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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — The stage was not as pressure-packed or dramatic, but Tiger Woods experienced a Jean Van de Velde moment in yesterday’s first round of the Honda Classic.
Instead of imploding in the face of adversity the way Van de Velde famously did in the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, Woods saved his round from a precarious submerged water lie.
The moment took place on the par-4 sixth hole at PGA National, which was Woods’ 15th hole of the day (he started on No. 10).
Woods hit a 284-yard tee shot into the water to the left of the fairway and, because the ball was playable from the water, he took his shoes and socks off and put rain pants on and hit a 76-yard 9-iron from the water to the fairway.
From there, he hit a wedge 79 yards onto the green and capped off the hole by making the eight-foot putt to save par — and his round of even-par 70.
Woods acknowledged his play on No. 6 “saved’’ his round.
“I was 1-over at the time and if that ball is not playable from where it was at … I was looking at [a double bogey] six and 3-over and all of a sudden I flip it, make par there and birdie the next [No. 7],’’ Woods said.
“It was only half-submerged,’’ Woods said of his tee shot in the water. “So I could play some kind of explosion shot and get it back to the fairway. I got in there and wasn’t trying to advance it very far; —just make sure I got it back into the fairway to give myself some kind of wedge shot in from there, and I got it up-and-down.’’
Subsequently, Woods came away from his round feeling fortunate to have shot 70.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com