Woods facing uphill struggle

Tiger Woods resumed in very unfamiliar territory in Germany today – deep in the pack and desperately needing some magic.

On four previous trips to the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open the world number one has finished first, third, first and first.

That has earned him more than a million dollars at a rate of well over 1,000 dollars for every shot – and on top of that you can add appearances fees totalling an estimated six million.

This year Woods is back in Hamburg for a reported two million more, but after two rounds he was down in joint 38th place nine strokes behind Padraig Harrington.

A huge crowd was still there at 9.30am to see the American superstar resume with Frenchman Marc Farry, whose career earnings going back to his debut in 1979 amount to less than Woods is receiving just to turn up.

Yet it was Farry who got the first cheer when he hit his tee shot to three feet on the short second and birdied.

Woods responded with two big hits to the 541-yard third, but although the second of them cleared the lake he had visited in the first two rounds, it also cleared the green and he had to settle for another par.

His first birdie came on the 460-yard next, but even at five under he had been overtaken by several of the earlier starters.

Norwegian Henrik Bjornstad, for instance, eagled both the third and sixth improving from two under overnight to six under, while Surrey’s Anthony Wall went to the turn in 32 as well to reach seven under.

Harrington’s opening rounds of 65 and 66, played in the company of Woods, had put him on 13 under, three ahead of South African Retief Goosen.