Tiger takes a share of halfway lead

Woords handles difficult conditions well to move into three-way tie at PGA

Halfway there: Tiger Woods has taken a share of the lead after 36 holes of the PGA Championship

Tiger Woods has moved into a three-way tie for the lead after the second round of the US PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.

Woods, without a major victory since the 2008 US Open, grabbed a share of the halfway lead with first round pacesetter Carl Pettersson and former world No.1 Vijay Singh after he shot an impressive one-under-par 71 in tricky, windy conditions on the South Carolina coast.

Heavy overnight rain softened and lengthened the course considerably for the players as they teed off in the second round and matters weren’t made any easier by strong 30mph winds blowing in off the sea.

Even so, Woods – a four-time winner of the championship – harnessed the elements well and birdied two of his opening four holes to lay down an early marker of his intent.

His battling 71 proved to be enough to take a share of the lead as Pettersson struggled to a two-over 74 to lose the outright, six-under lead he had held after the first round.

Afterwards, Woods admitted it had been a real war of attrition to break par.

“It was tough out there,” acknowledged the 14-time major winner. “You can’t take anything for granted, a simple tap‑in is not a simple tap in. The putter is oscillating all over the place and the ball is oscillating all over the place. I mean, your start lines, Holy Cow, we are starting balls so far off line, to have it come back in. There’s so much drift to this wind.

” I just grinded. I’m very pleased to be able to shoot under par.  That was the goal, anything par or better today was going to be a great score, and I was able to accomplish that.”

Vijay Singh, now 49, rolled back the years to shoot a best-of-the-day 69 and take a share of the lead with Woods and Pettersson.

“I never thought about the score,” said the big Fijian afterwards. “I just kept adding it up each hole and trying to make my pars on every hole. That was the key. And I just tried to make my pars, miss it in the correct spot if I was out of position, and be very strong with the longer putts. The lag putts were so key, not to leave myself four and five‑footers.”

England’s Ian Poulter is a shot adrift of the leaders on three-under-par, with Rory McIlroy and Jamie Donaldson sitting on two-under.

Both of Scotland’s representatives in the final major of the season, Martin Laird and Paul Lawrie, both made the cut, Laird sitting on one-over with Lawrie three shots further back.

World No.1 Luke Donald scraped through to the weekend on six-over-par but fellow countryman Lee Westwood won’t feature for the final 36 holes. He finished on seven-over, one outside the cut line.

Other high-profile names to miss the cut included Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson, Hunter Mahan, Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar.

And spare a thought for Doug Wade. The Ohio club pro had a 21-over-par 93 to finish dead last on 32-over, seven shots adrift of his nearest rival.

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered