Tiger Woods shot 5-under-par 65 to share the lead with Tom Hoge midway through the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
Woods, who last was on top of the leaderboard midway through a tournament on the way to his last victory in the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, collected five birdies and holed a 10-foot eagle putt on the 15th hole to pull even with Hoge.
“It was a grind out there today,” said Woods, whose best finish this season is a tie for 17th in the Masters. “I didn’t hit the ball as well as I did yesterday (when he shot 64). I kept leaving the ball above the hole, but saved it with my (putting) speed and it ended up OK.
“It’s part of the process. I have to put together a few more good days. … I’m taking it a day at a time. I came here to win this toiurnament and right now I’m right in it.”
Woods must at least finish second to qualify for the Barclays, the opener of the FedEx Cup playoffs, next week.
Hoge, whose only victory came in the 2011 Players Cup on the PGA Canada Tour, followed an opening 62 with a 67, making three birdies on the last five holes.
Davis Love III, who has won 20 times on the PGA Tour but not since the Children’s Miracle Network Classic, posted a 66 and was one stroke back in a tie for third with Chad Campbell, a four-time winner on the circuit who recorded a 66.
Brandt Snedeker, who won the Wyndham in 2007, tied the course record of 61 shared by four others and was two shots behind in a tie for fifth with Bill Haas (66), Nick Watney (65), Scott Brown (65), Carl Pettersson (67) of Sweden (67) and Cameron Percy (66) of Australia..
Martin Kaymer of Germany was tied for 11th after a 68, Webb Simpson, the 2011 Wyndham champion, was tied for 22nd after a second 67, and defending champion Camilo Villegas of Colombia was tied for 32nd after a 69.
