Golf: Bryant holds on to share of lead with Goosen

ATLANTA - Defending champion Retief Goosen rallied and Bart Bryant survived a midday wobble to share the second round lead at the Tour Championship today with Tiger Woods leading a chasing group three shots back.
Bryant, who shot a course record eight-under 62 yesterday, scrambled to a nervy two-under 68 for an encore. It was just enough to keep the 42-year-old journeyman atop the leaderboard at 10-under 130 alongside a charging Goosen.


The South African, who began the day two strokes behind the overnight leader, opened his round with a bogey at the first but that was the only blemish on the world number four's card as he hit five birdies on the way to a four-under 66.


Bryant, making his first appearance at the Tour Championship, said: "I'm gaining a lot of valuable experience. It's kind of uncharted territory for me, having that big of a lead in a tournament and learning to pace myself.


"I'm not even halfway done with the tournament, learning how to deal with the emotions. There's a lot of stuff going on. I'm happy to be at 10-under and happy to be tied for the lead."


It was another adventurous outing for Woods, who hit just three fairways all day, mixing six birdies with three bogeys for a three-under 67, leaving the world number one tied for third with Scott Verplank (66) and Ben Crane (65) at seven-under 133.


South Africa's Tim Clark (67) is one shot further adrift at 134 while Australian Stuart Appleby, who shared the best round of the day with Crane at five-under, and American Charles Howell III are five off the pace at five-under 135.


Stalked by some of golf's biggest names, Bryant refused to wilt under the intense pressure with three birdies on his first seven holes stretching his lead to five-strokes over the field before his first bogey of the week at the par-four eighth.


Bryant's moment in the spotlight appeared over as he continued to lose ground on the inward nine with back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13 until his slide was halted with a 29-foot putt for an eagle three on the par-five 15th.


"The eagle on 15 was huge, I really struggled from eight all the way through 13," said Bryant. "It was kind of a rough stretch of holes.


"At one point I had a five-shot lead. I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't realise I had quite that big of a lead. I did realise it pretty quickly when I was back at even."


Woods, the Tour champion in 1999, mounted an early charge with birdies on three of his first five holes.


However, he again spent most of the day digging himself out of trouble created by wayward tee shots, including one on the 14th that landed in the concession tent forcing him to take a drop between a bank of ice machines and portable toilets.


Bogeys at six, 10 and 11 sent the Masters and British Open champion diving down the leaderboard before back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13 put him back on course for a seventh title this season.


"It's been a lot of hard work but I've never hit the ball this hard either," said Woods. "Your margin for error becomes so much smaller.


"I have yet to take care of the par-fives. I've played the par-fives at even par, have yet to make a birdie. It's frustrating because if I take care of the par-fives I would be at the top of the leaderboard."


- REUTERS