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 Five-times champion Woods played near-flawless golf on Friday in
the second round of the tournament he hosts, equaling the course
record he set at Sherwood Country Club in 2007 to end the day two
shots clear.
His stunning 10-birdie 62 was five strokes better than the next-best
score in an elite field of 18, Northern Ireland's defending champion
Graeme McDowell and England's Ian Poulter both having carded 67s.
"Amazing what Tiger did out there," American Matt Kuchar told
reporters after shooting a second successive 68 to sit three strokes
off the pace in third spot at eight under.
"It's just some incredible golf. The rest of us, my four-under score
is kind of a good barometer. That's some good quality playing. Ten
under is an amazing round of golf but I'd certainly take two more
rounds of four-under par."
Kuchar expressed sympathy for twice World Challenge champion
McDowell, who was paired with Woods for the second round but lost
ground despite firing a five-birdie 67.
"I kind of felt sorry for Graeme," said Kuchar, a double winner on
the 2013 PGA Tour. "I saw he posted a five-under-par round, and it
must have felt like it was two or three over.
"It's tough when you're paired with a guy like that. It makes you
feel like you're not doing much. But the rest of us just go about
our business."
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McDowell, who clinched the World Challenge for the first time
with a playoff victory over Woods in 2010, was full of
admiration after having a ringside seat on Friday for the
American's 62.
"It was a clinic," the Northern Irishman said. "It was cool to
see that kind of golf. He was under control. He hit it down the
middle of every fairway."
First-round leader Zach Johnson birdied his final hole for a
bogey-free 68 to secure outright second place and was largely
satisfied with his round.
"I had opportunities," said Johnson, who had opened with a 67.
"I had some putts on the back nine, opportunities where I could
have got up and down for birdie and a couple of those par-fives
that I didn't.
"Other than that, it was a pretty solid day. No complaints. I
mean, you finish with a birdie on 18, especially after yesterday
when I bogeyed it, so I'll take it."
The average score on Friday was 70.78, almost nine strokes worse
than the 62 posted by Woods, who is seeking a record sixth
victory at the event and his sixth tournament win this year.
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes;
editing by Peter Rutherford)
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