Tiger Woods settles for birdie after near hole-out for eagle on Torrey Pines’ second

Tiger Woods hit an approach shot on the second hole at Torrey Pines that bounced in the hole, only to pop out and leave a tap-in birdie.

It’s not often that a golf ball kisses the bottom of the cup and doesn’t stay there. It happened to Tiger Woods’ approach shot on the second hole of Torrey Pines’ South Course on Sunday, which was not ideal considering that in the chase from six shots back (which is where Woods sat after an opening bogey), he needs every one of those to drop to have a chance.

For golf fans watching Sunday’s coverage, the hole out that almost was will likely dominate playbacks and conversation for the rest of the day.

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After playing a safe shot into the middle of the fairway off the tee at the par-4 second, Woods hit a beauty from 140 yards out.

The ball took one big hop on the green, a second smaller hop, gently struck the flagstick and dropped into the back of the hole, only to pop out and come to rest inches away.

Woods, standing in the fairway, looked to his right and tried to make sense of what was going on.

A tap-in birdie is nothing to scoff at, but when it could have been a heroic, hole-out eagle? Well, one can’t help but be disappointed.

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