He's still in it, Woods says with confidence

Tiger Woods added a 72 to his opening 74 Friday, and is still finding birdies few and far between. No problem, he says – he likes his position and just needs to keep making progress.

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Seven back. A U.S. Open weekend to go.

You may have a question as to whether Tiger Woods has a chance at this 110th U.S. Open. But Tiger?

Uh, no. He’s talking a good round or two and … you never know.

“I’m right there in the championship,’’ he said after his 1-over 72 on Friday. “I just need to make a few more birdies, a few more putts on the weekend and I’ll be right there.

“I feel good. I’m right there. As we know, the U.S. Open is only going to get tougher,” he added. “They put some water on it last night and that’s probably the last drink they’ll get. So it’ll firm up.’’

And when it does? Tiger needs to make some birdies. He was 12 under here when he won in 2000. These last two days? He’s had three birdies total. And he’s sitting there at 4 over. A 74, followed by that 72.

This isn’t 2000 and what transpired that week isn’t even a factor. Just consider his answer when someone asked how hard it was to block out that performance.

“Very easy,’’ he said matter-of-factly. “Very easy.”

So you like where you are, someone asked once again.

“I’m right there in the championship,” he reiterated. “I just need to make more birdies. I’ve put the ball where I needed to. I’ve missed on the correct sides. All the shots I’ve hit, I’ve only short-sided myself twice.’’

And put himself into an unplayable lie on the third hole with a 3-wood.

“I just hooked it,’’ he said. “ I was trying to hit a hook down there and roll it down there and just way overdid it.”

That was for his second consecutive bogey and third in five holes. He got one back at the par-3 seventh to get to 4 over. Again, the mantra was birdies.

“I just need to keep progressing and keep moving my way up the board,” he said. “It’s a long haul. The U.S. Open is not going to get easier as the week goes on.  Especially on the weekend.  And from what I hear it’s supposed to be overcast, so I’m sure there will be a few more birdies than we normally would see.’’

As for the greens? He had some harsh criticism for them Thursday afternoon. And when a reporter asked if he wanted to take any of that back? He shook his head..

“No, we were all talking about that this morning on the range,” he said. “You just got to ask the guys.”

Pressed, he explained that the poa annua greens here are just tough. They’re smoother in the morning “because what happens when you roll them in the morning, you smash down the poa, and then in the afternoon the poa comes back up and then you get some sun and then it starts popping,” he explained. “You can see it germinating, it starts turning white, the white heads start coming up. So it gets a little bit more bumpy in the afternoon.’’

Watering the greens made everything a bit easier, and the greens softer even than earlier in the week when Tiger played early morning practice rounds.

If Woods is right, he could be contending for his fourth U.S. Open title over the weekend. And, before he walked away, someone asked one more time what he thought of his position.

“I feel very good,’’ he said for the third or fourth time. “I’m right there and I’m only, what, seven back.  And this is a long haul at a U.S. Open.  This is a long haul.’’

With that, he hauled himself up the hill and into the locker room. No matter what anyone else thought, he didn’t have any question he was in it.