SANDWICH, England, 19 July 2003 — Tiger Woods and Ernie Els stayed on track for a final-day British Open showdown, moving into contention in yesterday’s second round as the tugging winds at Royal St. George’s eased.
South African Els kept alive his bid for back-to-back titles by firing a three-under-par 68 before Woods, one of the late starters, reeled off three early birdies to close to within a stroke of the early lead.
However, Woods, who scrambled well to save pars on 10 and 11, then slipped back with a four-putt double-bogey at the par-four 12th, where he needed three putts to hole out from just three feet.
With four holes to play, the world number one was level for the day, three behind leader Davis Love III, whose 72 left him at one-under 141, and the only player in the 152-man field at better than par.
“I woke up this morning and I felt I needed to get something going,” Els told reporters. “From tee to green, I was as good as I can get and I was really happy with my finish.
“I played very well at stages today. I’ve just got to get that putter a little bit warmer.”
Els, one of several big names to struggle at a windswept Sandwich on Thursday, mixed four birdies with a bogey to finish at four-over 146, level with 1994 champion Nick Price and left-hander Phil Mickelson, who both carded 72s. The world number two holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four second and then reached the green in two at the par-five fourth to set up birdie number two.
At this point, the winds had strengthened after a relatively calm dawn. The big-hitting South African, who had stumbled to an opening seven-over 78, dropped his first shot of the day when he misjudged his tee shot at the par-three 11th.
But he got back on track with birdies at the 459-yard 13th, where he holed out from six feet, and at the par-four 17th.
American Woods, bidding for his ninth major, birdied the 418-yard second after hitting his approach to just five feet, and drove the green at the par-five fourth to set up his second birdie.
Another birdie followed at the 532-yard seventh to take him within a shot of the pace-setting Love. But the 2000 champion, who had displayed crisp form with his approach play, overshot the green at the ninth to run up a bogey-five, and then slid back further with his double-bogey on 12.
Love, the 1997 US PGA champion, had fired an opening 69 and forged three clear of the field in bright afternoon sunshine with two birdies in an outward nine of 34.
But the 39-year-old American stumbled on the more difficult back nine, sandwiching three bogeys around a birdie-two at the par-three 11th before suffering another bogey at the par-four 17th after taking two shots to escape a greenside bunker.
He had to conjure a masterly pitch, using the contours of the green, to save par at the last to preserve his one-shot cushion.
South Korea’s SK Ho, who had been outright leader at four under after eagling the par-five fourth, struggled after the turn on his way to a two-over-par 73 and a 36-hole total of one-over 143.
