TIGER Woods played the role of inhospitable host by soaring to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the AT&T National.
The world No1, who is hosting the $6 million event at Congressional Country Club, fired a four-under-par 66 to finish on 10-under 130, one stroke ahead of Australian Rod Pampling, who posted a 64.
"I didn't drive the ball as well as I did yesterda
y or hit my irons as crisp," said Woods, who returned a 64 in Thursday's opening round.
"Either I hit it pretty close to the hole, within ten feet, or I was missing greens," he added. "It was nice to actually get a score out of it. I didn't shoot myself in the foot."
First-round leader and holder Anthony Kim followed his course-record 62 on Thursday with a topsy-turvy 70 to slide back into third place, two strokes off the pace. "I hated the way I hit the ball," the American said after carding three birdies and three bogeys.
"It was OK for about six or seven holes but the swing got loose and I couldn't find it out there."
The 39-year-old Pampling, a double winner on the PGA Tour who finished third here a year ago, charged into contention with seven birdies and a lone bogey under partly cloudy skies and unseasonably cool weather in suburban Washington.
"The greens were really nice out there so, once you got a line on your putt, they were pretty much guaranteed going in as long as you hit it there," said Pampling.
"I just didn't do anything wrong and kept myself out of trouble and made some good putts."
The cut fell at two-over 142 with England's world No 3 Paul Casey and 2007 winner KJ Choi of South Korea among those missing out.
The full article contains 326 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
