Flawless Woods tightens his grip

With the Old Course bathed in glorious sunshine, it was a day for counting one's blessings. Which meant that would-be challengers for the 129th British Open had cause to be grateful the halfway lead by Tiger Woods was only three strokes, compared with his advantage of six at the same stage of the US Open at Pebble Beach last month.

The championship favourite was positively majestic while carding a 66 for a 36-hole total of 133, a stroke outside Nick Faldo's mark of 1990. And the fact he continued to keep a bogey off his card was a reflection of admirable patience, considering yesterday's round took five hours and 35 minutes.

"Bogeys aren't good for your scorecard, especially at this level, where birdies are more difficult to come by," said the reigning US Open champion, who has now gone 62 successive holes in major championships without dropping a stroke. And he did it largely through wonderful putting, whereby 12-footers were despatched almost like gimmes.

His control of the championship was emphasised by Nick Price, one of his playing partners over the last two days. "Tiger has learned more about the Old Course at 24 than I have learned at 43," said the Zimbawean. "He's on cruise control; he hasn't even tried shots yet. If the wind doesn't blow, the other guys are playing for second place."

Among those could be Darren Clarke, who, on 139, spearheads the Irish effort in which Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Christy O'Connor Jnr also came through the halfway cut of 144 - level par.

Harrington was bitterly disappointed, however, to be on 140, given that a 10-foot eagle putt on the long fifth left him seven under for the championship at that stage.

"I had a splitting headache from the ninth, being out there so long," said the Dubliner, who bogeyed the ninth (three putts), 14th (Hell bunker) and 17th (fairway bunker). "I gave myself seven birdie chances between the sixth and 15th and missed them all, partly due to an element of caution."

In remarkably benign conditions, anybody shooting par golf was effectively going backwards. So overnight leader Ernie Els was less than pleased after adding a 72 to his opening 66, largely through poor putting on the outward journey.

A solitary shaft of light for the South African was a superb up and down from close to the face of the Road Hole Bunker to save par on the 17th. "It wasn't a comfortable day and I was very concerned with my putting," he said.

But as Els dropped back, there was no shortage of challengers to take his place. Particularly impressive was the 66 from Phil Mickelson who carded a glorious run of 2, 2, 3, 4, 3 - birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie - from the 11th to the 15th.

Indeed this proved to be a decidedly vulnerable stretch of holes, as the 1995 champion, John Daly, had four successive birdies from the 12th, before departing the scene on 148.

Jack Nicklaus (150) was also some way outside the cut, while another St Andrews champion, Seve Ballesteros, failed on 147.

Further notable casualties were defending champion Paul Lawrie (153), Hal Sutton (145) and 1994 champion Price. And outrageous slacks, with one leg black and the other white, failed to ensure the survival of the irrepressible Gary Player on 156.

Woods made it look easy, but old hands like Faldo knew differently. So the Englishman was visibly crushed when, after patiently protecting a position of four under par with three holes to play, he proceeded to run up a double bogey at the 16th, where a misjudged approach found a bunker and was followed by three putts.

The anticipated move by Sergio Garcia materialised in a 69 which included a bogey on the 17th, which he three-putted from 45 feet. "I could be a little happier, but it's always good to shoot under 70," said the Spaniard, who has been putting very effectively since changing to a cack-handed method after the US Open.

"I feel I'm playing a lot like I did in the USPGA at Medinah last August and I'd love to have another battle with Tiger. But he's playing so well that a lot of things have to happen to put us together in a game." Like the 20-year-old closing a four-stroke gap, which will be quite a task in the leader's current mood.

Toms, who is on his first visit to St Andrews, was told what to expect by compatriot Fred Couples on a flight from France last weekend. Yet when it came to the actual playing of the course in practice, Couples seemed to be at a loss for words.

"When I asked Freddie for the line off the first tee, he replied `I really don't know'," said Toms. So the 33-year-old winner of two US tournaments last year had to find things out for himself.

He did so quite effectively in a 67 for the outright lead on eight under, before Woods took control. And for his part, Couples projected a knowledge he was incapable of imparting to his compatriot as he swept into contention on eight under par with three holes to play. But he double-bogeyed the 16th in the same manner as Faldo was to do later.

"It was probably a mistake not coming to Carnoustie last year, but I was playing poorly," said the 1992 Masters champion. "But it's good to be back. I felt the course wasn't really difficult today, especially the pin placements, which can be seen in the scoring."

Woods, with his fourth birdie of the round at the ninth, took the overall lead on nine under par. It came from a 12-foot putt, and he sank putts of similar length for further birdies at the 12th and 14th. Then came the key stroke in protecting his bogeyfree status.

After over-shooting the treacherous 17th, his ball came to rest on the narrow strip of grass between the path and the road. From there, a 60-degree sandwedge recovery sent the ball eight feet past the hole, to the base of the upslope caused by the notorious bunker. He then sank a double-breaking effort of eight feet for a marvellous par.

"I feel pretty good right now," he said. "My irons aren't great, but I'm putting really well." Indeed he is.