Golf: Birdie saves a star below par

By DAVID LEGGAT

Those responsible for bringing the world's biggest sporting name to the New Zealand Open at Paraparaumu Beach would have been a sight to see midway through the second round yesterday afternoon.

As Tiger Woods battled a rugged day on the Kapiti Coast, rest assured that in a quiet part of the course, fingernails were being chewed and hair was being pulled out as they faced the very real prospect of the stellar drawcard packing his suitcase with half the Open still to be contested.

In the end, a birdie on the par-five 18th made sure that Woods lived to fight another day after a two-over 73. That left him at one-over 143, eight shots off the lead, shared by Australian pair James McLean and Stephen Leaney.

The pre-tournament thinking, that the field would be in pursuit of Woods at this point, now stands on its head.

He will be chasing from equal 41st on the grid. Making up that ground usually would not pose a significant problem for the greatest player of this generation. But only 22 players shot sub-par rounds on this gruelling links course yesterday.

McLean had not picked up a golf club in a month before arriving this week. The layoff obviously did the 23-year-old New South Welshman no harm as he posted a one-under 70.

As a nipper, McLean would try to drive a golf ball over the Murray River, which separates Victoria from New South Wales.

History does not record if he succeeded, but the challenge stood him in good stead, as he is not only a long hitter off the tee - 411 yards by way of example in a college event in Texas - but rated as one of the brightest prospects to come out of Australia in recent years.

Now living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, McLean came within a couple of shots of qualifying for the US PGA Tour last year and is gearing up for a busy year.

"I came here to try to get the rough stuff out of my game," he said.

It hasn't looked too scruffy so far, although McLean admitted he had an up and down day yesterday, an even spread of bogeys and birdies culminating in a 15ft putt for an eagle three at the 18th.

Yesterday, no one bettered the 67s of Leaney and Australian amateur Adam Groom, who pulled off the surprise round to jump into a three-way tie for third with Hamilton's Steve Alker and seasoned Australian Craig Parry at 136, one shot behind the leaders.

A bogey five at the 13th was the only blemish on Leaney's card yesterday.

He maintained that patience was the key.

"I didn't hit a lot of fairways. That's the key to this course, but I hung in there. You've got to be patient and accept that you're going to get bad breaks."

Michael Campbell kept in the frame with a one-over 72 to sit four shots behind the leaders.

Among those punished over the past two days are six former Open champions - Sir Bob Charles, Craig Jones, Lucas Parsons, Matthew Lane, Greg Turner and defending titleholder David Smail.

The day also produced the first hole-in-one of the Open, from Australian Andre Stolz, at the 137-yard 16th. It took him from one over to one under, and effectively ensured him of two more days' action.

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