World number one Tiger Woods has his maiden Australian title firmly in his sights after establishing a three shot lead over the rest of the field at the half way mark of the 2009 JBWere Masters at Kingston Heath today.
 
Shooting a second round bogey free four under 68 Woods finished the day on ten under par taking a handy three shot lead over Australians James Nitties and Greg Chalmers and American Jason Dufner.
 
The 14 time Major Champion, flanked by the majority of the 24, 007 strong crowd, fired off two successive birdies on his opening holes before picking up two more at the sixth and par five 12th. Whilst he enjoys a three shot buffer Woods admitted today was more of a challenge than yesterday’s opening round as the wind picked up late in the day.
 
“Today I didn’t really do anything great so shoot a 68 was pretty good considering the conditions,” said Woods.
 
“It was alot faster, the fairways were quicker and it became pretty apparent that you had to miss the ball in the correct spots to have any kind of chance.”
 
“I didn’t quite hit the ball as clean as I did yesterday, but then again the wind was blowing and I did have a couple of short birdie putts that I missed but I also the two big par putts...so to not drop a shot today on a par, those are the days that you feel quite good about it.”
 
Nitties, who shot an opening round 66 to hold the overnight lead with Woods was sitting comfortably at nine under par with four holes to play but disappointing bogeys at 15 and 17 saw the 27 year old drop back to seven under and lose his chance to play in tomorrow’s final group with the world number one.
 
That honour goes to Dufner courtesy of being first in with the scorecard, whilst Nitties and Chalmers will be partnered in the second last group.
 
It was the same story for 36 year old Chalmers who followed his first round 68 with a shot a solid four under par 69. Eight under after 16 he hooked his second shot on 17 and finished with a bogey.
 
“I was a little disappointed I made bogey on 17,” said Chalmers, knowing he had missed out playing with Woods tomorrow. “It’s very rare when he comes down here so to play with him at anytime is always a pleasure, so I was a little frustrated by that but at the same time I have played with him before – it just would have been nice in Australia to have a game with Tiger Woods.
 
It was Dufner though who produced the round of the day shooting a five under 67. The 32 year old American who finished 11th on the FedExCup Standings on the USPGA TOUR shot five birdies on the front nine turning in 31 and reaching nine under par before two late bogeys saw him drop two shots.
 
Three players are tied for fifth place on six under par including Australians Mathew Goggin (70) and Ashley Hall (69) and Manny Villegas (68), younger brother of USPGATOUR star Camillo. Taking a share of eighth place is Stuart Appleby (70), Cameron Percy (72), New Zealand’s Mahal Pearce (68) and last week’s Cellarbrations Queensland PGA Champion Steven Bowditch.
 
Of the other leading Australian contenders, John Senden (69) is on two-under alongside Adam Scott (71), a stroke clear of Richard Green (71) while Rod Pampling, who played with Woods, shot a 70 for three-under overall. Craig Parry, also in Woods’ group made the cut by one shot after a 76 and Geoff Ogilvy shot a 73 to finish on one over.
 
Coming off Thursday's one-over 73, Aaron Baddeley was in danger of disappearing out the back door when he double-bogeyed his fifth hole for the morning, the par-five 14th, which has proved easy pickings for virtually all the leading contenders.
But the 2007 Australian Masters champion who also won the Australian Open at the Heath in 2000 redeemed himself with a scorching inward nine.
 
An eagle at the first was the trigger and he kept it going with a flurry of birdies from 5 through 7 for a 68 which has him at three-under overall.
 
77 players made the cut of three over including amateur Matthew Giles from NSW.
Day three of the 2009 JBWere Masters begins tomorrow with the first group teeing off at 7:10am while Dufner and Woods will begin their round at 1:07pm.