Dougherty aims to tame Tiger

NICK DOUGHERTY’S dream of a first head-to-head with Tiger Woods was close to becoming reality after the second round of the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

And so was David Howell’s wish to show Woods that he had learned a lot from their last clash at the US Masters in April.

At the halfway stage of the €4.2 million event - the richest ever staged in Asia and opening leg of the new European tour season - the two Englishmen are joint leaders on 12 under par.

Woods is two behind and joint third with Australian left-hander Nick O’Hern after another round - this time a 69 rather than a 65 - full of thrills and spills for the world number one.

It ended with a second shot into the lake on the 538-yard 18th and then a 20-foot par-saving putt which hung on the lip before dropping, just like his never-to-be-forgotten chip-in at Augusta seven months ago.

Dougherty, the 23-year-old from Liverpool, finished his 68 just as Woods came to that last hole and willed him to make a birdie by saying: “Come on, Tiger.”

Whether he plays with Woods in tomorrow’s final 18 holes or not, the week has given Dougherty further cause to believe he can earn a Ryder Cup debut next September.

Asked if he liked leading, he replied: “Oh yes, I love it - that’s why I play. It’s a ‘Weakest Link’ mentality - you laugh at the people at the start when they get voted off, but the real champions are the people who actually get on the show. The fact that I’m there everybody would see me screw up if I did - I think that’s the buzz of it.”

Elsewhere, former Ryder Cup team-mates Des Smyth of Ireland and Scotland’s Sam Torrance are on course for a double celebration at the Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship in Bahrain. Smyth holds a three stroke lead over England’s Tony Allen going into the final round at Riffa Golf Club, following his second consecutive bogey-free 68, while Torrance has all but secured the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit title.

“I came here looking to win my first title on the European Seniors Tour,” admitted Smyth. “There was less wind today but I didn’t play as well as I did in my first round.”

Torrance finished with three consecutive birdies for a 68, which means he now has a nine-stroke advantage over Carl Mason, his only rival for the Order of Merit.

In the meantime, a second round of 74 for four over par and a share of 69th place leaves Eamonn Brady with an uphill battle to finish among the top 30 and ties who win cards for the 2006 main European Tour at the Tour School going into its third round at San Roque.

Brady has come through the two School pre-qualifiers, and is confident he can survive tomorrow’s cut after which the leading 70 players and ties qualify for the final two rounds on Monday and Tuesday.

St Margaret’s club professional John Kelly threw himself a lifeline yesterday with a one under par 71. While he still has a lot to do, he is within reach of survival after the 72 hole cut.

Philip Walton will struggle to reach the final two rounds. He improved by four shots yesterday on Thursday’s 78 but is currently tied 117th. Even more disappointingly, Athlone’s Colm Moriarty shot another 80 and shares 154th place.