Profile / Editor / 11 May 2007 / Leave a Comment

Phil Mickelson holds a one-shot lead over Australia's Nathan Green at the halfway stage of the Players' Championship after shooting a level-par 72 in the second round at Sawgrass.

The American struggled on the outward nine when picking up three bogeys to allow Green to open up a three-shot lead but he came bursting back on the way home and an eagle on the 16th edged him back in front.

Mickelson is five-under for the tournament and is trading at 2.98 to still be top of the leaderboard at the end of the tournament, although he admits he will have to play better to hold on.

"It gives me confidence heading into the weekend but I need to strike the ball better," Mickelson revealed.

"I think that double digits under par is probably going to end up winning."

Meanwhile, it was another bad day at the office for Tiger Woods, who fired a one-over par 73 to leave him on four-over and nine shots behind Mickelson.

Woods is available at 23 with Betfair to make up the ground and lift the Championship but admits he will have to get the putter going to have any chance.
"I've left so many putts short and others have dived across the front of the hole because they didn't have enough speed," said Woods.

"They're so slow, the greens, it's hard to make yourself hit the putts that hard.
"You remember some of the putts being so fast and running out. They don't do that anymore."

Elsewhere, Green is trading at 21 while Peter Lonard, Rod Pampling, Sean O'Hair and Sweden's Carl Petterson, who are a shot further behind on three-under are available at 26, 19.5, 19 and 24 respectively.