Golf: Woods looking in ominous

HOYLAKE - Defending champion Tiger Woods, yet to win a major in a year clouded by personal tragedy, looked in ominous form as he topped the early second-round leaderboard in the British Open at Royal Liverpool overnight.

Michael Campbell struggled to make headway on a brilliantly hot day promising low scores. The Kiwi carded a 71 to go with his opening-round 70 for a halfway total of 141 - well off the pace but predicted to be comfortably inside the halfway cut.

Cambo's hopes would have been shakier after a bogey five at the 14th but he birdied two of the last three holes.

Woods, who stepped away from golf after losing his father recently, added a brilliant seven-under par 65 to his first round of 67 and take an early share of the lead at 12-under with the majority of the field still to start their second round.

When he finished his round, Woods led by three shots from fellow American Chris DiMarco, who also fired a 65.

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and Adam Scott of Australia - one of 23 Aussies in the field - were a further two shots back on 137, seven-under for the year's second major.

Tiger's move to the top of the leaderboard was spectacular. He holed a full four-iron second shot at the 456-yard par-four 14th, the second most difficult hole on the course.

It was hit high and landed softly, hopping twice before rolling into the hole, which yielded only nine birdies during the whole first round.

Starting out on five-under, Woods bogeyed the third but bounced back with five birdies in his next eight holes.

DiMarco also revelled in the brilliant sun on a parched Hoylake course, as he raced to seven-under for his round to briefly share the lead with Woods.

But DiMarco dropped a shot at the 17th to finish a distant second, with Woods three clear as the early clubhouse leader.

South Africa's Retief Goossen also had a sparkling start, reaching seven-under overall by the turn.

Tom Watson rolled back the years. Following on from level-par first round, he dropped shot at the second hole but suddenly started to produce the form that brought him five Open titles, with birdies at five of the next 11 holes to move to four under.

But overnight leader Graeme McDowell, a qualifier from Northern Ireland, fell back to five-under with a one-over par 73 after his opening 66.

New Zealander David Smail, one of the later second-round starters, posted seven bogeys in a miserable first-round 76.

- NZPA