesterday was tough. Today was easier, and I hit a lot of shots pin-high.”

Tough for Sharma

Meanwhile, Shubhankar Sharma had a rough time on the back nine and dropped to tied 58^th at the halfway stage at the Club de Golf Chapultepec. The 22-year-old, who hit the spotlight at the same stage last year, had a six-over 77 that included three bogeys and a double bogey in his final five holes.

Sharma hit eight of 14 fairways and nine of 18 greens in regulation while Woods hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 greens in regulation, with just 26 putts.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson, who opened with a 79 on Thursday, improved by an massive 14 shots with a second round 65 for T39, 13 shots behind Johnson.

Asia’s hopes in the $10.25 million showpiece in Mexico City lie with Kiradech. The bubbly Thai, tied fifth last year, overcame a rocky four-putt double bogey start on Friday to remain in the top-10, signing off for a second round two-under 69.

Japan’s Shugo Imahira carded a 67 to move up to T20 on 140 while China’s Haotong Li traded three birdies against four bogeys for a 72 to lie a further stroke back in T25 heading into the weekend.

“It changed at the turn. Those three birdies got me back into the game. That putt (on three) was a great putt. That putt was amazing,” said Kiradech.

Hard reads

The four-time European Tour winner knows he must negotiate the tricky greens better over the weekend to make a title run.

“I’ve been striking the ball solid the whole week but my putting isn’t working great. I dropped five shots in the first two rounds, which is from three three-putts and then one four-putt. I have to work on my putting, just a lot of work to do,” he said.

“I find it really difficult. A lot of pin positions were tough, against the slope. I know the green speed is not that fast. A lot of positions were right on top of the slope, so it was quite tough to read.”

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