• World No1 drops six shots from 14th after fine start
• Henrik Stenson builds four-shot lead after second round
There have not been many more erratic days on the golf course in the long and illustrious career of Tiger Woods than Friday at East Lake. It is also unusual, unique perhaps, for the world No1 to cite fatigue for his scoring woes, as was the case here.
Woods had raced to five under for the day within 13 second-round holes, thereby offsetting his Thursday 73 and placing himself firmly back in contention to win both the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup.
The spectacular collapse, and sentiment, which followed was completely unforeseen; Woods dropped six shots from the 14th onwards and then admitted a hectic year was finally taking a toll.
"I put everything I had into that start and didn't have much at the end," Woods said. "I just ran out of gas. I'm tired." Asked if he meant physically, Woods replied: "Yes, definitely. It has just been a long, long grind."
Woods was right to point to a condensed schedule from the Open Championship to this, the climax of the FedEx play-off events. He also predicted that matters will become even more hectic in 2016, when golf returns to the Olympic Games in Rio.
In Atlanta, one shot which illustrated Woods's troubles came on the 17th hole as he pulled a tee shot into the water hazard. A triple bogey beckoned. "My legs were just tired," said Woods. "I didn't rotate through the ball and I turned it over."
Whilst Woods lies four over for the tournament, Henrik Stenson continues to display no after-effects from the wrist injury he pointed out was causing him such trouble on Wednesday.
Stenson continues to set the pace and is leading the race for the $10m (£6.2m) FedEx payout at 10 under after a second round of 66. Stenson's opening 36 holes have been pretty close to flawless.
Jordan Spieth continued his rapid rise to prominence with a fine 67. The 20-year-old sits five adrift of Stenson with Adam Scott between that duo at minus six.
Justin Rose carded a second successive 68 to remain in touch with Stenson at four under. "I've got a low round in me," warned Rose. "I have hit a lot of good putts this week that haven't yet fallen.
"Henrik is controlling his own destiny and he's done a grea tjob of it. But I'm sure as we get towards the finish line, $10m begins to loom pretty large."
Predictions of stormy weather in this corner of Georgia mean Saturday's tee times have been brought forward to between 7.30am and 9am local time in a bid to avoid disruption. The 30-man field will also be split into groups of three, rather than the twos which are customary at the Tour Championship.
Woods, for one, doesn't want a late finish. "Hopefully we don't go into Monday," he said. The year of 2013, successful though it has been, has finally gotten the better of the 37-year-old.
