Sports

Golf

Woods' troubles open door at Dubai

Associated Press
Published February 4, 2006

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Two shots into the water cost Tiger Woods the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic.

Danish journeyman Anders Hansen made nine birdies for a 9-under 63, and Retief Goosen celebrated his 37th birthday with a 5-under 67 to share the second-round lead at 13-under 131.

Woods hit two balls into water, one for a bogey and another for a double bogey, but still managed a 66 to tie for third with Nick Dougherty (66) and first-round co-leader Richard Green (69). They trail the leaders by two at 11-under.

Woods seemed headed for a score in the low 60s - he opened with an eagle and was 6-under after eight holes.

"I turned a great round into a - a round. Frustrating," Woods said. "You know me, I hate dropping shots. Especially when you have a good round going like that."

Defending champion Ernie Els was three off the leaders with a 66. He made his 70th straight cut on the European tour, breaking Bernhard Langer's record of 69.

Six players failed to complete the round because of darkness and will finish early today before the third round.

Goosen made his season debut at the Dubai after a six-week break. He tied for the lead on the final hole, dropping a twisting 20-foot birdie putt after his 3-iron to the green barely cleared water at the front.

"There was about a yard-and-a-half break on the putt, so it was nice to roll that one in," Goosen said. "I was a little bit on the lucky side."

Woods' round collapsed on his ninth hole, the 547-yard 18th, with a water ball and a bogey.

His drive found a hazard down the right side. The ball rested against TV cables, near a stoney bank surrounding a pond. He was allowed to move the cables, but then sliced a low iron into the water protecting the front of the green. Taking a penalty, he hit his fourth shot to seven feet, but missed the putt to save par.

"I didn't have a very good lie, and I was marginal whether I should go for it or not," Woods said. "I was just trying to hit the ball somewhere to the left of the hole and it just squirted off to the right and fell in a little nosedive."

The second nine was up and down - four birdies to go with a double bogey. He found water again on the par-3 fourth, dropping his tee shot into a pond to the right of the green. He made double bogey after failing to drop a 2-foot putt. He added a bogey on No. 6 before closing with three pars.

Hansen, a one-time winner on the European Tour in 11 years, couldn't stop smiling about his nine-birdie performance.

"I was grinning and laughing on 14 and my caddie asked me why, and I wouldn't tell him," Hansen said. "I just felt I couldn't go wrong, and that feeling is such a good feeling. I wish I could have that every day. All of a sudden today, everything seemed to go in."

Goosen had other things on his mind besides golf. His 3-year-old son, Leo, escaped injury Thursday in a car accident in London.

PGA: J.J. Henry birdied a tournament-record seven holes in a row en route to a 10-under-par 61 and a four-stroke lead halfway through the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The 30-year-old Henry was one stroke off the tournament-record round of 60, and he bettered his previous career-best round by three strokes. His string of birdies on the ninth through 15th holes fell one shy of the Tour record of eight in a row.

"I guess you could say I was in that zone," Henry said.

Never a winner on Tour, Henry was at 14-under-par 128 through 36 holes.

"It was just one of those days," Henry said. "The hole looked big for some reason."

Tour-rookie J.B. Holmes, 22, shot a 7-under 64 and was four back at 10-under 132. First-round co-leader Steve Lowery and Paul Stankowski were at 9-under 131.

Mark Calcavecchia, a three-time winner of what used to be called the Phoenix Open, tied with David Toms and Ryan Palmer at 8-under 132.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson double-bogeyed his final hole, the par-4 ninth, to fall to 7-under 131.

[Last modified February 4, 2006, 00:33:08]

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