Battling Woods stays in the mix

American cards 71 as conditions improve

A stony-faced Tiger Woods ground out a second-round 71 to stay in contention for his 15th major title as the wind picked up in bright sunshine at the British Open on Friday.

American Woods, the world number one, made two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine and sank a 10-foot putt on the final green to finish on two-under-par, three behind overnight leader Zach Johnson who tees off at 1407 GMT.

Briton Lee Westwood, seeking a long overdue first major championship, took advantage of a hot putter to pick up six birdies over the first 12 holes and briefly join Johnson at the top of the leaderboard.

He had to settle for a round of 68, however, after three bogeys over the closing stretch left him on two-under, level with Woods and Sweden's Henrik Stenson who carded a second successive 70.

"I was pleased to be six-under through 12," Westwood told reporters. "I was playing some great stuff. And it was just getting harder as the holes progressed, tougher to score, tougher to get it close."

"The finish is tough. 16, 17, 18 are playing hard. So it's like most major championships, it's a grind out there."

Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello birdied the par-three seventh hole to join Johnson at five-under, two shots ahead of compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez and American Brandt Snedeker.

American Phil Mickelson and Argentina's Angel Cabrera were also on two-under before starting their second rounds.

Woods collected birdies at the third and fifth holes but bogeys on the fourth, eighth and 11th halted his charge and the American waved his putter in frustration after wasting a birdie chance at the 12th.

He maintained his concentration, however, to par the next six holes and a fine approach shot set up a birdie on the last which he celebrated with a trademark fist pump.

Pars on the closing holes were not easy to achieve as the wind added a new element of difficulty to the parched fairways and lightning quick greens which were watered overnight following complaints by some players during the first round.

The 40-year-old Westwood has been working on his putting with former Open champion Ian Baker-Finch and he sank a beauty from 15 feet on the eighth green.

Another birdie followed at the par-five ninth and a stunning approach shot set up a four-foot birdie putt at the 12th.

But suddenly Westwood's touch deserted him and he made successive bogeys at the 13th and 14th holes before leaving a 10-foot par putt hanging on the lip of the cup on the 18th.

Former world number one Luke Donald, bidding to recover from a first-round 80, made two early birdies but dropped three shots on the back nine for a 72 and 10-over-par total that will not make the cut which is projected to fall at four-over.

Former Open champions Padraig Harrington and Paul Lawrie, Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Americans Jim Furyk and Rickie Fowler also look certain to miss the weekend's action. In the opening round, Mark O'Meara flew a surprise flag for the 'golden oldies', the 56-year-old American tucking into joint second place.

Kapur sparkles

A stunning front-nine took Shiv Kapur to the top of the leaderboard before the Indian golfer let it slip in an erratic backward journey to be tied fourth after the opening round.
He shot a three-under 68 after being in sole lead at six-under at the turn. It was the first time ever that an Indian held the sole lead at any stage in a Major.

At three-under 68, he was two shots behind Johnson and just one behind a Rafael Cabrera-Bello and veteran Mark O’Meara, who shot 67 each.

Reuters

Leading first scores: 66: Zach Jo­hnson (US); 67: Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Esp), Mark O’Meara (US); 68: An­gel Miguel Jimenez (Esp), Dustin Johnson (US), Brandt Snedekar (US), Tom Lehman (US); 69: Todd Hamilton (US), Phil Mickelson (US); Angel Cabrera (Arg), Jordan Spieth (US), Tiger Wo­ods (US), Francesco Molinari (Italy).