Woods cautious despite lead

Tournament host Tiger Woods took charge at the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club on Friday but a back-nine collapse put paid to Paul Casey's hopes of competing over the weekend.

Tournament host Tiger Woods took charge at the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club last night.

With big crowds turning out in the Washington DC area at the start of the July 4 holiday weekend, Woods followed Thursday's six-under-par 64, his lowest opening round in two years, with a 66 on the par-70, 7,255-yard Blue Course in Bethesda, Maryland.

The five-birdie, one-bogey round took the world number one into an early second-round lead at 10-under-par and he held on to it after overnight leader Anthony Kim failed to build on his course record, eight-under 62 in the first round.

The leader, though, was far from happy with his day's work.

"I didn't drive the ball as well as I did yesterday or hit my irons as crisp," Woods said.

"Either I hit it pretty close to the hole, within 10 feet, or I was missing greens. So it was a little bit of two ends today.

"It was nice to actually get a score out of it. I didn't shoot myself in the foot and had a stretch there from basically 17 through three where I didn't really hit the ball all that well but somehow was able to get through it and keep the momentum of the round going."

Kim had got to 10-under after eight holes before three bogeys undermined his good work. A birdie at the 16th, though left him with a level-par 70 to finish two strokes behind Woods in third place, one behind Australia's Rod Pampling, who posted a 64 to move to nine-under-par.

Kim was happy to have remained in the hunt after surviving a tough round.

"It was a grind, possibly one of the toughest ball-striking days I've had in a long time, even with all my injuries (this year) and I feel good," Kim said.

"I stayed positive and made a couple of key putts to keep me in it so it's not so bad to be third after a rough day."

Jim Furyk shot a 67 to move into fourth place at seven-under with Americans Bryce Molder and DA Points both shooting level 70s and Sweden's Daniel Chopra carding a 68 to take a share of fifth place at six-under.

US Open champion Lucas Glover followed an opening 69 by matching playing partner Woods with a 66 to take him to five-under for the tournament, where newly turned professional Danny Lee of New Zealand was among those joining him following a 67.