Tiger Woods of the United States holds up the ball after scoring an eagle on the 14th hole during the second round of the British Open championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake yesterday. - Reuters
HOYLAKE, England (Reuters):
A MAGICAL eagle two at the 14th hole helped champion Tiger Woods fire a course record-tying 65 to finish one stroke clear of Ernie Els in the British Open second round yesterday.
South African Els, without a victory for seven months, matched Woods' seven-under-par effort on a revamped Hoylake layout to climb into second place on 11-under 133 and set up a possible classic head-to-head with the world number one today.
American Chris DiMarco also carded a 65 to finish on 135, one ahead of Els' fellow countryman Retief Goosen (66) on another calm and sunny day.
The highlight of the round was the eagle at the tough 14th by early-starter Woods.
The world number one laun-ched a four-iron approach shot 201 yards over the corner of the dogleg and reacted with amazement after the ball had bounced five times before striking the bottom of the flagstick and dropping into the cup.
When he reached the green, he picked the ball out of the hole and lifted it high above his head to the resounding cheers of the crowd.
"It is a hole where you are just trying to make a four and get out of there," Woods told reporters. "A two was a huge bonus.
"I couldn't see the flag, I just tried to hold it against the wind and hit it flush. I wasn't trying to put the ball in the hole, I was just trying to get it on the green."
