"It's not the way I want it, no, just because it rained," Woods said. "I'd like to get the greens faster, but you can't do it when you get a half-inch of rain overnight. If we get no more rain and this place starts drying out a little bit, we can get these things up to speed."
But with shots holding, the course record of 63, set by Tom Pernice Jr. and Peter Lonard in last year's AT&T National, was quite reachable. That Kim would be the man to reach it, though, was an iffy proposition when the day began.
Loaded with talent - he made 11 birdies in one round of the Masters in April, despite blustery conditions - the Californian has battled a series of injuries this year, most recently a thumb problem that he said made it difficult for him to properly grip the club. Now, he said, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
Pain-free, he is starting to get his confidence back after a season that features only one top-10 finish. He has not won since he did so here a year ago. But at Congressional, it makes sense that he might.
"I love coming back to a course I have good feelings about, and obviously playing well last year helped," Kim said. "This course does fit my eye, and I'm starting to see the break on these greens pretty well."
Woods pointed out that it was too early to whittle the field to two, the only players destined to battle it out Sunday. The galleries, as enthralled as they were with Kim and Woods, could end up learning more about, say, Molder or Points.
They know, surely, about Woods, and by the time he arrived at the 18th, fans in some of the sponsors' tents above the green were chanting "Ti-ger! Ti-ger!" They know, too, about Kim, who so badly wants to get back in contention on a Sunday. As sexy as those names are, it is just a start.
"We both played well," Woods said. "But still, we have a long way to go."
Leader board
Anthony Kim
29-33 - 62
D.A. Points
31-33 - 64
Bryce Molder
30-34 - 64
Tiger Woods
31-33 - 64
Steve Elkington
33-32 - 65
Selected followers
Jim Furyk
33-33 - 66
Lucas Glover
33-36 - 69
Vijay Singh
35-35 - 70
Fred Funk
37-34 - 71
AT&T NATIONAL
When: Through Sunday
Congressional CC, Bethesda
Today's TV: Golf Channel, 3 p.m.
