It’s still anybody’s game and claret jug

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This was billed as the most open of Opens and the 2012 extravaganza at Royal Lytham is definitely living up to that prediction.

Although American Brandt Snedeker (-10) and Aussie Adam Scott (-9) are sitting pretty at the head of the leaderboard at the halfway mark, so many players are still in with a big shout as far as the Claret Jug is concerned.

And ominously right there among them is 14-times major champion Tiger Woods, currently lying third at -6 and looking increasingly capable of taking a step closer to Jack Nicklaus’s 18 majors.

The Tiger is purring along nicely and seems to have regaind the uncanny knack of pulling out something extra special when it matters – he rounded-off with a birdie after holing out from a greenside trap at the 18th.

Woods, in this form and mood, can never be discounted. He’s barely broken sweat at the moment, is in total control of his game and you can bet your bottom dollar that Snedeker and Scott are well aware who’s spearheading the chasing pack.

Expect plenty of jostling for final day positioning tomorrow before the dirt really hits the pan – 30mph wind gusts are expected to blow up on Sunday and that should see Lytham, with its knee high cabbage and 206 bunkers, really cut up rough and bare its teeth.

Links specialists Graeme McDowell and Paul Lawrie will be rubbing their hands in glee at the very prospect of more testing final day conditions. Both are handily placed at -4 and with wind on the way they’ll be relishing a taste of true links golf at last. “I’m right where I want to be,” said GMac.

World no.1 Luke Donald (-2) is quietly and efficiently going about his business – as he usually does – and will be fancying his chances too. Then again, so will umpteen others in the field but almost certainly none more so than Woods who seems to have the bit firmly between his teeth again.

Sadly Rory McIlroy (+2) and Lee Westwood are too far back with the latter just making the +3 cut. But at least they survived to play at the weekend – unlike former champions David Duval and Stewart Cink, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose and Paul Casey and Phil Mickelson (both +11) who literally crashed out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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