The New York Times-20080126-Woods Isn-t Driving Perfectly- but He-s Cruising

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Woods Isn't Driving Perfectly, but He's Cruising

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In the relative calm before the coming Pacific storm, Tiger Woods churned inexorably across the North Course at Torrey Pines on Friday, making birdies from the rough, a par from the sand, a chip-in par from the green and putts from everywhere else. His bogey-free round of 65 on a striking California day provided yet another Tiger Woods Clinic, this one titled: How to Thrive When You Can't Drive.

It was another tough day on the tee box for Woods, the world's No. 1 golfer, who hit only 6 of 14 fairways after hitting only 7 of 14 in Thursday's first round. Of course, that did little to slow his march toward his sixth Buick Invitational victory, his fourth straight, and his 62nd tour win.

Woods's 36-hole total of 12-under-par 132 put him four strokes ahead of 29-year-old Kevin Streelman, ranked No. 1,114 in the world. Streelman, the third and final alternate to make the field, had been sitting on the practice putting green Thursday when he was told he had five minutes to make it to the 10th tee on the North Course. He hustled over, hit the fairway with the first of his 67 shots and added 69 more to get himself into a Saturday tee time with Woods and Stewart Cink, who also shot a 69.

Tomorrow is probably going to be the most gratifying, fun day of my life, Streelman said to the TV cameras.

For Woods, it will be something else, another step on the path of golf history as he continues his quest to break almost every record in the book. This is not to suggest he does not appreciate the difficulties along the road traveled by struggling golfers like Streelman. It's a fine line, he said. People don't realize the difference between someone making cuts out here on tour, getting on the tour and winning a golf tournament.

While fans of quixotic quests will have their eyes on Streelman, and those of tournament organizers will be on the predicted storm that is expected to dump rain on Southern California starting Saturday night, Woods will be focused on the prize.

Regardless of the forecast, the size of his lead or the ranking of those chasing him, Woods never eases up or relaxes until the last putt drops Sunday.

Tomorrow, hopefully, I can shoot a good round and move up -- increase my lead, he said. They're not handing out the trophy today. You've just got to keep going forward. If they handed out the trophy today then it would be over and no big deal.

But since we have so many more holes to play, as you've seen on tour anything can happen. You've got to keep pushing, keep going forward and making birdies.

That is a lot easier to do when you have no bogeys on a day when your driver is still not cooperating. Even though he hit one fewer fairway Friday than Thursday, Woods was at least slightly happier with the direction things were headed.

I drove like a dog yesterday, he said of Thursday. But today I at least started the ball on line. I over-shaped them, that's fine, O.K., I can fix that, it's not a problem. I feel pretty good with it.

Phil Mickelson will be working on fixing his misses this weekend from further back in the field. He hit 12 of 28 fairways through the first two rounds, one fewer than Woods, but was unable to offset that deficiency by raising his iron play. He has hit 19 of 36 greens through two rounds, 10 fewer than Woods. Mickelson remained upbeat, despite being tied for 40th after his 73 on the South Course.

You never know when it's going to click, he said. I've got to go off early tomorrow, one of the first groups off the back side, and I should get nine holes of greens that are fairly smooth and maybe I can get the putter rolling and make some birdies.

For Streelman, the objective is to survive. He got here by making it through three stages of qualifying school. He has never made it on any level above the mini-tours, not even on the Nationwide Tour. The most he has won playing golf is $25,000, which he earned in last year's The Ultimate Game, a Las Vegas made-for-TV event in which golfers play for their own (or their sponsor's) money by putting up $50,000 each.

It's been a very difficult road, he said. You have pitfalls and tremendous highs and lows, especially when you're scrounging money to get to the next tournament and to put gas in your car sometimes.

It can be quite an experience. At the same time I think that makes you a stronger person and a stronger golfer.

This weekend will test the strength and resolve, on very different levels, of Woods and Streelman. For Woods, more history is in the balance; for Streelman, it will be a chance to make a little of his own.

[Illustration]PHOTOS: Kevin Streelman, ranked No. 1,114 in the world, is second, four shots behind Woods.(PHOTOGRAPH BY DONALD MIRALLE/GETTY IMAGES); Tiger Woods hitting a tee shot on No. 15 on his way to the lead. He has won the Buick Invitational five times.(PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF GROSS/GETTY IMAGES)