Crouching Tiger: Woods hit a six-under at the Deutsche Bank Championships BostonTiger Woods handed Corey Pavin a priceless Ryder Cup lift on Saturday by turning on the style in the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.
Woods emerged from a dismal run of form by firing a six-under-par 65 to stave off any fears of missing the cut. And it could also be the round that ensures Pavin names the world No 1 when he reveals his four Ryder Cup wildcards on Tuesday.
Pavin must have had doubts as Woods produced a grim 72 in the first round on Friday, an effort that left him close to the back of the 97-man field and in serious danger of not making the cut.
Pavin recently claimed Woods was ‘high on my list’ for a wildcard at Celtic Manor, but the captain’s patience would have been wearing thin after Friday’s one-over-par round, the latest in a run of poor performances where the low point was finishing next-to-last at last month’s Bridgestone Invitational.
But Woods, 34 and now divorced, seemed inspired yesterday when he carded six birdies and no bogeys to charge up the leaderboard.
Walking tall: The return to form of Woods is a huge lift for the US Ryder Cup teamWhile Woods’s fireworks gave Pavin a reason to be cheerful, it was a mixed day for Ryder Cup opposite number Colin Montgomerie.
Monty must have been delighted to see Miguel Angel Jimenez and Edoardo Molinari go toe to toe at the top of the leaderboard at the European Masters in Switzerland, but the form of Padraig Harrington continues to be a cause for concern.
Monty took a calculated gamble when he gave Harrington one of his three wildcards last week - even though the three-time Major champion had revealed in The Mail on Sunday last week that he believed he was not worth a place on the 12-man team.
Harrington has not had a win for two years and he will certainly not be breaking that duck at the Deutsche Bank.
On Saturday he shot a second-round 68, an improvement on his opening 74, but it put him on the verge of a missed cut and left more question-marks over Monty’s wisdom in picking him for next month’s showdown in Wales.
What made it embarrassing for Montgomerie was that Paul Casey, the player he overlooked for a captain’s pick, shot a 66 in the first round, eight better than Harrington, to lie three off the lead.
But there was better news from three more of Europe’s team, as young star Rory McIlroy began with a 64, Luke Donald, another of Monty’s picks, shot 65 and Ian Poulter returned a 67.
In Europe, Jimenez and Edoardo Molinari were continuing their excellent form at Crans-sur-Sierre where they go into today’s final round at the top of the leaderboard
United we stand: Miguel Angel Jimenez (left) and Edoardo Molinari are continuing their excellent form back in EuropeJimenez followed Friday’s 61 with a solid three-under-par 68 to be three shots clear of the Italian, who matched the Spaniard’s 68.
Jimenez would have been four clear but for a moment of absent-mindedness on the 10th fairway, when he forgot that placing was allowed only on the sixth hole and, by picking up his ball, incurred a one-shot penalty.
‘It’s a pity,’ said Jimenez. ‘I marked it and picked it up like a preferred lie. Then I thought, “What are you doing?” But I’m still feeling good. It’s very difficult to follow up a really low score. Anything you do looks like you are doing nothing.’
Molinari will remain confident of reeling in Jimenez, however. Last week he birdied the final three holes at Gleneagles to win the Johnnie Walker Championship.
source: dailymail
