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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Woods Stays Cool During Debut, Makes Cut As Premier Amateur

Los Angeles Daily News

Tiger Woods picked the right pro tournament to finally make his first cut.

After eight unsuccessful attempts to play the weekend in pro events he entered as an amateur, Woods can stick around today and Sunday in the 59th Masters after scoring his second straight round of even-par 72 Friday at Augusta National.

The 19-year-old Stanford freshman from Cypress, Calif., was the low amateur, beating out his closest peers by 11 shots. He’s nine strokes off the lead of Jay Haas.

“I’m enjoying it,” Woods said. “I’m having the time of my life.”

Said Woods’ father, Earl: “You haven’t seen the real Tiger yet. … If he threw his irons in there correctly, he could have been 5 or 6 under, no problem.”

In making the cut in his first appearance here, Woods has outdone some six-time Masters champ Jack Nicklaus and two-time winner Tom Watson, neither of whom made the cut in their first amateur efforts here.

“Being low amateur was one of my goals coming in here, and I achieved that,” Woods said. “But I still feel I should be a couple under par right now.”

Woods was much more settled on Friday, and he went out to shoot 35 on the front nine. He faltered somewhat on the back with a 37, including a bogey on 18.

His highlight was a 250-yard 2-iron shot that carried over the hole at the par-5 13th, and Woods two-putted for birdie.