Confusion reigns at Akron

Tiger Woods and Paul McGinley were involved in chaotic scenes in Akron today at the end of their second rounds in the Bridgestone world championship today.

With one to play the two players were separated by 20 strokes, Woods standing a brilliant seven under par for the day and on course for yet another victory and McGinley 73rd of the 78 players on 10 over.

But they both then caused mayhem behind the ninth green.

First Woods’ second shot from the rough flew over the spectator stand, hit a cart path and amazingly bounded up and on to the three-floored clubhouse roof.

As he started to wonder what the outcome of that would be McGinley, pitching to the green for three, incredibly went over the stand as well and finished in a flower bed.

The combined might of the US Tour rules staff were quickly on hand, first to establish what exactly what happened to the balls and then to decide what to do next.

Eventually, around half an hour later, the two players were given permission to take free drops from beside the grandstand, the clubhouse at Firestone Country Club not being out of bounds.

Woods took five as well for a round of 64 and a nine under par total of 131 and then said: “I’ve never been involved in anything like that before.

“I don’t know how that wasn’t out of bounds first of all and I also don’t know how anybody found it.” Apparently it was a cook.

He led by one from Davis Love, who still had two holes to play. McGinley double-bogeyed the hole for a 75 and 12 over aggregate.

Asked afterwards if he thought it was an oversight that the clubhouse had not been made out of bounds Woods said: “I'm not complaining.

“It might be next year. It might be tomorrow. The ball was apparently in some guy’s pocket and they ended up getting it.

“If I had had to re-drop from where I hit the second shot it would have been tough to make six. It’s a huge break to make five.

“I’ve never seen anything like it and certainly never experienced anything like it. But I did once hit into a porta-john (toilet) – a guy opened the door at the wrong moment.

“It was pretty chaotic trying to figure out what was going on. I had cameras all over my face, people were yelling and screaming and we got so many conflicting stories.

“The nine-iron went about 212 (yards) in the air. Man, I hit it well today - it was nice. I did some great work on the range.”

Love, left out of the American Ryder Cup side on Monday, added a 65 to his opening 67 and will go head to head with Woods tomorrow.

McGinley really struggled both days playing with the Open and US PGA champion, who is chasing his fourth successive victory and his fifth on the course.

There is no halfway cut and so the Dubliner has two more rounds to move at least some way through the field. Every place could be vital because he is ninth in the Ryder Cup standings and could slip back to 10th with Jose Maria Olazabal two under following a 70.

Going best of the Europeans is Luke Donald on four under having shot a 69.

Lee Westwood and David Howell are on the same six over total, but got there in totally different fashion. Westwood improved 12 shots on his opening 79 and but for a closing bogey would have been home in 29, while Howell was 12 strokes worse with a 79.

He refused to blame the shoulder injury he suffered last Sunday in Chicago.