Opposites Attract In U.S. Open Woods Soars, Montgomery Falls, Yet They’re Tied Behind Lehman

Numbers are merely lines on paper, keystrokes on a computer that measure the shell but not the soul. Nowhere was that more true than Friday at the U.S. Open.

Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie were both four strokes behind leader Tom Lehman going into today’s third round.

Yet one was a man on the move and the other was moving like a man groping in the dark for the doorknob and the way out.

Woods, who seemed more likely to miss the cut than win the tournament after an opening round 74, was locked in on his iron game and shot a 67 to finish 36 holes at 1-over-par 141.

“Today I shot myself back into it,” Woods said. “I’m back in the tournament.”

Montgomerie, meanwhile, hit only five fairways at Congressional Country Club after landing in the short grass 13 of 14 times in the first round and followed his 65 with a 76 in which he made no birdies.

As frustrated as Woods appeared on Thursday, Montgomerie was even more exasperated as he gave back all of the nine-stroke lead he had over Woods after the first round.

Montgomerie, who had said the U.S. Open was his favorite tournament, blamed Friday’s round on his health, the weather and the fans.

“I haven’t felt well since I’ve been here and I don’t feel well now,” he said. “I tend to suffer more than most with the heat and the humidity.”

Montgomerie was heckled by a fan after missing a putt on No. 9 and yelled: “Save it for the Ryder Cup.” After the painful round, he said he feared for his wife’s safety because of the rowdy fans.

He clearly had lost the poise needed on a tedious U.S. Open course.

Unlike Montgomerie, Lehman, Woods and Ernie Els did what they had to do to position themselves perfectly.

Now they have to do it again - and again - only this time with the intense pressure, devilish pin placements and feelings of panic that come with the weekend at the U.S. Open.

Lehman didn’t give any strokes back, recovering from two bogeys in the first three holes to shoot an even-par 70 for the 36-hole lead at 3-under-par 137.

Els played with the same calm confidence and magnificent touch he had at Oakmont when he won the 1994 U.S. Open and rallied with a 67 to move within one stroke of Lehman, along with Stewart Cink, who also had a 67.

Cink, a 24-year-old pro who has missed the cut eight times in his first full year on the PGA Tour, started with a birdie on the first hole and erased two back-nine bogeys with three birdies in getting to 138 along with Els.

Playing with patience and poise - and hitting just enough spectacular shots - Lehman, Els and Woods maintained their composure on a day in which many of those around them were self-destructing.

“I think the history of the U.S. Open is that if … you’re in the lead and don’t beat yourself, you have a great chance of winning,” Lehman said.

Jeff Maggert also fought his way back into the tournament with a 66, the low round of the day, and finished two rounds at 139.

Because of a nearly 3-hour lightning delay, 45 players didn’t finish before dark. Among those was Hal Sutton, who started the day at 4 under par but fell to 1 under through 15 holes. Mark McNulty was 2 under through 14 holes.

Steve Stricker, who also began play at 4 under par, followed his opening-round 66 with a 76. John Daly withdrew abruptly after nine holes and was 10 over par at the time.

Woods, trying to become the second person to win the U.S. Open after trailing by nine strokes, started the day behind 79 golfers and likely would be in the top 10 when the round was completed this morning.

“The key is to keep getting better each day,” said Woods. “And right now at 1 over, if I keep hitting the ball better and better, I’ll be right there hopefully on the back nine on Sunday.”

Woods appeared much more relaxed Friday than he was a day earlier when he banged clubs and stomped off after the round, refusing to talk to reporters.

His iron play was simply sensational. His three fewer putts on Friday was simply because he put the ball closer to the hole than he did in the first round. He started his round with four birdies in the first seven holes, all on putts of 8 feet or less.

“Today I hit the ball much more solid,” he said. “Look at my front nine. I stuffed it a lot of times with perfectly pin-high shots.”

Woods continued, however, to have problems with the back nine, where he shot a 40 Thursday.

He made birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 - hitting the ball close both times - but had three bogeys, twice because he hit into the 5-inch deep rough and once after a three-putt from 35 feet following the suspension of play.

Lehman, who played in the same group with Woods, also hit some great iron shots, and he needed them to erase bogeys he made on the second and third holes.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: LEADERBOARD Leaders Friday after the second round of the 97th U.S. Open on the 7,213-yard, par 35-35 - 70 Congressional Country Club course:

Tom Lehman 67-70 - 137 Ernie Els 71-67 - 138 Stewart Cink 71-67 - 138 Jeff Maggert 73-66 - 139 Tiger Woods 74-67 - 141 Colin Montgomerie 65-76 - 141