ESPN.com - Golf Online - British Open 2000

By Bob Harig
Special to ESPN Golf Online
Friday, July 21

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- With conditions at the Old Course so benign, several holes were playing quite easy during Friday's second round of the British Open. And that meant the players in contention had to take advantage.

One was the par-4 12th, which at 314 yards and with a prevailing breeze, was more like a par-3. Several players were able to drive the hole, including Phil Mickelson and Steve Flesch. Tournament leader Tiger Woods hit his tee shot over the green.

Mickelson made an eagle-2 at the hole, dropping a 60-foot putt that helped him shoot 30 on the back nine in a round of 66. He is tied for sixth and trails Woods by five shots.

"I was just trying to get it within a few feet and it went in and that gave me a little bit of momentum," Mickelson said. "Then I followed that with three more birdies. That stretch right there put me right back in the tournament."

Of the top 15 players on the leaderboard, only two -- Fred Couples and Tom Lehman -- failed to birdie the hole.

For the day, No. 12 yielded Mickelson's eagle and 53 birdies. There were six double-bogeys and a triple -- by Kyi Hla Han, who shot 81. But for the day, No. 12 averaged 3.923, making it the seventh easiest hole on the Old Course.