Another day of low scoring at Mount Juliet made for compulsive viewing, but try as they may, none of the 64 other players in the WGC/American Express Championship field could make an impact on the leader. This Tiger simply isn¿t ready for taming.
The world number one Tiger Woods continued to stamp his authority on the $5.5 million world event by equalling the course record 65 he set yesterday for a 14-under par aggregate. As the only man left in the field not to have dropped a shot, Woods commands a two shot lead from fellow American Jerry Kelly in second, who matched Woods' 65.
"I definitely drove the ball better and hit my irons and putts as well as I did yesterday," explained Woods who birdied all the par fives today, unlike the first round where he managed that feat only once.
"The reason everyone is going so low is because the greens are perfect," said Woods after a day when only seven players failed to break par. "We don't play on greens as good as this very often," he added but also accepted the course is set up very easy throughout.
Yet again Woods's press conference digressed onto issues of the Ryder Cup and how openly he disagrees with the preparation and `extra-curricular activities' which are part the team event. As some of the International hacks perpetuated the point, Woods simply said, again: "I enjoy playing in the Ryder Cup but the rest is not a lot of fun. You're thrown out of your normal routine and into someone else's schedule."
The fact is, certain individuals wanted to hear Woods say that one day he may reach the point where he says that he doesn't want to play in the Ryder Cup anymore. Woods was much too shrewd for that and refused to take the bait. Instead he responded by saying:
"Let me ask you a question, would you rip me?" he asked from the glorified armchair on the stage in the interview room. A blank was drawn on the face of the question's source, to which Woods concluded with one word, "Exactly."
Back to matters of golf here in Co Kilkenny. David Duval was the third player to shoot 65 today as the Florida resident welcomed a return to form. "I'm getting a lot of that confidence back that I need to get back. I enjoyed today's round because I executed pretty much every shot I was trying to," explained the 31-year-old who won the WGC - EMC World Cup with Woods when representing the USA in 2000, then finished runner-up behind Denmark the following year.
Woods's playing partner yesterday, Pádraig Harrington, knew scoring would be low today but failing to ignite his game on the greens cost the Dubliner valuable ground on the leader. "I pushed too hard today and got frustrated when the putts weren't dropping, it didn't go the way I had hoped," said Harrington who closed with a 70 for five-under.
There was some consolation by way of birdies on the final two holes, an impressive five-iron from 217 yards to eight feet of the pin at the last left a better after taste. In a huddled group behind the 18th grandstand, Harrington also reflected on how he would have like to have seen all the Ryder Cup players in the field this week.
"It would have been nice to see all the Ryder Cup players competing here, but rules are rules I suppose," he said. "I just don't think it would have mattered if there was 75 instead of 65 in the field."
Darren Clarke's efforts to recoup lost ground fell way short as the disgruntled Tyroneman was last in the field on seven-over after carding a 76. Despite being the last man to leave the range last night Clarke couldn't find the solution. Instead of challenging, the 34-year-old's mission has now been reduced to that of regaining confidence ahead of next week's Ryder Cup.
Woods has no such concerns - on or off the course. Not only does he master his own destiny on the fairways and greens. He is also an individual of high intelligence, who with a shrewd and articulate manner, deflects potential traps which can sometimes be set when confronting the media.
European Ryder Cup Players Scores:Niclas Fasth 69 (-7) Sergio Garcia 69 (-6) Padraig Harrrigton 70 (-5) Bernhard Langer 68 (-4) Thomas Bjorn 68 (-4) Colin Montgomerie 70 (-2) Darren Clarke 76 (+7)