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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Tiger Woods is playing well enough to stay in contention at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Woods shot 3-under 69 in the second round Friday and was six shots behind leader Paul McGinley. McGinley (65) was one ahead of Mark O'Meara (64). First-round leader Bradley Dredge was at par through nine holes. About half the field finished before darkness stopped play. The round will be completed today. The first two days were delayed by fog.
"I didn't play particularly well, but I ended up with a decent number to keep myself in the tournament," Woods said. "I basically just grinded around the golf course today. I didn't really do anything great. I just kept myself out of trouble until the last hole."
On that hole, Woods hit a poor drive, got an 8-iron approach to 40 feet, then three-putted for bogey. He tossed the ball into the air and threw his putter after missing from 5 feet.
Woods made two birdies as he completed the final six holes of the first round early Friday. McGinley made 13 birdies in his last 22 holes, consistently hitting approach irons close to the flag.
PGA TOUR: Phil Mickelson shot 3-under 69 in the second round of the Ford Championship at Doral, moving to 8-under 136 and one shot behind leader Retief Goosen (68). Craig Parry (65) and Todd Hamilton (68) also were 8 under. First-round leader Chris Smith's 76 dropped him to a tie for 25th at 3 under.
Mickelson would be atop the leaderboard if not for a few missed putts and the No.18, which is playing tougher than any hole on tour this year.
Mickelson bogeyed the 467-yard hole a second straight day. It has played into a strong wind both days. Tournament officials moved the tees closer Friday and put the pin on the front edge of the green, and the finishing hole yielded just 12 birdies - twice as many as in the opening round.
"I didn't mind making 5 on the hole," said Mickelson, who missed four "good" birdie opportunities on the front 9. "It doesn't bother me. It doesn't feel like bogey is a bad thing on that hole."
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Andy Bean shot 5-under 67 for a one-stroke lead over Jim Colbert and Stewart Ginn after the first round of the MasterCard Classic in Huixquilucan, Mexico. Bean is in his second season on tour after winning 11 times on the PGA Tour.
Colbert, 62, birdied three of his last four holes. Long Island club pro Darrell Kestner and Jay Sigel opened with 69, and Hale Irwin topped a group at 70. Defending champion David Eger shot 72. Jim Albus had a hole-in-one on the seventh hole, then added two bogeys and double bogey for 73.
AUSTRALIAN/EUROPEAN TOUR: Laura Davies shot 68 for the second straight day to take a four-stroke lead after the second round of the Women's Australian Open in Sydney. Davies' 8-under 132 led Sophie Sandolo, a former fashion model from Italy who shot 69.
Mianne Bagger, who became the first transsexual to play in a professional tournament, shot 2-over 74 but missed the cut after her opening 12-over 84.
"It was just really nice to put a solid game together," Bagger said. "I am very satisfied, it helps give me some credibility that I'm out here for the right reasons."