THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tiger Woods knows he’s playing better than he has in the last two years, and he has the leaderboard to prove it.
Woods hit a half-dozen extraordinary shots yesterday in the Chevron World Challenge on his way to a 5-under 67, giving him a three-shot lead over Matt Kuchar and K.J. Choi going into the weekend in the 18-player tournament at Sherwood Country Club.
It was the second straight tournament that Woods had the 36-hole lead. Three weeks ago at the Australian Open, he was one shot ahead until a 75 in the third round. Woods wound up in third place at The Lakes, his best finish of the year.
With each round, it looks as though his best might not be too far behind.
Woods had two eagles, and nearly had a third with a flop shot from behind the 13th green that he was still talking about long after his round. Not even a double bogey on the par-3 15th hole when a gust knocked his ball into the water could keep him from a comfortable lead after two rounds.
“I want the lead after four days,” said Woods, winless in his last 26 official starts dating to the Australian Masters in November 2009. “Two days is nice, but four days is even better. I know I’m playing better, and it’s nice to see my position on the leaderboard equating to it.
“Two stroke-play events in a row I’ve played really well.”
Woods was at 8-under 136 and will play in the final group today with Kuchar.
Choi had a three-shot lead over Woods through six holes and was staying with him until hitting in the water twice on the par-3 15th, taking a quadruple-bogey 7.
Choi saw what he might be up against on the weekend.
“To put it simply, today he played like an artist,” Choi said about Woods. “It’s pretty clear that he’s really recovered and is back in his old form again, and he missed a few putts, but it was really good to see him play well.”
Woods’ only bad hole was the 15th. He hit an 8-iron just like he wanted, then could only hope that the swirling wind left the ball alone. It didn’t. He went into the water and missed his bogey putt.
