By Patrick Johnston
KUALA LUMPUR Oct 26 (Reuters) – Tiger Woods had another day of near misses on the greens as the 14-times major winner fired a second round four-under-par 67 on a stifling day at the CIMB Classic on Friday to trail leader Robert Garrigus by five shots.
After another thunderstorm struck the Malaysian capital on Thursday night, the PGA Tour brought in preferred lies for the second round of the 48-man field event which led to low scoring on the relatively short and wet Mines Golf Course.
Woods, though, was left with the feeling of what might have been as for the second consecutive round, he watched good putts trickle by the hole as temperatures at the $6.1 million event reached 33 degrees Celsius with 50 percent humidity.
“It was just one of those days where I didn’t make enough birdies,” Woods, who had six birdies and two bogeys in his round, told reporters after finishing the day tied for fifth on nine-under 133.
The American’s playing partner Jbe Kruger suffered no such problems reading the greens on the Robert Trent Jones Jr designed course as he fired a brilliant 64 to end the day alone in second on 12-under 130, two behind Garrigus.
The diminutive South African, who credits his long hitting to a quirky fitness regime of running up and down hills at home dragging a tyre, rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-three second to kickstart his round.
Kruger, who played most of his opening first round one club light after he bent his eight-iron on the fourth hole on Thursday, continued to roll in the putts with further birdies on the third, sixth and eighth.
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