PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Sometimes you have to take what players say about themselves with a grain of salt, because — even in bad times — they’re prone to try to talk themselves into a positive mood.
Tiger Woods is one of those players.
Despite shooting mediocre 1-over-par 72 yesterday to enter the weekend seven shots out of the U.S. Open lead at Pebble Beach, Woods sounded so upbeat you would think he was just a shot or two off the lead.
“I’m right there in the championship,” Woods said. “I feel good. I’m right there.”
For a second opinion about Woods’ prospects, we asked Ernie Els, who has been paired with Woods in the first two rounds.
“I think he’s very close,” Els said. “I haven’t played with him in about a year, [but] I think his ball striking was pretty good the last two days. His short game is pretty sharp. He just didn’t make enough putts. He’s skimming the hole. Nothing looks out of the ordinary.
“He looks pretty sharp. I think it’s only a matter of time before he starts getting in his strike.”
Asked if you can rule Woods out of winning his 15th major championship this week, Els said, “No, you can’t. A guy that’s won 14 majors. … He’s got a lot of game.”
After the 3-over-par 74 Woods shot on Thursday, he ripped the bumpy greens, blaming them for his putting woes. Yesterday, he didn’t back off, though he conceded that they were much easier to putt in his morning round yesterday than in the afternoon Thursday.
“As we know, the U.S. Open is only going to get tougher,” Woods said. “They put some water on [the greens] last [Thursday] night and that’s probably the last drink they’ll get. So it’ll firm up.”
It’s difficult not to look back on Woods’ annihilation of this course in 2000, when he won the U.S. Open by 15 shots.
Woods was 12-under when he won in 2000, having made 21 birdies for the tournament. He’s made only three birdies through two rounds — all of which came yesterday.
“I’m right there in the championship,” he said. “I just need to make more birdies. I’ve put the ball where I needed to. I’ve missed on the correct sides. All the shots I’ve hit, I’ve only short-sided myself twice.
“I just need to keep progressing and keep moving my way up the board. It’s a long haul. I feel very good. I’m right there and I’m only seven back. This is a long haul at a U.S. Open. This is a long haul.”