Tiger looks ready to pounce

NO Championship in the 131 years history of the Open has provided a greater chance of an Irish victory with Padraig Harrington, one of the co- leaders; Des Smyth, one behind, and Darren Clarke three off the pace going into the weekend.

But with the field again heavily bunched after another day of relative calm 26 players at the top of the leaderboard are covered by a mere three shots just about any one of 50 or even more players could come through the pack over the closing 36 holes, with Tiger Woods ominously poised to pounce just two behind the pacesetters.

He battled his way through yesterday's round in 68 for a four under par total of 138 and even if his A game was absent, the runaway world number one looks very dangerous. Although he attempted to put a positive spin on the way he played, the 2 to 1 favourite leaked a few shots dangerously into Muirfield's savage rough and could have suffered more dire retribution. More often than not though, he saved himself with some outstanding recovery play and later still, at the long 17th, he sank a curling 20-footer for a birdie four from off the green without ever having seen the fairway.

"I told myself that if I can't make one on the green, then I will make one from off the green and lo and behold, that's what happened," Woods joked.

But there were occasions, too, when the waywardness of his game got under Tiger's skin. He even threatened to demolish his club on the 10th tee after spraying a shot into the hay.

Ironically, it was one of those holes where he chopped out and then got up and down to save his par. Having safely completed the back nine, albeit shakily, in 34, Woods declined the usual visit to the media centre and headed straight for the practice range and set up stall beside his friend Mark O'Meara who is also on four under par..

"I played beautifully the last two days, hit the ball really well and hit good putts and they just haven't fallen," Woods claimed but not with a great deal of justification.

"I don't think in a major championship that I must go out there and shoot 62. You play golf one shot at a time and this course is the epitome of that. You have to get the ball in play and from there decide whether to be aggressive or conservative depending on the situation you are in. Any time you are near the lead in a major, you must be happy."

Colin Montgomerie, who was in one of his spoilt brat days on Thursday, was all sweetness and light yesterday after breaking the record for the lengthened Muirfield links with a superb seven under par 64. He went out with the aim of not dropping a single shot and achieved that with a splendid ball striking round.

"Any time you go around a course, especially on one of this quality, like that means everything is in order," Monty glowed.

"The driving is in order and also the chipping and putting so that all bodes well for the weekend. I was fortunate to hole a 20-footer at the first because that's a very dangerous hole."

Scottish galleries are obviously made of stern stuff for no matter how often he snaps at them or growls his disapproval when a shot comes off the clubhead marginally less perfectly than he would desire, they support their man. The point was not lost on Monty, who commented:

"The crowd were tremendous today and again yesterday when they realised I was having problems around the turn. Then walking on the first tee this morning, positioned in 100th position or below, the reception was great. And to birdie the 18th with a three wood, four iron to 12 feet and finish it off properly was great."

Montgomerie shot five birdies and an eagle at the fifth where he reached the green with a drive and three wood to 25-feet.

It was a good day, too, for Nick Faldo who shot 69 for even par and, of course, will be around for the weekend at a venue where he has twice won the Championship. It was his 34th sub-70 score in the Open, the highest ever number. He had shared the honour with Jack Nicklaus and not surprisingly remarked: "To beat any of Jack's record is very nice. I'm struggling with my swing and what's quite amazing is that I'm still in touch with the leaders.

"It goes to show the difficulty of the pin positions they are setting. They have put them on the sides of hills and in all the places they have said 'no' in the past."

The only disappointing aspect of the week so far from an Irish perspective was the failure of Paul McGinley to make the cut. He shot 74 for four over par, two outside the limit. Among other notable casualties were Michael Campbell, recent winner of the Smurfit European Open; Jose-Maria Olazabal, Lee Westwood and Eduardo Romero, last week's Scottish Open champion, all on 145; Tom Lehman, 146; Vijay Singh, 147 and John Daly, 151.