Masters leaderboard live updates: Round 3 will resume Sunday after being

It was 8 a.m., in a steady rain, with temperatures in the 40s, and Tiger Woods had work to do. Entering the morning at 2-over with seven holes to play, his consecutive Masters’ cut streak of 22, one shy of the record, was in question. And in front of him stood one of the toughest shots in golf — the tee shot on Augusta National’s par-3 12th hole.

Woods stiffed it inside 10 feet. Made par.

In conditions that were both soft, but brutal, Woods knew he had the par-5 15th sitting as an opportunity to get inside the cut line. But then came a familiar sight from 10 years ago. Woods hit an approach that was so good it was too good. He hit the flagstick, sending the ball caroming away. This time, it at least stayed on the green, and Woods made it count. He rolled in a birdie to move to 1-over and inside the cut line.

Following a par on 16, Woods found trouble on 17, missing right off the tee into the pine straw. He couldn’t pull off an up-and-down and settled for bogey.

Then came 18. Woods’ tee shot was so bad it made you question whether he wanted to play 36 more holes in these conditions. He is 47 years old and walking around on reconstructed legs. A dead pull off the tee found the left trees. Woods punched out from the pine straw, hit a spinny approach to the front of 18 green, and, two putts later, left bogey and a 3-over finish.

It appeared, for a moment, the cut streak was coming to an end. Woods was visibly frustrated by the bogey-bogey finish. He was also dripping wet.

Then everything changed. Justin Thomas, a Woods friend and confidant, bogeyed the 17th, moving the cut line to 3-over. He would go on to miss the cut, while Woods landed a date with 36 more holes.

Afterward, in a brief gathering with media, Woods said, “I’ve always loved this golf course, and I love playing this event. … I hope I get a chance to play two more rounds.”

He does.

(Photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)