Rose topples Tiger

European golfers have been suffering at the hands of Tiger Woods lately.

But today Justin Rose could say he knocked the world number one off the top of a leaderboard.

How long it lasted remained to be seen but, by scoring a two under par 69 to Woods’ 72, Rose led the Deutsche Bank championship in Boston on six under par as the second day’s play drew to a close.

Winner of his last four tournaments, during which he went head-to-head with Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald, Paul McGinley and Paul Casey and beat them all, Woods went off the boil after resuming with a one-stroke lead over the field.

Three back nine bogeys set him back but, switching to the outward half, Woods had eight pars and a birdie on the sixth to reach halfway on four under.

At 103rd on the US Tour money list this season, Rose is – of course – 102 places behind Woods. But he was only one stroke behind overnight and with Woods slipping back the 26-year-old took the opportunity.

He himself lost top spot when Robert Allenby followed a birdie on the 15th with a hole-in-one on the next and then two more birdies to turn in 30.

But with five to play the Australian was one behind again, while Woods was in a tie for third.

Ryder Cup Swede Robert Karlsson was only three behind and joint fifth, but compatriot Carl Pettersson comprehensively failed in his last-ditch attempt to impress Ian Woosnam.

Pettersson, twice a winner in America in the past 12 months, would have been leading the points race if he had been a member of the European tour from the start of qualifying, but rounds of 76 and 75 left him near the rear of the field and he was set to miss the cut by as many as seven shots.

Defending champion Olin Browne fired his second two-under 69 and is tied with Woods at four-under.

Australian Aaron Baddeley, who was playing with Woods, also joined the world’s top-ranked player in the clubhouse at four-under after a round of 71 that included a pair of bogeys on his first nine and two birdies coming in.

Len Mattiace (69), US Ryder Cup team member JJ Henry (71), Shaun Micheel (70) and Bob May (72) are three shots back at three-under.

VJ Singh, the 2004 Deutsche Bank champion who was unable to defend his title last year because of injury, shot a 71 and is one-under for the tournament.