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MIAMI - Holder Tiger Woods, back to form with his putter, charged into a two-shot lead with a six-under-par 66 in golf's WGC-CA Championship second round today.
The five-times champion, four off the pace at the start of another blustery day at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, hit six birdies in a blemish-free display.
That left Woods on seven-under 137, two ahead of Australian Rod Pampling (69).
Ernie Els fired a 70 to lie a further stroke back with fellow South African Trevor Immelman (68), Denmark's Thomas Bjorn (72), Americans Zach Johnson (68) and Charles Howell III (71), Swede Henrik Stenson (73) and Australian Aaron Baddeley (71).
Woods rolled in a curling 11-footer at the par-five 12th to move into a share of the lead for the first time.
After narrowly missing birdie putts on 13, 14, 15 and 16, he moved one stroke clear after a superb recovery from the right rough to 10 feet at the par-four 17th set up his sixth birdie.
As driving rain swept across the Blue Monster course, Woods parred the treacherous 467-yard last by holing a tricky 10-footer after missing the fairway off the tee.
Stenson, co-leader on 67 overnight with Australian Robert Allenby, led by two shots after 10 holes before losing momentum.
The big-hitting Swede bogeyed 12 and 13 before regaining a share of the lead at six under after pitching to three feet to birdie the par-four 16th.
But Stenson dropped shots at 17 and 18 to slip back to four under.
Bjorn briefly held a share of the lead after reeling off three birdies in the first eight holes before running up a double-bogey seven at the 10th with a three-putt from less than four feet.
"It was really windy on the 10th and I didn't feel very comfortable over the ball," the Dane told reporters after a birdie-bogey finish.
"But these things happen and you've just got to get back and try and steady the ship.
"I've got to be pleased with the golf I've played these two days. There's a lot of good stuff I can build on."
- REUTERS
