July 23, 2006	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 26, 1427

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HOYLAKE (England), July 22: A magical eagle two at the 14th hole helped champion Tiger Woods fire a course record-tying 65 for a one-stroke lead over Ernie Els after the second round of the British Open on Friday.

South African Els, without a victory for seven months, matched Woods's seven-under-par effort on a revamped Hoylake layout to climb into second place on 11-under 133.

American Chris DiMarco also carded a 65 for 135, one ahead of Els's compatriot Retief Goosen, who notched two eagle threes in his 66 on another calm and sunny day in north-west England.

A highlight of the day was the eagle at the tough 456-yard 14th by early starter Woods.

The world number one launched a four-iron approach shot 201 yards over the corner of the dogleg and reacted with amazement after the ball had bounced five times before striking the bottom of the flagstick and dropping into the cup.

Woods, 30, had dropped a shot on the third but roared back to birdie the fourth, fifth and eighth.

The 10-time major winner, playing in only his third tournament since the death of his father Earl on May 3, also made inroads on par at the 10th, 11th and 16th.

It is the seventh time Woods has led after 36 holes of a major. He went on to win on all six previous occasions.

World number eight Els, starting much later in the day, did not drop a stroke as he rediscovered the form that took him to the title at Muirfield in 2002.

The 36-year-old followed three birdies on the front nine with four more coming home to close in on his great rival, who he will accompany in the final pairing on Saturday.

In joint fifth position on seven-under 137 were Australia's Adam Scott, Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Finn Mikko Ilonen.

The highest-profile casualties of the cut were world number three Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie, last year's runner-up at St Andrews.

The cut was made at one-under 143, the lowest at a major since the 1990 British Open at St Andrews.

Second round scores:

132 – Tiger Woods (US) 67, 65

133 – Ernie Els (South Africa) 68, 65.

135 – Chris DiMarco (US) 70, 65.

136 – Retief Goosen (South Africa) 70, 66.

137 – Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 67, 70; Adam Scott (Australia) 68, 69; Mikko Ilonen (Finland) 68, 69.

138 – Robert Rock (Britain) 69, 69.

139 – Thaworn Wiratchant (Thailand) 71, 68; Rory Sabbatini (South Africa) 69, 70; Graeme McDowell (Britain) 66, 73; Ben Crane (US) 68, 71; Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 70, 69; Brett Rumford (Australia) 68, 71; Jerry Kelly (US) 72, 67; Marcus Fraser (Australia) 68, 71; Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 71, 68; Mark Calcavecchia (US) 71, 68; Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68, 71; Jim Furyk (US) 68, 71; Robert Allenby (Australia) 69, 70.

140 – Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 74, 66; Brandt Jobe (US) 69, 71; Peter Lonard (Australia) 71, 69; Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 71, 69; Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 68, 72; Keiichiro Fukabori (Japan) 67, 73; David Duval (US) 70, 70; Hideto Tanihara (Japan) 72, 68; Mark Hensby (Australia) 68, 72; Mike Weir (Canada) 68, 72; Rod Pampling (Australia) 69, 71; Greg Owen (Britain) 67, 73; Phil Mickelson (US) 69, 71; Anthony Wall (Britain) 67, 73; Andres Romero (Argentina) 70, 70.

141 – Mark O'Meara (US) 71, 70; Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70, 71; Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 70, 71; Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 73, 68; Stephen Ames (Canada) 70, 71; Andrew Buckle (Australia) 72, 69; Tim Clark (South Africa) 72, 69; Marco Ruiz (Paraguay) 71, 70; S.K. Ho (South Korea) 68, 73; Lee Westwood (Britain) 69, 72; Lee Slattery (Britain) 69, 72.

142 – Marius Thorp (Norway) 71, 71; John Bickerton (Britain) 72, 70; Tom Watson (US) 72, 70; Simon Khan (Britain) 70, 72; Paul Casey (Britain) 72, 70; Luke Donald (Britain) 74, 68; Paul Broadhurst (Britain) 71, 71; Sean O'Hair (US) 69, 73; Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 71, 71.

143 – Fred Funk (US) 69, 74; Simon Dyson (Britain) 74, 69; Chad Campbell (US) 70, 73; Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 72, 71; Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 72, 71; Simon Wakefield (Britain) 72, 71; Jeff Sluman (US) 71, 72; Hunter Mahan (US) 73, 70; John Senden (Australia) 70, 73; Scott Verplank (US) 70, 73; Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 73, 70; Todd Hamilton (US) 72, 71; Bart Bryant (US) 69, 74; Vaughn Taylor (US) 72, 71; Andrew Marshall (Britain) 72, 71.

Failed to make the cut:

144 – Rich Beem (US) 71, 73; Scott Drummond (Britain) 73, 71; Jeff Maggert (US) 75, 69; Jarrod Lyle (Australia) 74, 70; Mathew Goggin (Australia) 75, 69; Paul McGinley (Ireland) 71, 73; Markus Brier (Austria) 71, 73; Bradley Dredge (Britain) 70, 74; Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 69, 75; Phillip Price (Britain) 74, 70; Tom Pernice Jr (US) 71, 73; Mark Pilkington (Britain) 76, 68.

145 – Ted Purdy (US) 74, 71; Lucas Glover (US) 72, 73; Steve Elkington (Australia) 71, 74; John Daly (US) 72, 73; Nick O'Hern (Australia) 70, 75; Tom Lehman (US) 68, 77; Shiv Kapur (India) 72, 73.

146 – Sandy Lyle (Britain) 73, 73; J.J. Henry (US) 73, 73; Richard Green (Australia) 71, 75; Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 70, 76; Brett Wetterich (US) 74, 72; Bo Van Pelt (U.S.) 74, 72; David Smail (New Zealand) 76, 70; Ben Curtis (US) 73, 73; K.J. Choi (South Korea) 72, 74; Fred Couples (US) 70, 76; Vijay Singh (Fiji) 70, 76; Zach Johnson (US) 73, 73; Stephen Dodd (Britain) 73, 73; Stuart Appleby (Australia) 74, 72; Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 72, 74.

147 – Nick Dougherty (Britain) 74, 73; Julien Guerrier (France) 72, 75; Davis Love III (US) 75, 72; Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 78, 69; Bradley Hughes (Australia) 72, 75; Darren Parris (Britain) 75, 72; Billy Andrade (US) 72, 75; Kenny Perry (US) 73, 74; Shaun Micheel (US) 72, 75; Michael Wright (Australia) 72, 75; Adam Bland (Australia) 73, 74.

148 – Shingo Katayama (Japan) 74, 74; Nick Faldo (Britain) 77, 71; Ross Wellington (South Africa) 75, 73; Bernhard Langer (Germany) 74, 74; Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 73, 75; Arron Oberholser (US) 73, 75.

149 – Stewart Cink (US) 72, 77; Johan Edfors (Sweden) 75, 74; Richard Sterne (South Africa) 76, 73; Tim Herron (US) 76, 73; Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 75, 74; Toshinori Muto (Japan) 75, 74; J.B. Holmes (US) 74, 75; Jim Payne (Britain) 73, 76.

150 – Peter Hedblom (Sweden) 73, 77; Barry Lane (Britain) 75, 75; David Howell (Britain) 74, 76; Paul Lawrie (Britain) 76, 74; Brett Quigley (US) 79, 71.

151 – Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 75, 76; Darren Clarke (Britain) 69, 82; Yasuharu Imano (Japan) 73, 78; Ian Poulter (Britain) 75, 76; Seve Ballesteros (Spain) 74, 77; Nick Ludwell (Britain) 75, 76.

152 – Bruce Vaughan (US) 75, 77; Tatsu Ichihara (Japan) 78, 74; Warren Bladon (Britain) 76, 76; Adam Frayne (Britain) 71, 81.

153 – Warren Abery (South Africa) 76, 77.

154 – Danny Denison (Britain) 78, 76; Gary Lockerbie (Britain) 78, 76.

155 – Wayne Perske (Australia) 76, 79.

156 – Unho Park (Australia) 82, 74.

157 – Carlos Rodiles (Spain) 81, 76; Sam Little (Britain) 83, 74.

158 – Gary Day (Britain) 82, 83; Ben Bunny (Australia) 74, 76.

163 – Jon Bevan (Britain) 82, 81.—Reuters