Atlanta, GA (My Sportsbook) - Tiger Woods bogeyed the last hole on Friday, but still shot a two-under 68 and moved atop the leaderboard after the second round of The Tour Championship in his quest for a second FedEx Cup title in three years.
Woods finished 36 holes at five-under 135 and is one clear of first-round leader Sean O'Hair (70) and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington (69) at East Lake Golf Club.
"The day as a whole was a good day. I shot under par," said Woods, a two-time winner of the Tour Championship. "Today's round probably could have been one or two better for sure. But you know, overall I'm very pleased with my scoring the first two days."
Woods is in first on the FedEx Cup playoff points list and would pocket the $10 million title with a win this week. It might make a major-less 2009 campaign a little sweeter with the yearlong championship on his mantle.
If anyone in the top five on the points list wins this week, they will win the FedEx Cup. Woods can breathe a little easier since the four players directly below him in playoff points (Steve Stricker, Zach Johnson, Heath Slocum and Jim Furyk) are all outside the top 10 on the leaderboard.
Ernie Els fired a four-under 66 on Friday and moved into fourth place at minus-three. Kenny Perry (66) and Jerry Kelly (67) share fifth place at two- under 138.
Reigning British Open champion Stewart Cink began the second round in second place and got into the lead on Friday, but a disastrous 10th hole cost him. He made quadruple-bogey at 10 en route to a two-over 72. He is part of a large group tied for seventh at minus-one, four strokes behind the game's best.
Woods started relatively slowly on Friday with four consecutive pars. He hit a solid approach to 25 feet at the fifth, but three-putted for an unusual bogey.
He parred No. 6, then went on a run that propelled him atop the leaderboard.
Woods hit his second to seven feet to set up birdie at the seventh. He recorded back-to-back birdies with a short birdie putt at eight and made it three in a row with a nine-footer at the par-five ninth.
The birdie before the turn gave Woods the outright lead at five-under par. Harrington and Cink both joined Woods in first, but both found problems, none larger than Cink's
On the 10th tee, Cink's drive took one hop and landed out of bounds. After a penalty stroke, he put the ball in the ground, hit another one, only this time his tee ball sailed right over the fence and out of bounds.
Cink walked off with a quadruple-bogey eight and never threatened the top of the leaderboard again.
Harrington matched Woods in the lead thanks to a nine-foot birdie putt at the 12th. Two holes later, Harrington found the right trees, left bunker and two putts later, had a bogey that dropped him out of the lead.
Wood was alone in front and started to dial it in with his irons. Unfortunately, his putter didn't cooperate, but Woods still managed to extend his margin.
At the par-five 15th, Woods hit an amazing second shot to five feet. He missed the eagle effort and tapped in for a birdie to reach six-under and move two clear. On 16, Woods hit another laser-like approach, this time to four feet. Once again, the world's best missed the short putt and settled for par.
"Fifteen is okay, that's fine, that happens. Sixteen was just a bad putt," admitted Woods.
Woods saved a nice par at 17 after a drive into a tough lie in a bunker. He came up short with his second, but pitched to nine feet and converted the par putt. Harrington had five feet for birdie to get within one, but the three- time major winner pushed his putt and left with a par and a two-stroke deficit to Woods.
At the par-three closing hole, Woods hit a four-iron left of the putting surface against the grandstand. He took a free drop, but chunked his chip short of the green. Woods pitched on and made the two-footer for bogey.
The hiccup at the last cost Woods his cushion, but he still has the lead at the midway point. That's traditionally a very difficult spot for the remainder of the field.
U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover (71), Masters winner Angel Cabrera (67), Jason Dufner (68) and Nick Watney (69) joined Cink in seventh place at minus-one.
Phil Mickelson carded a three-under 67 on Friday and got back into contention at even-par 140.
"Going into the weekend, if I can get a hot round on Saturday I'll have a chance on Sunday," said Mickelson.
Furyk is part of the group tied for 12th with Mickelson, while Slocum is one shot further back at plus-one. Stricker and Johnson are tied for 21st at two- over-par 142.
