Tiger Hits Ducks, Singh Gets Birdies

Tiger Woods shot a three-under round of 70 and is still within sight of the leaders at the $5.3-million Mercedes Championships, so why was he in such a foul mood Friday?

Actually, better change that to a fowl mood.

“Start off with a duck at one, end up with a duck at 18,” Woods said.

Hackers all over the world now share the feeling with the top player in the world.

What Woods did was hit a duck hook with his drive at the first hole, which translated into a double bogey. Then he ended his round when he hit a duck hook two-iron with his second shot at the par-five closing hole, where he took a penalty shot after hitting into a hazard and made par instead of a relatively simple birdie.

Add it all up and Woods is fortunate to be within nine shots of leader Vijay Singh, who birdied the last seven holes, shot a 29 on the back nine, finished with a 64 and is at 14-under 132.

Afterward, Singh didn’t sound nearly as excited as he probably should have been. His seven consecutive birdies were one short of the PGA Tour record.

“I was just playing along,” he said. “I started making some putts, which is always nice on these greens.”

Of course, birdies are nice on any greens, but especially these at the Plantation Course, because they’re sort of bare of grass and shaved closely. Plus, it’s the first PGA Tour event of the year and nobody wants to get off to a faltering start.

Stuart Appleby, the first-round leader, birdied the last hole for a 67 and trails Singh by one shot. Darren Clarke birdied three of the last four holes, finished with a 69 and is four shots off Singh’s pace at 10-under 136.

Then there is Woods, nine shots behind Singh with 36 holes to go, so his margin for error is small. If he’s going to gain ground, Woods knows where it must begin and that is to avoid what happened on No. 1 in a stiff breeze Friday.

Woods’ drive traveled just over 200 yards and the ball dived into waist-high grass on the left side of the fairway.

“That was pretty, wasn’t it?” said Woods, who said the marshals never saw the ball. “They were actually expecting someone to hit the ball a little farther than that.”

Woods hit a provisional ball, didn’t find his original one and wound up two-putting for double bogey.

It was only slightly better for Woods at the par-three second when he was short of the green, chipped to four feet and missed the putt for bogey.

Woods recognized the effect such unexpected errors have had on his score the first two days. Woods has 11 birdies and an eagle and he’s still only five under par.

“One of those days again, just like yesterday, I got to keep fighting back. I get off to such a terrible start.

“It’s tough when you’ve got to keep fighting back and the guys that are going ahead, they’re making birdies. I’ve got to make birdies just to try to get back to even par. It’s just too hard to do that to yourself.”

There are four par-five holes and the pros generally treat them like a plateful of appetizers. But Woods hasn’t made the most of his chances, playing the par fives at one over Thursday and two under Friday.

Woods said he was pleased to save par at the 18th, after knocking his second ball into the hazard and taking a drop. He sank a seven-foot putt to make par. He smiled, but then he said he really didn’t mean to act as if he was relaxed.

“I’m not,” he said. “I seem it, yeah, but I’m frustrated. I play a lot cleaner rounds of golf than that.”

And the duck hooks?

“I didn’t hit any shot like that on the range,” he said.

He’s not the only golfer who has said that.