Tiger takes charge to leave the rest behind

(REUTERS)

And then there was one. The same one as usual. Minnesota turned out in record numbers here yesterday to watch yet another rerun of the Tiger Woods Show. They were not disappointed.

The plot might not have been ordered – indeed, it was damned messy at times – but the hero, as he tends to, stepped through in the end. Recent history assures us that this USPGA is as good as over.

At seven-under, Woods will take a four-shot lead into today's third round, the largest advantage he has held at the halfway point in a major since the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach. While nothing is certain in this game, particularly on a drying course measuring more than 7,600 yards, it is now long odds-on that Woods will lift his 15th major title tomorrow evening. Padraig Harrington, in joint second with Vijay Singh and Ross Fisher, will pay no heed whatsoever to that likelihood and the manner which he fought back screamed of a defending champion who will not give up, no matter how forlorn the task.

On the 15th hole, Harrington unfurled one of the greatest shots in this or any other major. Unbelievably on the 642-yard par-five, he hit a three wood 301 yards – from a bunker. It was the highlight of an hour or so of white-knuckled, rollercoaster action. Challengers to Woods' leadership rose; and then tumbled away. Fisher did so most spectacularly, going through the first 16 holes in six-under. In the blustery conditions, with the greens crusting up, it was a stunning round. But then reality poked in its head and Fisher finished bogey, bogey.

Nevertheless, a 68 equalled the day's best and on three-under Fisher is high up on the major leaderboards once more. The Englishman finished fifth in the US Open and held a three-shot lead in the final round at the Open three weeks ago. Of the 15 players who made the cut in this season's opening three majors, Fisher has the best aggregate score. At the very least, the 28-year-old should be able to protect his position here this weekend.

As it is, he probably does not represent Britain's best chance of a first Wanamaker Trophy. Lee Westwood, another star of the Turnberry drama, might hold that distinction despite three-putting from four feet on the 17th for a double bogey. With a hole remaining last night he was two-under and had established himself in the frame. In truth, that happens to be a very wide frame now that Woods has skipped the field. Many expected this to happen after his opening 67.

It was the first time Woods had held the first-round lead at a major since the 2005 Open at St Andrews. He won on that occasion, just as he had the three previous times he had been the opening day pacesetter (the 2000 and 2002 US Opens and the 2000 USPGA). In fact, the only majors in which he did not convert, having grasped the principal advantage, were the Open and USPGA of 1998, when he was still chasing his follow-up glory to the 1997 Masters. It did not take too long for the penny to drop and the gun to fire and for Woods to become the finest front-runner the game has ever seen.

Certainly his rivals know all about the one-sided nature of the stats. "It should be brutal out there this afternoon, but you never know with Mr Woods," said Ian Poulter, after he finished on two-under and felt the gusts getting stronger. "He's pretty impressive, you know, when holding a lead."

Yes he is and the further he leads into a tournament the more impressive he gets. Famously, Woods has won all of his 14 majors when holding or sharing the lead after 54 holes. What isn't so famous, but probably should be, is his record when holding or sharing the lead after 36 holes. His eight from eight ratio must also rank as one his sport's more incredible feats.

And so the challenge to the rest was clear here last night. Somebody, anybody, had to dislodge the Big Bird from his favourite perch – or else. Harrington, his perennial playing partner, posed the early threat when drawing alongside Woods, on the very first hole when the world No 1 produced a highly uncharacteristic weak 10-foot effort for par. By the eighth Woods had pulled two shots clear and when he struck his tee-shot to eight feet on the par-three ninth the obits for this major were already being penned.

At that moment, Harrington hit his first brilliant shot of the day, landing it over the bunker and running it to within five feet, inside Woods. The latter missed, the former made and when Woods bogeyed the 10th they were level again. Yet Harrington went backwards for a while thereafter, bogeying three in a row from the 11th and, very briefly, it was Fisher daring to pull alongside Woods. It was then that Mr Immortal lengthened that legendary stride of his.

All day he had been scrambling rather than cruising. Suddenly his momentum changed. He drove the 14th green, followed Harrington on in two on the 15th green and holed a 20-footer on the 16th. He actually looked disgusted when not notching his fourth birdie in succession on the 17th and was furious when bogeying the last. That meant him signing for a 70 and there was a ray of hope for his rivals in that number.

In each of his 14 majors, Woods has always broken 70 in the second round. That acknowledged, is there still any chance of Woods not ending his blank major year here? You would be a brave man to bet against it.

"Yes, Tiger is the greatest golfer we've ever seen, but at the end of the day, he's just like me and you," said Fisher. "He's just a human being. There's only one challenge. You've just got to beat the guy. You've got to go head to head with him and you've got to get the ball around in less strokes than him. Simple as that." "Said", "easier" and "done", spring to mind.

Hazeltine scores: Selected second round

(Par 72, US unless stated)

137 T Woods 67 70

141 V Singh (Fiji) 69 72, L Glover 71 70, B Jones (Aus) 71 70 L Glover 71 70, R Fisher (Eng) 73 68, P Harrington (Irl) 68 73

142 I Poulter (Eng) 72 70

143 S Kjeldsen (Den) 70 73, E Els (SA) 75 68 YE Yang (S Kor) 73 70, M Kaymer (Ger) 73 70

144 G Sturgeon 73 71, J Merrick 72 72, D Toms 69 75, C Pavin 73 71, G Ogilvy (Aus) 71 73, T Clark (SA) 76 68, J Mallinger 73 71, R McIlroy (NIrl) 71 73, R Allenby (Aus) 69 75, H Stenson (Swe) 73 71, K Perry 74 70, H Mahan 69 75

145 JJ Henry 72 73, B Crane 70 75, M Allen 74 71, KJ Choi (S Kor) 73 72, B Curtis 73 72, K Sutherland 73 72, S Ames (Can) 74 71, G McDowell (NIrl) 70 75

146 J Rollins 73 73, J Overton 72 74, C Schwartzel (SA) 76 70, O Wilson (Eng) 74 72, W Austin 73 73, S Cink 73 73, A Cabrera (Arg) 76 70, J Overton 72 74, T Jaidee 70 76, C Schwartzel 76 70

147 A Kim 73 74, T Levet (Fra) 72 75, C Wood (Eng) 74 73

148 R Goosen (SA) 77 71, P Mickelson 74 74, MA Jimenez (Sp) 75 73, A Forsyth (Sco) 73 75, L Donald (Eng) 71 77

Projected Cut--------------------------------------

149 S Appleby (Aus) 74 75, S Garcia (Sp) 71 78

150 B Davis (Eng) 76 74, S Elkington (Aus) 75 75,

151 S Stricker 74 77, S Webster (Eng) 76 75,

153 J Dufner 79 74, C Montgomerie (Sco) 75 78

154 P Azinger 74 80, D Clarke (NIrl) 78 76

161 A Scott (Aus) 82 79