Woods, Wilson lead BMW field

Wilson: Local knowledge

Second round leaderboard:
US unless stated:
-7 T Woods
-7 M Wilson
-6 P Harrington (Ire)
-6 R Sabbatini (SA)
-6 M Leishman
-6 B Van Pelt

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• EuroTour Schedule
• World Rankings
• Golf live on Sky Sports

Tiger Woods and Mark Wilson will share a tee-box for the first time in 17 years after tying for the halfway lead at the BMW Championship at Cog Hill.

Woods, a four-time winner at the Chicago course prior to the new lay-out, dropped a shot at the opening hole and made two pars from sand before picking up four birdies in five holes to card a four-under-par 67 and reach seven under for the tournament.

Wilson, who sits 41st in the FedEx Cup standings and requiring a big week to reach the Tour Championship in two weeks' time, fired a blemish-free 66 on a course where he has been practising all season.

"This summer when I've been home, I've been primarily coming out here because I thought it made sense to get ready to see the new golf course," said Wilson, alluding to the recent Rees Jones renovations.

The pair first crossed paths as teenagers in the United States Junior Championship.

Confidence

"Mark and I go back to when I was 16," Woods recalled. "I think I was two-down with four (holes) to go and I think I won every hole coming in.

"But it was a good match. Mark went to North Carolina (University) after that and we played against each other in college, and we have been out here (on tour) for a while."

Wilson, who won the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico in March, didn't make a great start but gained confidence by sinking a 10-foot par-saving putt at his first hole.

"That kind of settled my nerves," he said. "Then I just rolled in birdie putts when I had them and made a couple of saves. The greens have been rolling good for me.

"I've been able to read them good and see the lines."

The pair have four players hot on their heels just a shot off the pace, headed by Padraig Harrington who still has his heart set on the $10m bonus for winning the FedEx Cup.

The Irishman sits in seventh place after his strong finish to the season and added a second successive 68 which could have been better but for a bogey at the final hole.

However, it could also have been much worse, having carved his drive out of bounds at the 18th only to make birdie with his second ball, and Harrington admitted he is struggling to find his best form.

"I would like to tell you that the two 68s were totally orthodox and it was fairways and greens but at times I struggled a bit," he said.

"At times I played really well. There were a lot of contrasts out there. I'm hoping for the contrast to move in favour of more good shots, even though I'll settle for another two 68s on the weekend."

Haywire

Joint overnight leader Rory Sabbatini moved three clear at the turn having started at the 10th but covered the front nine in 37 shots to fall one back alongside Harrington, Bo Van Pelt and and Mark Leishman.

"There were a few people out there who didn't lift their feet," he remarked on the condition of the greens.

"They were doing a pretty good job marking them up and it makes it hard to play golf when conditions are increasingly difficult.

"Obviously I'm still in contention. The brain was a little haywire for a few holes."

Bubba Watson is alone on five under par after a 68 while five Americans share eighth including Zach Johnson and John Rollins, who stormed into contention with round of the day 65s.

Europeans Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald are a shot further back with both players currently outside the top-30 that qualify for the Tour Championship, as is Ian Poulter who sits at two-under along with Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk.

Joint overnight leader Steve Marino had a colourful round of 77 that included back-to-back double bogeys, but the consolation for all the players is that there is no cut in the 70-man field.