WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- As if Tiger Woods' opening-round 66 at the Greenbrier Classic didn't produce reminders of what his game once was and suggestions of what it could be again, those surrounding the first tee prior to his Friday afternoon round were treated to a much more literal recollection.
In introducing the player ranked 220th in the current world ranking, the first tee announcer began: "A man who has dominated every phase of golf he has ever competed in ..."
Woods then set his stance, re-gripped and promptly sprayed his opening tee shot 30 yards right of the fairway.
Sixty-eight strokes later, he was in the clubhouse at 5 under par for the tournament, just 4 shots off the lead, but only 3 shots clear of the cut line -- in leaderboard limbo when it comes to proffering major proclamations.
If the underlying theme of Woods' week -- and, perhaps, the impending second half of his season -- is bouncing back, then his performance through 36 holes speaks as a profound metaphor.
During Thursday's opening round, he carded a double-bogey on the sixth hole, then countered with three consecutive birdies to finish.
On Friday, he twice offset bogeys with birdies on the very next hole. Even when he wasn't bouncing back with birdie, he was making up for a bad swing with a terrific one. For a second straight day, his drive on the 17th hole found a creek that runs along the right side of the fairway; minutes later, he stiffed a wedge that nearly dropped into the cup before settling a few feet away and guaranteeing par.
Following the round, Woods declined interview requests from the media, so we can only speculate that he was a little hot under the collar after a back-nine, even-par 36 that included three bogeys. That followed a front nine that saw him on cruise control, finding only three fairways, but still able to hit every green in regulation.
On the 11th hole, he barely missed the green, flubbed a chip and made bogey. Down the stretch, Woods held his swing together with a veritable supply of bandages and duct tape, getting into the clubhouse with a score that puts him in contention for the weekend, but also tightly packed with so many other competitors with similar aspirations.
Perhaps Woods didn't speak to the media afterward because this wasn't a day for any soul-searching declarations. It was simply another decent round for a player who needs some decent rounds these days.
Or more to the point: It wasn't the best he could play, but as we've witnessed over the first six months of this year, it was hardly the worst, either.
And so the bounce-back continues. Woods' penchant for trying to match a bad swing with a good one or counter a bogey with a birdie mirrored exactly what he's trying to accomplish for a long-term goal, as well.