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Mediate three clear, Woods battles at Bay Hill
2007-03-17
American Rocco Mediate, fully fit after a career plagued by back injury, charged into a three-shot lead while Tiger Woods struggled in the Arnold Palmer Invitational second round on Friday. The 44-year-old Mediate shrugged off swirling winds, intermittent rain and thick rough to fire a five-under-par 65 at the Bay Hill Club for a nine-under total of 131. Mediate made only one mistake in difficult conditions, three-putting for bogey at the par-three 14th, to finish three ahead of playing partner Paul Casey of Britain (70) and American John Rollins (65). Spaniard Sergio Garcia eagled the sixth on his way to a 69 and a share of fourth place at five under with Canada's Stephen Ames (67) and Americans Shaun Micheel (68), Vaughn Taylor (71) and Ben Curtis (67). Four-times champion Woods, joint leader overnight after opening with a sparkling 64, ran up a double-bogey seven after driving into water at the sixth on his way to a 73 and a tie for 13th at three under. The world number one, who reeled off four consecutive wins at Bay Hill from 2000, was frustrated with his entire game. "I hit some of the worst God-awful shots you've ever seen today," the 31-year-old American told reporters. "It was pathetic." FRUSTRATING DAY "I didn't drive it well at all and I had no touch on the greens. It was so frustrating out there. "At least I'm still in contention, at least I still have a shot at it this weekend," Woods added with a heavy sigh. Mediate, who has played a limited schedule over the last three years because of back trouble, made a steady start after teeing off at the par-four 10th. He birdied the 12th after pitching to 12 feet before stumbling at the 206-yard 14th with three putts from 40 feet. After rolling in a 20-footer to birdie the 16th, he reached the turn in one-under 35. Determined to raise his game after the turn, he picked up four more shots over the closing stretch, ending in style with a four-iron approach to three feet at the last. "That was a nice way to finish," said a smiling Mediate, who has not won on the PGA Tour since the 2002 Greater Greensboro Classic. "I was very comfortable with that last shot. COOLEST THING "I can still challenge myself against the best players in the world and that's the coolest thing of all," added the five-times PGA Tour winner, who had back surgery in 1994. "Things are coming around and I'm re-learning the game now. I've been hurt for three, almost four, years and I'm re-learning trust again. My whole golf swing has changed." Englishman Casey, tied for the overnight lead with Woods and Taylor, was delighted to stay in the hunt for his maiden PGA Tour title. "With the wind picking up, I'm very, very happy with a level-par round," he said after offsetting three birdies with three bogeys. "This is a tough set-up and, although the rain made some aspects easier, it made the rough a lot thicker. The goal was always to put myself in the mix of things and hopefully have a chance on Sunday afternoon, so I'm very handily placed." The Bay Hill layout has been beefed up since last year, changing from a par-72 to a par-70 with the fourth and 16th holes reduced to par-fours. The rough has also grown to four inches. Of the other big names in the field, 1998 winner Ernie Els carded a 70 to finish at one under, a stroke better than Masters champion Phil Mickelson who followed his opening 72 with a 68. The halfway cut fell at three-over 143. Among those missing out were former major winners Davis Love III, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer and Corey Pavin, plus defending champion Rod Pampling of Australia.
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