U.S. Open Update: Tiger Lurks Behind Leader

By John Nestor
PA SportsTicker Golf Editor

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- This is not the Buick Invitational, but Tiger Woods played like it was on his back nine Friday at Torrey Pines. Woods fired five birdies coming in for a 30 on his final nine holes and moved within a shot of the lead after the second round of the U.S. Open. Australian Stuart Appleby is alone in the lead at 3-under 139. Woods has won the PGA Tour's annual stop here six times as a professional, including each of the last four years.

Despite playing for the first time since undergoing knee surgery two days after The Masters, Woods was considered one of, if not, the favorite here. He showed why after the turn in Friday's second round. Woods put nothing worse than a four down on his scorecard for the entire back nine. He posted five consecutive threes - four of which were birdies - and looked right at home on a course he has come to dominate. He made his last birdie at the par-5 ninth to close out a 3-under-par 68 and move into a tie for second, one stroke behind Appleby.

Appleby birdied 18 by sinking a 50-foot bomb to grab the lead after a second-round 70. Rocco Mediate and Robert Karlsson are tied for second with Woods at 2-under 140. Woods was slow out of the gate again, but turned it on coming home. He double-bogeyed his first hole on Thursday and he started with a bogey on the 10th hole Friday. He bogeyed No. 12 but looked poised to turn things around with an eagle at the par-5 13th. But he had two more bogeys on his first nine and the comeback would have to wait until after the turn. "I was just hanging around, made an eagle on 13 but gave it right back on 16 and 17," Woods said. "Then on the back nine, I just started making some putts."

A lot of them. Woods hit fairway after fairway and gave himself a birdie chance on just about every hole on his back nine. After three pars, he closed his round with a six-footer for birdie on No. 9 to wrap up an impressive performance. "To be honest with you, I was just trying to get back to even-par for the tournament," Woods said. "I felt that if I played well on that back nine I could definitely get back to even-par and I would be right back in the championship, and all of a sudden I started running them in from everywhere."

Even though the monster putt at No. 18 gave Appleby sole possession of the lead, he is well aware of the loud footsteps behind him. "I think that you don't avoid it. It's always there. It's a given," Appleby said of Woods looming. "So I guess as players we're sort of used to it. It is very different playing with him. There's a whole lot of more movement, action, sounds, whatever it is. "So I mean, getting in your own world is certainly harder to do. And that's a learned skill in itself."

Mediate had the lead at 4-under for a good portion of the afternoon after he played his first seven holes in 2-under. He had a three-shot cushion at one point but while Woods was making a charge on his last nine holes, Mediate slipped back to the pack by playing them in 2-over 38. "I played as good a front nine as I could play," Mediate said.

Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks started the day tied for the lead but both tumbled down the leaderboard. Streelman went off in the early groups and stumbled to a 77 and is at 3-over for the tournament. Hicks signed for an 80 to drop to 6-over and barely make the cut.