SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD:
-5 T Woods (US) -4 P Harrington (Ire), S O'Hair (US) -3 E Els (SA) -2 K Perry (US), J Kelly (US)
Selected others: E P Mickelson (US), +1 L Donald (Eng), R Goosen (SA)
 Woods carded four birdies and two bogeys in his second-round 68 |
Tiger Woods moved into a narrow Tour Championship lead over Padraig Harrington and Sean O'Hair after the second round at East Lake Golf Club. World number one Woods shot a 68 but squandered the chance to take a commanding lead after missed putts on 15 and 16 and a bogey on the 18th. Irishman Harrington is a shot back on four under after a 69 along with overnight leader American O'Hair. Ernie Els, boosted by four birdies in five holes, is on three under. England's Luke Donald, the only other European at East Lake besides Harrington, fired a 71 and is at one over. A victory for Woods as FedEx Cup points leader would guarantee the world number one a $10m bonus in addition to the $1.35m winner's cheque. Harrington, sixth in the standings, would need to win and have Woods finish third or lower.  | If you're playing with Tiger, you're going to be generally there or thereabouts with a chance to win |
Of the four men between Woods and three-time major winner Harrington, all of whom need to win to stand a chance of taking the FedEx Cup title and bonus, third-placed Jim Furyk was best placed, four shots back at level par after a 68. Harrington, yet to win this season on either the PGA or European tours, relished playing with Woods for the eighth time this year. "We had a great day out there," the Irishman said after a round featuring three birdies and two bogeys. "We enjoyed it. "It's where you want to be. If you're playing with Tiger, you're going to be generally there or thereabouts with a chance to win the tournament. "I'm in good position as regards the tournament, probably not the best position as regards the FedEx Cup. It's a little bit out of my control." Woods, a six-time winner this year and champion at East Lake in 2007, produced a run of three consecutive birdies from the seventh to go one shot clear. He then struck a superb five-wood uphill from 247 yards at the par-five 15th to four feet but lipped out with his eagle putt. The tap-in birdie put him two ahead of the field. | I hit the ball very well starting out but didn't make any putts |
Another brilliant approach followed at the par-four 16th, his ball ending up less than four feet from the pin, but Woods again surprisingly lipped out and had to settle for a par. After doing well to par 17 having found a fairway bunker off the tee, he overshot the green off the tee at the last and failed to reach the putting surface with his initial chip from the rough. Woods said: "I shot under par and I got myself in the lead. But it was a day in which I hit the ball very well starting out, didn't make any putts and hit everything on the high side. "Then the back nine I hit some scratchy shots but also hit some really good ones too," Tee times have been pushed forward by more than three hours for Saturday's third round with heavy rainfall forecast.
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