ESPN.com - Golf Online - British Open 2000 - Woods moves ahead; Nicklaus bids farewell

Associated Press
Friday, July 21

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Halfway home to history, Tiger Woods isn't even breaking a sweat. He's leaving that to everyone else.


	Tiger Woods can relax Friday night with a three-shot cushion.

On a crusty, sun-baked Old Course at St. Andrews, Woods made even the most daunting shots look easy. When the final putt crawled into the cup for par Friday, Woods had a 6-under 66 for a three-stroke lead in the British Open.

All that stands in the way of the career Grand Slam at age 24 is two more trips over a course where he has yet to make a bogey.

"It's a good spot," Woods said, trying to contain a smile.

Extending his major championship streak to 62 holes without a bogey, Woods played another near-flawless round and was at 11-under 133, three shots clear of David Toms.

His 36-hole lead was twice that large at Pebble Beach last month when he won the U.S. Open by 15 strokes. The way Woods has played this week, another runaway into the record books is not out of the question.

"I'm playing very similar to how I played at Pebble," he said.

If so, Woods would become the youngest golfer to win all four majors and only the fifth ever. Jack Nicklaus was the last, in 1966 at 26.

Toms, who has never contended in a major championship, had a bogey-free 67 and was at 136. Another stroke back were Loren Roberts (68), Steve Flesch (70) and Sergio Garcia (69), the last guy who challenged Woods in a major championship.

Ernie Els failed to ride the momentum from his first-round 66 and stayed right where he was with a scrambling 72, putting him at 138 along with Fred Couples (68), Phil Mickelson (66) and Tom Lehman (70).

Open at a glance

Leaders: Tiger Woods is at 11-under 133, three better than David Toms and up on Steve Flesch, Sergio Garcia and Loren Roberts.

Recent history: Woods is three strokes ahead of the field with two rounds left. At the U.S. Open last month, he was six ahead after two rounds and ended up winning by 15.

Exit: Jack Nicklaus doffed his cap on the Swilken Bridge on No. 18, bidding a probable farewell to the Open at age 60. Nicklaus shot 77-73-150 and missed the cut.

Weather report: The weather was more like the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach than a British Open: warm and sunny, with light breezes for a second straight day. It helped the scoring average come in at 72.1.

Shot of the day: Woods hit a 60-degree wedge off a hard lie next to the road on the Road Hole, then using the bank behind the hole to bring the ball back. He ended up eight feet away and made the putt for par.

Noteworthy: Though St. Andrews has 112 bunkers of all sizes and shapes, Woods has not landed in one through 36 holes of play.

Quote of the day: "Three or four shots ahead with 36 holes to go, it might not be enough. Even with one hole to go, it might not be enough. You never know." -- Jean Van de Velde

All of them could use some help from St. Andrews. The Old Course has 112 bunkers -- a mere rumor as far as Woods is concerned. He has found nothing but safe spots on the rock-hard fairways and greens. The one exception turned into an exceptional shot.

Woods hit his approach through the 17th green, down the slope and onto a thin strip of grass next to the road. Using the back slope of the dreaded Road Hole bunker as a backboard, Woods chipped past the hole and the ball rolled back to 8 feet.

"That chip shot wasn't exactly easy," Woods said. "The key is to choose a line so if you hit it too hard, you're not going to go in the bunker."

All that remained was a par putt that broke twice. Woods clenched his fist when it fell, a rare display of emotion during a round when he often walked with his hands in his pockets.

Woods wasn't even aware that his last bogey in a major came on the 10th hole at Pebble Beach in the third round. He doesn't care about the streak, just the kind of golf that makes such a staggering number possible.

"What you try to do in any tournament is not make a mistake," Woods said. "Bogeys aren't good for your scorecard."

In Els' case, pars weren't good enough.

The Big Easy squandered a chance to take advantage of his good draw. Coming off an eight-birdie round of 66, he was among the early starters Friday and was poised to post a low score for Woods to match. It didn't work out that way.

Els misread a 6-foot birdie putt on the first and lipped out another good birdie chance from 15 feet on No. 2. When he three-putted from 40 feet on the next hole, the momentum he had carried into the second round was gone.

"That's not the start you need," Els said. "I went right back into the pack."

He finally recovered with two birdies on the back and a rare par save from the deep pit of the Road Hole bunker.

"Today was my bad round," he said. "I know I can play better over the weekend, and I'll do that."

The question is whether that will even matter.

A bad round for Woods these days is about 69, especially in a British Open that seems as if it's being played in Southern California. The scores have been so low that the cut was at even-par 144.

That still wasn't low enough for defending champion Paul Lawrie (153) or John Daly (148), the last Open champion at St. Andrews.

Or Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus made one final pass over the Swilken Bridge, closing another chapter in a major championship by missing the cut.

He gave an adoring Scottish gallery one last thrill by knocking it stiff on the 18th hole, but missed the putt -- and missed the cut for the first time in seven Opens at St. Andrews.

"That's a mixed emotion," Nicklaus said. "Walking over the Swilken Bridge and walking up the 18th hole for the last time is very nice. But not on Friday afternoon."

It many respects, it was just like the U.S. Open. Nicklaus reached the 18th in two at Pebble Beach, but three-putted for par. And Woods was getting ready to tee off about the time Nicklaus -- his benchmark for greatness -- was leaving.

"My record and my golf is basically done," said Nicklaus, who owns a record 18 majors. "I'm kind of rooting for somebody else to come along, and if it's Tiger, that's fine. Some of the golf I've seen from this young man is pretty phenomenal."

It will take at least that to catch him.

Mickelson, who stopped Woods' winning streak at six tournaments in February and went on to win twice more on the PGA Tour, was in danger of missing the cut until he torched the back nine. Starting on No. 11, golf's most famous lefty played the next five holes in 6-under to get back into the picture.

Jean Van de Velde, who squandered a three-shot on the final hole at Carnoustie last year, was joined by Darren Clarke and Dennis Paulson at 139.

"Three or four shots ahead with 36 holes to go, it might not be enough," Van de Velde said with a knowing laugh. "Even with one hole to go, it might not be enough. You never know."