Cut streaks now and then

Tiger Woods is 33 tournaments away from breaking Byron Nelson's record of 113 consecutive times making the cut, a streak that was in serious jeopardy last week as Woods stood over a slippery, 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole.

Lord Byron never doubted he would make it.

Never mind that the poa annua greens at Torrey Pines can be bumpy and unpredictable. Or that the putt had just enough right-to-left break that Woods had to aim outside the hole. Or that his confidence had been jolted by short misses on his previous two holes.

Nelson, watching the second round of the Buick Invitational from his home in Texas, knew what to expect.

``I've watched him play since he was 14,'' Nelson said Tuesday morning. ``He has the ability to make a shot or a putt, when he needs it real bad, better than anyone I know.''

That's why he turned to his wife Peggy when Woods lined up his do-or-die putt and said, ``Watch this. He's been missing the putts. But he'll make this one.''

And he did.

The putt curled into the middle of the cup. Woods finished with a 77, his third-highest score on the PGA Tour since turning pro. All that mattered, however, was that he finished two rounds at 1-under 143 and made the cut on the number.

The streak lives.

Woods has made the cut in 81 consecutive PGA Tour events since he withdrew from the seven-month rain delay at Pebble Beach in 1998. The streak is the fourth-longest in tour history, behind Hale Irwin (86), Jack Nicklaus (105) and Nelson.

This is not the kind of streak that makes headlines, like when Woods won four straight majors or six straight PGA Tour events. But it's the only streak he has going right now.

Three tournaments into the season, the only drama Woods has provided is whether he gets to stick around to the end.

Still, it says plenty about his pride.

San Diego was the eighth time Woods has flirted with the cut since rounds of 70-76 at Royal Montreal sent him home early from the Canadian Open in 1997. Twice, he went on to win. Another time he was tied for the lead on Sunday, but finished second.

At Torrey Pines, he finished three strokes behind Jose Maria Olazabal.

The most spectacular of all was at the PGA Championship last year. Woods holed a 40-foot birdie putt from off the 15th green, followed by a 30-footer for birdie on No. 16, leaving him right on the cut line. He made it with one shot to spare.

``It shows one thing,'' Nelson said. ``He never quits, regardless of how bad he plays. He plays every shot like it means something. That's one of the great things about him. Sure, he gets upset with himself. He doesn't like to play bad.

``But he's always working. That's to his everlasting credit.''

In some respects, Nelson does not get enough credit for his amazing streak.

True, he never faced the strength and depth of fields that Woods gets every week on the PGA Tour. The scrutiny was never this severe.

Then again, Nelson never played in tournaments that had no cut, like the Mercedes Championships, Tour Championship and World Golf Championship events. Nor does his record reflect tournaments in which he was among the top 70 and ties after two rounds.

In Nelson's day, making the cut meant making money. And except for the majors and a few other events, no more than the top 20 finishers got paid. During his streak, Nelson never finished lower than a tie for 17th.

It started with the Bing Crosby Pro-Am in 1941 (tie for fifth, worth $125) and it never really ended -- Nelson stopped playing a full schedule after 1946. He played only once in 1947, finishing second in the Masters to Jimmy Demaret. He played twice in 1948, finishing eighth at Augusta and sixth at Colonial.

The streak officially ended when Nelson returned to the Crosby in 1949 and finished out of the money. According to Pebble Beach records, he didn't turn in a card.

Nelson owns golf's untouchable record, 11 straight victories in 1945. Finishing in the money for 113 straight events over eight years holds special value.

``The consistency was the thing I liked about my game more than any one thing,'' he said.

That's something to which Woods can relate. Even when he was winning at an astounding rate of 50 percent, he said that was a product of giving himself a chance week after week.

Lately, he has been fighting only for a chance to keep playing.

That means something, too.

``When I look back on my career, I will say I didn't dog it,'' Woods said at Pebble Beach.

Has he ever quit?

``Huh-uh.''

Ever thought about it?

``No.''

Ever wanted to?

``There have been times when you're not playing well, not feeling well, you're hurt, times when your game is lost and you can think of other places to be,'' Woods said. ``But while you're there competing, you might as well give it everything you've got.''

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