"These guys are making a boat load of birdies as soft as it (the course) is and I just haven't made any."
He left the Ridgewood Country Club with seven birdies so far this week compared to six birdies and an eagle by Brooks Koepka in Friday's second round that propelled the U.S. Open and PGA Championship winner into the tournament co-lead with Jamie Lovemark.
Despite the improved play that pushed him to three-under for the week, Woods will not be in contention for the win on Sunday with Koepka and Lovemark at 10-under before teeing off for their third round.
Even his sub-par round did not excite Woods.
"About the same," he said when asked to compare Friday's round of even par 71 that included two bogeys and two birdies. "I just didn't make any bogeys."
Putting has been a big issue.
"I'm just not seeing the lines this week," he said. "I'm hitting these spots were I have double breakers if not triple breaking putts and I am not seeing or feeling them correctly through those areas. It's one of those weeks."
Yet Woods remained hopeful.
"If I can get to double digits (under par) that would be nice," he said of Sunday's closing round. "That would be a nice way to end it.
"Most of these guys are going to go really low and hopefully I can shoot one that will get me in the double digits tomorrow and get some nice momentum going into next week."
The playoffs move to TPC Boston for the Dell Technologies Championship next week, a course where Woods has been a winner.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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