On-song Harrington on heels of Sutherland

The Players Championship in Florida, golf’s richest event, is fast becoming one of Padraig Harrington’s favourites.

The Dubliner won £315,000 for finishing joint runner-up last year and two birdies in his last three holes yesterday left him only three strokes behind surprise American pacesetter Kevin Sutherland.

Harrington, chasing a first prize of £800,000, added a 70 to his opening 68 for a halfway total of 138.

He led by two at the same stage 12 months ago, but maybe being the pursuer rather than the pursued will suit him over the weekend.

He said: "I feel very comfortable here and hopefully it will happen for me sooner rather than later.

"This is very early season for me, to be honest, but although I putted poorly today I've certainly given myself a chance. I was struggling to see the lines on the greens, so I was very happy to hole the 15-footer on the last," he said.

Harrington had missed a seven-foot eagle opportunity on the 507-yard 16th after a glorious approach.

He continued: "Two ahead or three behind, it does not make much difference.

"Whoever plays best over the weekend is going to win nobody is going to get away with not performing. I didn't practice well, but I seem to play better with fear than I do with confidence."

Asked why he liked Sawgrass, Harrington's first reaction was to say simply: "The fact that I score well on it."

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods responded to the threat of missing his first halfway cut since 1997 120 US Tour events ago in scintillating style at the start of his second round.

The world number one, outside the top 100 overnight, jumped to 66th place with a brilliant eagle on the long 11th, his second of the day. He hit the perfect drive and then an iron to within seven feet of the flag.

Woods then added a birdie at the next and after bogeying the 18th he almost eagled again on the 532-yard second, his chip hitting the flag and rimming out.

At level par with six to play he was up to 43rd, with the top 70 and ties qualifying for the last 36 holes but there was still little margin for error.

Sutherland, whose shock win in the 2000 Accenture world matchplay championship remains his only US tour success, followed up his first day 66 with a 69 to be one ahead of compatriot Jerry Kelly, who still had seven to play, and two in front of first day leader Adam Scott and Ernie Els (69).

Thomas Bjorn however, fell from fourth overnight to 27th with a very disappointing 76. He had warned people that there were problems with his swing, though.

Ian Poulter was on the same one under mark and disappointed as well, going in the water at the short 17th and returning a 73.

But he was still better placed than playing partner Colin Montgomerie and Justin Rose. They both had to wait to see if two over was good enough to make the cut, Rose after bogeying his last two holes.

After three-putting the eighth, his 17th, Rose went for the green on the 583-yard ninth "stupid" he called it afterwards and finished in thick rough.

He then went under the ball and had an air shot, sent the next over the green into sand and did at least get up and down from there to give himself a chance of qualifying.

Montgomerie faced a long wait too after double-bogeying both the 13th and 14th.

He four-putted first and then three-putted and after grabbing a birdie at the long 16th he had a 10-foot chance for another on the last, but pushed it wide.

Definitely out were Luke Donald on four over and Brian Davis on seven over.

For Donald it ended his hopes of a place in the Masters, while 47th-ranked Davis has to wait to see if he keeps a place in the top 50 to earn a debut at Augusta.