Tiger Woods climbs back into lead

Tiger Woods cast a massive shadow over his struggling rivals when he shot a second round 66 to go into the third round of the Open at St Andrews tomorrow with a three-shot lead.

His stunning, six-under-par performance over the Old Course stretched his bogey free golf in Majors to 62 straight holes.

"They spoil the scorecard," he smiled. Later, Woods delivered a chilling message to his rivals - "I'm playing very similar to how I did at Pebble Beach."

Five weeks ago on the Californian links, Woods won the US Open in a record 15 strokes from the rest of the field, and tonight he said he hoped the wind would get up this weekend to toughen up the course which has been bathed in sunshine since the beginning of the week.

"That's what an Open is all about," he stressed. If the 24-year-old does lift the Claret Jug on Sunday evening, he will be the youngest player ever to win all four Majors. In fact he will only be the fifth golfer to have managed the feat. The previous youngest player to achieve the slam was a Jack Nicklaus when he was 26.

Tiger Woods after making a birdie on the 1st. Allsport.

Ironically, as Woods waited to start his round Friday, Nicklaus was striding off the 18th green after an emotional farewell from the galleries saluting golf's greatest champion who was making what will almost certainly be his last appearance at the Open.

As Nicklaus signed for a one-over-par 73 for a two round total of 150 (six-over), Woods was firmly on his way to a a three shot lead over his fellow American David Toms, who is making his Open debut. One shot further back were Spain's Sergio Garcia and two more Americans - left-hander Steve Flesch and Loren Roberts. But Woods' performance will have sent a chill down the field, despite the bright sunshine.

The Californian is the only player on the leaderboard not to have dropped a shot and today he never looked as if he was going to. A birdie at the first after he hit his approach to within six feet should have sent the alarm bells ringing. Three more birdies before he made his way home simply underlined why he is recognised as by far and away the best player in the world.

Overnight leader Ernie Els could only manage a level par 72 to remain at six under despite the perfect conditions. The 30 year-old South African missed two ten footers in his opening four holes and a three putt from just off the green on the par-five 5th saw him fall back. Another bogey at nine and the two-time US Open champion risked falling off the leaderboard altogether. But birdies at 10 and 12 settled the player known as 'Big Easy' and afterwards Els tried to put a brave face on his showing.

"Today was my bad round. I know I can play better over the weekend and I'll do that I've got to shoot in the 60's in the next two days," he said.

Flesch was the early clubhouse leader thanks to a two-under 70. "I played a good solid round," said Flesch who is still looking for his first win on the US Tour. "I knew I was playing well coming over here. I've had a great start to the year and have a lot more confidence playing right now so I am not surprised I am in contention here." The 33-year-old, who first plied his trade on the Asian circuit, was helped by an eagle on the par five 14th. "It came just at the right time. I was starting to struggle a bit," said Flesch.

Garcia started the day at four-under and put himself seven-under with a second round 69. "I feel I'm playing a lot like Medinah (when he came second to Woods in last year's USPGA) and I am in the perfect position," said Garcia. The young Spaniard says he his hoping to be paired with Woods in Sunday's final round. "I would love to play with at the weekend. It would be something special." The 20-year-old, who last year carded a nightmare 89 in his first round of the Open at Carnoustie, made the most of the benign conditions and nearly drove the 379-yard par four 10th.

Also at six-under was Phil Mickleson who had an amazing purple patch on his homeward nine when he went birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.

Veteran American Fred Couples, who started the day four strokes off the lead, went to eight-under by the 15th but disaster struck on the par-four 16th. The 40-year-old hit his second into the deep bunker guarding the front of the green. The 1992 Masters champion could do nothing but hit out sideways, leaving himself a monster 150-foot putt.

Although he got it to within 12 feet he missed the putt coming back and carded a double bogey. "I decided to go the high way instead of playing a Scottish style shot along the ground and the ball plugged. I may have underclubbed. I was lucky to get out," said Couples. Couples parred in to shoot a four-under 68 to finish six-under and warned that more low scores were to come. "The course is there for the taking," he said.

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