Saturday, January 8, 2000

Associated Press
Tiger Woods celebrates a birdie on No. 13.

He drives his way to a four-shot lead
at the Mercedes as he pursues a
record fifth tournament
win in a row

Second round standings

By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

KAPALUA, Maui - Same old, same old.

Tiger Woods is picking up where he left off last century.

Winner of four straight tournaments at the end of 1999, Woods shot a 7-under 66 for a 36-hole total of 137 to take a four-stroke lead going into today's third round of the Mercedes Championships opening the 2000 PGA Tour season.

As far as he's concerned, 1999's over and done with. It's already in the books.

"That was last year. This is a whole new year. This is a fresh start. That's how I view it," Woods said yesterday after blowing past first-day leaders Jesper Parnevik and Duffy Waldorf at the windswept, par-73 Plantation Course.

Yeah, sure.

Woods is again on his accustomed perch - atop the leaderboard in this 30-player field for champions only. Compared to the others, he looked as though he was playing a different golf course.

ON TV ESPN will broadcast the last two rounds of the Mercedes Championships beginning at 3 p.m. today and Sunday.

"The guy is kind of freak, you know," said Ernie Els, paired with Woods again today after shooting a 70, the next best score in the second round.

"Tiger. Man, what can you say? The guy's on fire. What can you do?"

But the two-time U.S. Open champion who played with Woods only once last year when he was on his roll, welcomes the challenge.

"I like playing with Tiger. It's good for myself, for my game. See where I've got to go to. I'll just try to play my game, do my thing and see what he does. I'd like to beat him, but it's going to take a lot."

It's going to take a lot of birdies, which could be placed on the endangered list by their rarity.

Associated Press
Spectators and even a cameraman help red-shirted Jesper
Parnevik search for his ball on the 12th hole yesterday.
Parnevik took a double-bogey on the par-4 hole and
is six strokes behind leader Tiger Woods.

Woods bagged more than his quota, including five on his last seven holes, with an awesome display of length and creative shot-making to pull away from the pack.

Length?

He drove two downwind par-4 holes - the 398-yard sixth and 373-yard 12th - for two-putt birdies. He also missed eagle tries from 20 feet at two par-5 holes, Nos. 5 and 12.

At the 12th hole Woods thought the marshal signaled that the green was clear. His drive rolled across the green, just missing Jim Furyk, who was sizing up his putt.

The marshal later apologized to Woods.

"I didn't think you were going for it," he told Woods.

That hole cost Parnevik the lead for good, as he double-bogeyed it . for the second straight day en route to 74, dropping him to third place at 143.

Jeff Sluman, who heads to Honolulu next week to defend his Sony Open title, shot his second 72 for 144 and fourth place. Furyk, Mercedes defending champion David Duval and Tim Herron were next at 145.

Associated Press
Tiger Woods chips the ball up to the 14th green of the Plantation
Course during second-round play of the Mercedes Championships.

Besides Woods and Els, only Sluman, Herron and Tom Tryba could break par yesterday. Waldorf, who trailed Parnevik by a shot after the opening round, had a trouble-filled 76 to fall back to 146.

A double-bogey 6 at the fourth hole yesterday was the only blip on Els' scorecard in two rounds.

"Ernie hit a lot of good shots today," said Woods. "It was a very difficult day. He missed a few, but we're going to do that out there under these conditions."

But it was Tiger, Tiger, burning bright.

"To see him play this golf course, I mean, it's awesome," said Els. "This golf course is just perfect for him, the fairways are as wide as anything."

Els quickly added, however, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not out there playing for second. I'm going to try and win."

---

MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Kapalua, Maui
Second round
Par 73

Tiger Woods -- 71-66--137
Ernie Els -- 71-70--141
Jesper Parnevik -- 69-74--143
Jeff Sluman -- 72-72--144
Tim Herron -- 74-71--145
David Duval -- 72-73--145
Jim Furyk -- 72-73--145
Brent Geiberger -- 73-73--146
Duffy Waldorf -- 70-76--146
Brad Faxon -- 72-76--148
Mike Weir -- 76-73--149
Paul Lawrie -- 76-73--149
Glen Day -- 74-75--149
Stuart Appleby -- 73-76--149
Ted Tryba -- 80-70--150
Hal Sutton -- 77-73--150
Steve Elkington -- 76-74--150
David Toms -- 75-75--150
Vijay Singh -- 73-77--150
Carlos Franco -- 78-73--151
Tom Pernice Jr. -- 75-76--151
Jeff Maggert -- 80-72--152
Rocco Mediate -- 79-73--152
Gabriel Hjertstedt -- 78-74--152
Olin Browne -- 77-75--152
Notah Begay III -- 73-79--152
Brian Henninger -- 77-78--155
Loren Roberts -- 76-80--156
J.L. Lewis -- 78-81--159
Rich Beem -- 84-77--161