First cut deepest for Tiger

SCOTT VERPLANK was vying with Steve Stricker at the top of the leaderboard last night but Tiger Woods was in freefall as he stared at the prospect of his first PGA Championship missed cut in 14 starts.

The former world number one, a four-time champion in the final Major of the year, had begun the day trying to make amends for the highest opening round of his Major championship career 24 hours earlier but he was heading for just the fourth missed cut in 62 Major starts last night.

Woods’ game, fitness and personal life have been in turmoil since November 2009, the month he recorded his last victory at the Australian Masters, only to see revelations about his extra-marital affairs emerge a fortnight later at the cost of his marriage to Elin Nordegren.

He parted company with his swing coach Hank Haney the following spring and a year ago this week began working with Sean Foley. Twelve months on, and following a three-month absence due to injury, Woods’ game is still in turmoil.

Following that opening seven-over-par 77 at Atlanta Athletic Club on Thursday, Woods, 35, had cut a despondent figure as he bemoaned his inability to shape his shots as he had done so majestically en route to his 14 Majors between 1997 and 2008.

Last night represented more of the same from the American as he bogeyed the par-five fifth hole and par-three seventh before clawing back the lost shots with back-to-back birdies on eight and nine.

His unprecedented fragility with club in hand returned with a vengeance after the turn, however. Level for the round, Woods found a dreaded bunker off the 11th tee and could only find its greenside counterpart with his second shot out of the powdery, unremitting sand.

From there, Woods chipped out but then saw his ball roll across the green and down the far bank into the water, eventually taking a double-bogey six after continuing from the drop zone.

There was more woe at the par-five 12th when Woods again erred left off the tee, this time finding the trees, from where he was forced to punch out sideways across the fairway. He was only out of the woods physically, not figuratively, as his next shot was hooked straight back into the trees.

Woods looked lost. His club had been dropped on the follow through and he shook his head in bewilderment.

Someone shouted, “keep your head up Tiger!” from the gallery but it looked as though that was a lost cause as he took another double bogey to reach 11 over par with six holes to play.

His playing partner Pádraig Harrington was faring much better, level par for the day and heading for the weekend at three over par with the cut projected to fall at four over.

The three-time Major champion will have just one fellow Irishman for company over the weekend after Rory McIlroy nursed his injured wrist around Atlanta Athletic Club for a 73 to also finish at three over, while Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke head for home. McDowell finished at 12 over following a 78 while Open champion Clarke was two shots further back after a 76.

At the business end, Verplank, 47, assumed the lead after fellow veteran and overnight leader Steve Stricker failed to continue his record-breaking start.

Stricker had shot an equal-low opening majors round of 63 on Thursday but was slow out of the blocks last night, three over for his front nine to drop to four under.

The 44-year-old bounced back, however, with a birdie at the 12th to draw level with Verplank, who had played 11.

A shot back and in the clubhouse was another American, DA Points, who had carded a three-under 67 early in the day, while still out on the course, Adam Scott was continuing the form that landed him the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title last Sunday. The Australian Scott was three under for the day, four under for the week as he played the last, as was Jason Dufner, while Brandt Jobe was also on four under, two under for his round after 10.

Anders Hansen of Denmark and Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain were the leading Europeans as the second round was reaching its conclusion. Hansen posted a one-under 69 to reach three under, while Jimenez two under for the day after 12 and also on three under, among a large group on that mark.

Jhonattan Vegas was alone at two under for the tournament after a 68 while world number two Lee Westwood also posted a 68 to reach one under, four shots off the pace and keeping alive his hopes of a first Major at the age of 38, with number one Luke Donald another stroke behind at level par after 13 holes.