Shaky finish throws Tiger one stroke off

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Tiger Woods bogeyed two of the last three holes to concede the lead in the Quail Hollow Championship to Bubba Watson and Retief Goosen after two rounds on Friday.

Watson overpowered Quail Hollow, tying a course record with a 30 on the front nine, and shooting 7-under 65. Goosen, a two-time US Open champion who thrives on fast greens, had another 68 to join Watson atop the leaderboard with an 8-under 136.

Woods seized control with a 55-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole and had a two-shot lead for most of the back nine until a sloppy finish for a 72 that left him one shot behind.

Still, it was shaping up for an entertaining weekend packed with star power.

Ten players were separated by two shots going into the weekend on a course that proved it doesn’t need rough to be frightening, not with firm, slick greens that made it difficult to get close to the hole.

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson, one of eight players who had at least a share of the lead at one point, was the only player to reach 10-under par until he bogeyed the last three holes for a 67 and joined the group at 7-under 137 that included Woods, Jim Furyk (66) and George McNeill (68).

Another shot back was Phil Mickelson, whose 71 was anything but routine. Mickelson was finding his groove until he four-putted from 40 feet for double bogey on the 17th hole. He also had a two-putt par that featured two clubs – a 64-degree sand wedge on the fourth green to get over a steep slope and a putter for the remaining 5 feet.

He will play with Camilo Villegas, who had a 67.                                                   

Watson has never won a tournament and doesn’t get much attention except the freak show he puts on with his outrageous length, such as the 380-yard drive at No. 5 that left him a 9-iron into the green on the 569-yard par 5. He plays practice rounds with Woods when he can, but he expected a pairing with Woods in a tournament might be vastly different.

And he says he doesn’t like attention, especially when the cameras come around.

“It’s just because I play golf because I love the golf courses, I love to play, and now I’ve got all these strangers staring at me,” Watson said. “I get nervous around people.” (AP)