Pampling one off the pace

Tournament host Tiger Woods took charge at the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club on Friday with Australian Rod Pampling his nearest challenger.

Pampling shot the best round of the day - a six-under-par 64 - to move to nine-under overall, just one shot behind Woods.

Compatriot Stuart Appleby posted a solid 69 to remain in the hunt at five-under, while Steve Elkington failed to consolidate his great opening round as he crashed down the leaderboard with a three-over 73.

James Nitties is tied with Elkington at two-under, with Aaron Baddeley and Peter Lonard at even-par.

March Leishman, John Senden, Nick O'Hern and Nathan Green all did enough to make the cut, but there was no such joy for Robert Allenby, Jason Day, Mathew Goggin and Aron Price.

With big crowds turning out in the Washington DC area at the start of the July 4 holiday weekend, Woods followed Thursday's six-under-par 64, his lowest opening round in two years, with a 66 on the par-70, 7,255-yard Blue Course in Bethesda, Maryland.

The five-birdie, one-bogey round took the world No.1 into an early second-round lead at 10-under par and he held on to it after overnight leader Anthony Kim failed to build on his course record, eight-under 62 in the first round.

The leader, though, was far from happy with his day's work.

"I didn't drive the ball as well as I did yesterday or hit my irons as crisp," Woods said.

"Either I hit it pretty close to the hole, within 10 feet, or I was missing greens. So it was a little bit of two ends today."

"It was nice to actually get a score out of it. I didn't shoot myself in the foot and had a stretch there from basically 17 through three where I didn't really hit the ball all that well but somehow was able to get through it and keep the momentum of the round going."

Kim had got to 10 under after eight holes before three bogeys undermined his good work. A birdie at the 16th, though left him with a level-par 70 to finish two strokes behind Woods in third place.

Kim was happy to have remained in the hunt after surviving a tough round.

"It was a grind, possibly one of the toughest ball-striking days I've had in a long time, even with all my injuries (this year) and I feel good," Kim said.

"I stayed positive and made a couple of key putts to keep me in it so it's not so bad to be third after a rough day."

Jim Furyk shot a 67 to move into fourth place at seven under with Americans Bryce Molder and DA Points both shooting level 70s and Sweden's Daniel Chopra carding a 68 to take a share of fifth place at six under.

US Open champion Lucas Glover followed an opening 69 by matching playing partner Woods with a 66 to take him to five under for the tournament, where newly turned professional Danny Lee of New Zealand was among those joining him following a 67.

Meanwhile, Richard Green and Scott Strange are in contention at the halfway mark of the French Open at Le Golf National.

Green shot a four-under-par 67 to move to seven-under overall, three shots behind leader Rafa Echenique.

Strange had to settle for a 72 and a tie for ninth place.

Meanwhile, Padraig Harrington's nightmare run of