AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods finished up his weather-delayed opening round at the Masters early Friday morning, dropping two more strokes behind leader Bryson DeChambeau and facing a more immediate goal of making the cut for a record 24th consecutive time.
After getting in 13 holes Thursday at 1 under before darkness halted play, Woods took his second bogey of the round with an errant wedge at No. 14, his right hand flying off the club as the ball came up short of the green.
Woods chipped past the flag and missed the putt to save par. He bounced back with three straight pars before finding the sand with his approach at No. 18, leading to another bogey that left him with a 1-over 73 for the round.
He then headed to the Augusta National clubhouse with about 40 minutes to get his surgically repaired body ready to tackle another 18 holes in the second round.
Woods was eight strokes behind DeChambeau, who shot a 65 Thursday and had an afternoon tee time.
Already a five-time winner, Woods is looking to make another bit of Augusta National history by advancing to the weekend. He is currently tied with three-time champion Gary Player, who made 23 straight cuts beginning in 1959, and 1992 winner Fred Couples, whose own streak lasted until 2007.
Woods, of course, has bigger goals than simply making the cut. Despite multiple injuries and a devastating car wreck that now limit him to only a handful of tournaments each year, he expressed confidence that he can still join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win six green jackets.
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