SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Rocco Mediate quietly got ahead of everybody in the Phoenix Open. Now he has to contend with Tiger Woods.

Woods shot a 4-under-par 67 today, enough to take a temporary one-stroke lead. It lasted a few hours until the 36-year-old Mediate carded his own 67 to move two shots ahead.

Mediate was with the last threesome to finish before play was suspended for a second straight day with golfers still on the course. He parred the last three holes for a 6-under 136 at the midpoint.

Woods was one of the 45 golfers who finished the first round today before starting the second round. Then, early starters were held up again because of frost on the greens, and play was curtailed at the end.

Fifty-one players were stranded on the course today. They must finish Saturday before those who make the cut can begin the third round.

Based on the placement of 80 finishers, David Duval made the cut at 3-over 145, but it will take all of his January magic to get back into contention with Woods, the only player ranked above him in the world rankings. Duval, winner of both tournaments he's entered this year, including last week's Bob Hope Chrysler Classic where he closed with a record-tying 59, lost ground when he finished his first round this morning birdie-double bogey for a 74, his first round over par this year.. He then shot an even-par 71, which included a double bogey on the par-3 12th hole, in the second round.

Woods said he doesn't mind the rivalry with Duval, who has won nine of his last 28 PGA Tour events. Woods is trying to snap a 12-tournament PGA Tour victory drought.

"I'm just going out there to trying to win a tournament,'' the 23-year-old Woods said. "I'm playing hard and see what happens. He's going to do exactly the same thing. I know he and I don't really make it our life to be No. 1 in the world.''

Woods is the obvious favourite of Phoenix's noisy galleries, and he started his strong performance with a birdie on No. 16, where his hole-in-one two years ago touched off a beercup-throwing, fist-pumping celebration almost unheard-of in golf.

"They tend to move quicker to the next tee,'' Woods said about the throngs who jostle for vantage points when he's playing. "Especially if I can rattle two or three in a row. Then they start moving quick. If I'm really playing well, they start running.''

Woods played 22 holes today. He birdied two of the last four holes in the morning to complete a first-round 71. Then he teed off on No. 10 in the second round and went out in 4-under 32 to move into a tie for the lead. He made his only bogey of the day on the par-3 fourth hole, but finished with a birdie on No. 9 to get back to 4-under on the day and for the tournament.

Hal Sutton and Jonathan Kaye were three shots off the pace at 139, with Jim Furyk and Franklin Langham at 141 and defending champion Jesper Parnevik, Kenny Perry and Stuart Appleby at 142.

Kaye, a Phoenix resident who earned his tour card by finishing second at qualifying school last year, had a 67 to Sutton's second-round 70.

Langham, Lee Janzen, Payne Stewart, Paul Azinger and Sweden's Gabriel Hjertstedt also reached 4-under during the day.

All but Hjertstedt, who reached 4-under as play was called at 7:54 p.m. EST, fell back on the 7,083-yard course, toughened last year with longer rough and tricky pin placements. Hjertstedt has five holes left in his second round.

First-round leader Justin Leonard, who had the only 67 on Thursday, gave back seven shots in the 14 holes he played, starting with a double bogey on the second hole. He was 3-over for the tournament.

"He's driving the ball in the rough, period,'' Mediate said. "I guarantee you he's not hitting any fairways. That's the only way you can do that, especially him, as good as he is around the greens.''

Mediate likes the harsh conditions because he doesn't feel he can shoot 26-under scores like Duval did in the Mercedes Championships and the Bob Hope, but considers 12-under within reach.

A 13-year veteran with two career PGA Tour victories, Mediate hasn't won since 1993 and had only two top-10 finishes last season when he finished 78th on the money list. But he got hot as the shadows lengthened. He birdied the 10th hole to catch up with Woods and the 14th and 15th to move ahead.

"I knew when I got to 4-under that I was close, and I saw the leaderboard for a while,'' he said. "I knew I was tied. Then I knew I was leading by two. It was kind of fun. I still had three holes to play, and anything could happen on those holes. It was fun finishing like that.''