Golf: Perks goes West and hits form

New Zealand golfer Craig Perks stood in the top 10 at the Western Open on the USPGA circuit and may be threatening his best finish for some time.

Perks, who won The Players Championship at Sawgrass in 2002 - the best achievement by a modern New Zealand golfer before Michael Campbell's epic US Open win - has been suffering a poor season. His highest placing was 35th in May's Byron Nelson Classic and he has made the cut in only five of the 17 events he has played on the US circuit this year. His season also took a turn for the worse when he discovered he did not have an exemption for next week's British Open.

However, he shot a 67 in the first round of the Booz Allen Classic before missing the cut with a second round 77 and has put two good rounds together at the Cialis Western Open - hitting a 67 in the first round with a par 71 in the second.

He is five shots behind the leader - little-known American Chris Couch - and has the same feeling as compatriot Campbell in that a charging Tiger Woods is close behind, after shooting a 66.

Couch enjoyed a sizzling back nine to card a flawless four-under 67. He has two wins on the Nationwide Tour this season but is without a PGA Tour success. He is a shot clear of compatriot Tim Herron at the Cog Hill Country Club in Lemont, Illinois.

Woods, making his first start since finishing second to Campbell at the US Open two weeks ago, recovered from a disappointing two-over 73 opening round with his five-under 66 and is tied for 17th, six shots off the lead. World number two Vijay Singh returned a one-under 70 to sit on even par 142.

- AGENCIES