Big names make second round move

Ernie Els and Tiger Woods loomed into contention in the British Open second round on Friday, setting up the prospect of the world's top two golfers going head-to-head over the closing holes on Sunday.

Els fired a best-of-the-day 68 and Woods carded a one-over-par 72, but pacesetter Davis Love III was the only player in the 152-strong field to complete the 36 holes in better than par.

Love, the 1997 U.S. PGA champion, followed his opening 69 with a 72, ending a sun-drenched day at Royal St George's on one-under 141, four ahead of Woods and five clear of Els.

Denmark's Ryder Cup player Thomas Bjorn, who returned a 70, was two strokes behind Love in a tie for second with South Korea's SK Ho, who had been outright leader at four under after eagling the par-five fourth before fading to a 73.

The cut came at eight-over-par 150 and claimed several big names, including former winners David Duval, Justin Leonard, Paul Lawrie, Mark Calcavecchia and Sandy Lyle.

Woods had been just one off the lead after three early birdies, but lost ground after the turn. He ran up a four-putt double-bogey at the par-four 12th, where he needed three putts to hole out from just three feet, and also bogeyed 17.

But the world number one, bidding this week for a ninth career major, said: "I'm right there in the hunt...only four shots back. If I play a good solid round tomorrow, I should be right where I want to be.

"If you finish under par come Sunday, you will most probably win this tournament."

Five players had begun the second round below par, but virtually the entire field struggled to negotiate tough pin positions on quickening greens.

Els, watched by record Friday crowds of 44,000 at a British Open, kept alive his bid for back-to-back titles as he finished level with nine others, including 1994 champion Nick Price and left-hander Phil Mickelson, who both carded 72s.

"I woke up this morning and I felt I needed to get something going," said Els, after carding the best round of the day. "From tee to green, I was as good as I can get and I was really happy with my finish.

"I played very well at stages today. I've just got to get that putter a little bit warmer."

Els, one of several big names to struggle at a windswept Sandwich on Thursday, holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four second and then reached the green in two at the fourth to set up birdie number two.

At this point, the winds had strengthened after a relatively calm dawn. The big-hitting South African, who had stumbled to an opening seven-over 78, dropped his first shot of the day when he misjudged his tee shot at the par-three 11th.

But he got back on track with birdies at the 459-yard 13th, where he holed out from six feet, and at the par-four 17th.

"I shot 68 in very tough conditions and I've got a chance now over the weekend. I just have to keep the momentum going," Els said.

American Woods, one of the late starters, birdied the 418-yard second after hitting his approach to just five feet, and drove the green at the fourth to set up his second birdie.

Another birdie followed at the 532-yard seventh to take him within a shot of leader Love.

But Woods, who had displayed crisp form with his approach play, overshot the green at the ninth to run up a bogey-five, and then slid back further with his double-bogey on 12 and drop on 17.

"I hit a good first putt and almost made it, and then made two pulled putts back-to-back," he said of his putting lapse on 12.

"It was a little disconcerting to work so hard to get to where I was and then give it all back in one hole."

Love had fired an opening 69 and forged three clear of the field in bright afternoon sunshine with two birdies in an outward nine of 34.

But the 39-year-old American stumbled on the more difficult back nine, sandwiching three bogeys around a birdie-two at the par-three 11th before suffering another bogey at 17th after taking two shots to escape a greenside bunker.

He had to conjure a masterly pitch, using the contours of the green, to save par at the last to preserve his two-shot cushion.

"This course is a great test," said Love, who was fortunate when his tee shot at the par-five 14th struck an out-of-bounds marker to bounce back into play.

"It lets you get a few early birdies and then it just gets harder and harder.

"These pin placements are some of the hardest I've ever seen. I feel fortunate just to have got in under par.

"Anything under par would be very good come Sunday night. If I can get to four or five under, that would be good enough."

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