Tiger glides into a share

Woods: share of the lead

Second round leaderboard:
(US unless stated)
N Watney -10
T Woods -10
P Mickelson -9
R Moore -9
A Quiros (Spa) -9

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Tiger Woods moved ominously into a share of the lead at the halfway point of the WGC-HSBC Champions after a second successive 67.

The world number one produced a strong finish with four birdies in his final eight holes to join compatriot and overnight leader Nick Watney at the head of the field on 10-under-par.

Indeed, the upper echelons of the leaderboard are now dominated by Americans with seven US players in the top nine.

Amongst them is world number two Phil Mickelson who is just a shot off the pace in joint-second following a bogey-free 66.

Alongside Mickelson on nine-under is Ryan Moore (69) and Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, who also shot a 66.

Volvo World Match Play finalist Anthony Kim is right in the hunt on his own at eight-under, while Pat Perez is one shot further back in seventh.

Brian Gay completes the raft of leading Americans tied with India's Jyoti Randhawa at six-under-par.

However, Europe's leading lights have work to do if they are to haul themselves into contention with most struggling to make any progress on day two.

Paul Casey and Germany's Martin Kaymer are now both on four-under after rounds of 73 and 74 respectively and that is the same score as Ross Fisher (70) who was left to rue a costly double-bogey on 18 that undermined his push.

Rory McIlroy did produce a 68 but is still some seven shots behind Woods and Watney on three-under where he is rubbing shoulders with Lee Westwood (71) and Henrik Stenson (72).

A 69 has lifted Padraig Harrington to one-under, but defending champion Sergio Garcia is still struggling to make any impact and is one-over at the halfway point.

Hole-in-one

Ernie Els conjured the moment of the day with a hole-in-one at the 200-yard sixth on his way to a 71 that leaves him at three-under.

But Woods now appears the man who will take all the beating as he looks to improve on his two previous runner-up finishes at the event.

The world number one survived a few distractions on the first tee and a subsequently errant tee-shot to start his round with a fine birdie-three.

However, he could not build on that and ensured a frustrating front nine as a succession of putts refused to drop.

That frustration was compounded when he bogeyed the sixth for the second day running following a wayward tee-shot, leading him to take a swipe at a rubbish bin with his club.

But a birdie at the ninth restored momentum and he put together a superb back nine with birdies at 11, 13, 16 and 18, the highlight being his three at 16 when he chipped in from rough above a greenside bunker.

"Today got off to a good start and I birdied the very first hole," Woods stated. "But after that, I didn't really make any putts.

"I had certainly some looks at them and didn't really capitalise on anything.

Frustrating

"It certainly was a little bit frustrating, but the guys weren't running off and hiding. I knew if I could just play the back nine at three under-par, I figured that would probably be a pretty good number. And I did better than that."

Mickelson also produced a back-nine charge to ignite his challenge with birdies at three of his last four holes.

The left-hander's brilliant short-game was to the fore again as he chipped in twice and the 2007 champion is satisfied with his efforts thus far.

"I'm pleased with where I put myself after two rounds," he said. "There's a lot of guys there and I'll need to play very well on the weekend, but I'm in a good position."