Roller-Coaster Round Leaves Woods 4 Shots Back

Now, Tiger Woods knows what it’s like to be backed up on the 405 during rush hour.

Woods, 15, of Cypress, was on a roll--making three birdies in a row at one point--Wednesday at the Optimist Junior World golf tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course. But slow play in front of him caused a three-group logjam that forced him to wait almost 30 minutes on the 11th tee.

By the time traffic cleared, it took Woods a while to get started. He bogeyed Nos. 11, 15, 16 and 17, but fortunately, Woods mixed in two birdies on the back. He wound up with eight birdies and six bogeys for a two-under 70.

He is tied for second with Chris Riley of San Diego Madison High four shots behind Mark Worthington of Redmond, Wash., who leads the boys’ 15-17 division with a 140. Worthington shot 68 Wednesday; Riley had a 70. The 72-hole tournament ends Friday.

“I really believe that hold-up on the 11th hurt my round,” said Woods, who has won his age bracket in this tournament five times.

Woods said his bogey on the par-four 17th typified his day. From 165 yards, he blasted his approach shot over the green with an 8-iron.

“I can’t believe I did that,” he said. “It felt good, but I didn’t know I hit it that far.”

The ball landed next to a cart path in a gravel drainage ditch. A tournament referee allowed Woods relief onto some dirt.

He then chipped onto the green, 35 feet from the hole and two-putted for bogey.

Woods nearly eagled the par-five 18th, but missed a 20-foot uphill putt.

“I played great, then I played horrible, then I played great, then I played horrible,” he said.

Riley, the defending champion in the San Diego Section, could say the same thing about his round. He had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 15th.

After hitting a perfect drive, Riley hit a 110-yard wedge shot into the trap. He recovered by getting to within eight feet. But after sliding his par putt by the hole, he rushed an 18-incher and lipped the cup.