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Tiger Woods winds back the clock with outrageous bunker shot

Tiger Woods has floored golf fans with a truly remarkable shot out of a bunker at the WGC-Mexico championship.

Woods is sitting inside the top 10 on five under after his second round, trailing leaders Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Rory McIlroy by a handful of shots.

But moments of genius like his ninth-hole par will keep him in with a shot.

Hitting out of a bunker with tall trees in his path, Woods sliced a 9-iron from about 130 yards that caught the left side of the green with so much spin that it zipped sideways at the pin and rolled 10 feet by.

“The ball was sitting down just enough where I didn’t think I could clear that tree,” Woods said.

“I ended up going back to the 9-iron and realised, ‘Geez, I’ve really got to slice this thing’.

“So I opened up and gave it as much of a cut motion as I possibly could. And it worked out.”

Tiger Woods produced a moment of genius to get his ball close to the hole from this position behind the trees. Pic: PGA Tour
Tiger Woods produced a moment of genius to get his ball close to the hole from this position behind the trees. Pic: PGA Tour

The camera watching from behind offered a perfect view of the legend’s approach.

Woods, angled away from the green, swung his club over his head and back around his body to get just the right amount of spin on the shot.

It was like he had the ball on a string.

One commentator kickstarted the reaction: “This is Tiger the artist!”

The crowd in Mexico City went wild, as did fans on social media:

Americans lead the way

Leader Dustin Johnson has had a putt for birdie on every hole of his bogey-free four-under 67 in the second round of the WGC-Mexico Championship.

The American had two birdies on each of his nines at Club de Golf Chapultepec on Friday to move to 11 under.

He holds a two-shot lead over compatriot Matt Kuchar (67) and first-round leader Rory McIlroy (70).

McIlroy birdied his first two holes and quickly built a three-shot lead, only to be undone by a four-putt from the fringe at No.9 that slowed his momentum.

Sergio Garcia (66) and Tommy Fleetwood (65) were among the big movers and share fourth at seven under.

A shot further back Cameron Smith, the best of the Australian contingent, after his 67 took him to six under in a tie for sixth.

The Queenslander had six birdies and two bogeys.

After an even par opening round, Tiger Woods put himself in contention with a five-under par 66 to delight the galleries.

Of the other Australians, Jake McLeod (69, three under) is tied for 16th, Marc Leishman struggled again with a 75 to be well down the fild in tied 68th while Matthew Millar (82) is 14 over.

Rickie Fowler was penalised one shot on Friday for dropping from the wrong height, a new rule he expects to be changed.

“I haven’t heard many of the guys say that the drop from the knee has been a good thing, or that it looks good,” he said.

Fowler hit a shank on his second shot of the round from the 10th fairway.

He got a ball from his caddie and instinctively held out his arm at shoulder-height, then played his next shot to the green.

The modernised rules of golf that began this year require drops to be knee-length.

“It’s on me. I took the shot. It was no big deal,” Fowler, who made triple bogey on the 10th hole on his way to a 73, said.

“But I think with the new rules that have been put in place, it’s not doing any favours for our sport.”

There is no half-way cut at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

with AAP