r2 - tiger poised

Luke Donald and Henrik Stenson, likely Ryder Cup team-mates next month, displayed the form that they hope will make them the man to end Europe's seven-year wait for a major winner on Sunday.

The pair jointly lead the United States PGA Championship in Chicago at halfway with Americans Billy Andrade and Tim Herron on eight under par.

Stenson had his second successive 68 before lunch, then Donald matched that late in the day - just before Tiger Woods birdied the last to be only one behind with Australia's US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Ryder Cup hopeful Davis Love.

Woods, having given playing partner and great rival Phil Mickelson a three-shot start in the first two holes of the opening round, reached the 36-hole mark three ahead of him.

But Mickelson, who birdied the last to make up for bogeys on the previous two, literally had the last laugh.

As Woods was being interviewed in the rain the world number two held his umbrella over the Open champion's head, but then tilted it so that Woods' face was hidden and the name of Mickelson's sponsors filled the screen.

Donald and Stenson were not carrying European hopes on their own. Sergio Garcia, runner-up to Woods at the same venue in 1999, was on five under despite a triple bogey seven on his card, as was Stenson's fellow Swede Daniel Chopra.

Ian Poulter and Jose Maria Olazabal are just one further back and Lee Westwood three under - after two bogeys in his last three.

However, there was a cull of the British and Irish contingent. Colin Montgomerie, Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Stephen Dodd, John Bickerton, Kenneth Ferrie and Paul Broadhurst crashed out along with Greg Owen, Nick Dougherty, Bradley Dredge and Simon Khan.

Woods was grateful for a helping hand at the start of his day's work. His opening drive was heading deep into the trees when, on its first bounce, a man in the crowd stretched out his arm and brought the ball down.

He still could not make the green from the rough, though, and did well to salvage his par.

Donald has based himself in Chicago since his student days and knows Medinah Country Club well. It showed as he birdied three of the first five holes and then kept a bogey off his card until picking up another shot thanks to a pitch to six feet on the 15th.

Stenson resumed on four under par and made a dream start.

First he hit a superb eight-iron recovery from a fairway bunker on the first to six feet, then his seven-iron tee shot to the 191-yard second finished just two feet from the hole.

Fourth in the battle for places in the European team with only two more events to come - Donald is fifth - he was three clear after further birdies at the ninth, 11th and 13th early in the day.

The finish was a bit of a mixed bag - bogeys at the 15th and 18th, but a birdie at the dangerous 17th - but it was all good enough to boost his confidence with the K Club clash only five weeks away now.

Stenson was certainly enjoying himself more than he did on his debut in the event last year.

The big-hitter was playing his first-ever tournament in America then, but the week was marred by his girlfriend Emma Lofgren being robbed in a New York restaurant.

Montgomerie's 77-71 for four over was four strokes too many.

"I played better today, but yesterday was disappointing - I didn't play very well at all," he said on missing his third cut in the majors this season.

"It was bitty. My rhythm's not quite there."

Casey was only one shot better - his Ryder Cup place is not safe yet - but Garcia showed his class in coming back from a seven on the 438-yard 11th, his second.

"I missed the green, then chipped over it, then chipped into a bunker. It was huge mistake, but I came back nicely."

Poulter commented: "After an early bogey I was rock steady. It's like the US Open. You can't be silly. You can't go at really tight flags and you just can't press."

David Howell was on two under after another 71, but said: "That was a real grind. The club felt alien in my hands. Hopefully that's my bad day."

With the cut falling at level par Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell made it with one to spare.

Chopra had a 67 to move onto five under after coming into the tournament as third reserve when Paul McGinley decided on Sunday to withdraw so he could attend the funeral of Darren Clarke's wife Heather.

Seventh reserve Andrade had no expectations of playing, but was called up on Wednesday after Steve Elkington pulled out.

Collated second-round scores (USA unless stated, par 72):

136 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 68 68, Billy Andrade 67 69, Luke Donald (Gbr) 68 68, Tim Herron 69 67

137 Davis Love 68 69, Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 68, Tiger Woods 69 68

138 Chris Riley 66 72, David Toms 71 67, Fred Funk 69 69, Billy Mayfair 69 69

139 Shaun Micheel 69 70, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 72 67, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 69 70, Steve Stricker 72 67, Tim Clark (Rsa) 70 69, Mike Weir (Can) 72 67

140 Adam Scott (Aus) 71 69, Woody Austin 71 69, Ian Poulter (Gbr) 70 70, Lucas Glover 66 74, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 72 68, KJ Choi (Kor) 73 67, Phil Mickelson 69 71

141 Jonathan Byrd 69 72, Olin Browne 75 66, Ernie Els (Rsa) 71 70, JB Holmes 71 70, Chris DiMarco 71 70, Lee Westwood (Gbr) 69 72, JJ Henry 68 73, Harrison Frazar 69 72

142 Nathan Green (Aus) 71 71, Sean O'Hair 72 70, Jim Furyk 70 72, David Howell (Gbr) 71 71, Steve Lowery 70 72, Richard Green (Aus) 73 69, Jim Kane 71 71, Stewart Cink 68 74, Robert Allenby (Aus) 68 74

143 Jason Gore 70 73, Kenny Perry 72 71, Bob Tway 72 71, Justin Rose (Gbr) 73 70, Jeff Maggert 75 68, Stephen Ames (Can) 74 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 73, Corey Pavin 72 71, Jay Haas 75 68, Charles Warren 73 70, Ryan Palmer 70 73, Steve Flesch 72 71, Anders Hansen (Den) 72 71, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70 73, Heath Slocum 73 70, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 73, Chad Campbell 71 72, Graeme McDowell (Gbr) 75 68, Ryan Moore 71 72, Don Yrene 71 72

144 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 71 73, Dean Wilson 74 70, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn) 73 71, Joey Sindelar 74 70, Jerry Kelly 70 74, Rich Beem 75 69, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 73 71, Ben Curtis 72 72, Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 70 74

The following players failed to make the cut:

145 Arron Oberholser 75 70, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 72 73, Chris Couch 74 71, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 74 71, Vijay Singh (Fij) 73 72, Brett Quigley 76 69, Anthony Wall 73 72, Mike Small 72 73, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 72 73, Charles Howell 70 75, David Duval 73 72, Zach Johnson 71 74, Greg Owen (Gbr) 74 71

146 Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 71 75, Brandt Jobe 76 70, Bart Bryant 72 74, Craig Thomas 76 70, Wes Short 72 74, Justin Leonard 75 71, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 76 70, Robert Gamez 70 76, John Daly 71 75, John Rollins 73 73, Andrew Buckle (Aus) 73 73, Bob Estes 74 72, Pat Perez 73 73, Michael Campbell (Nzl) 70 76, Brad Faxon 70 76, Camilo Villegas (Col) 75 71

147 Lee Rinker 72 75, Paul Casey (Gbr) 74 73, Nick O'Hern (Aus) 74 73, Paul Azinger 74 73, Fred Couples 71 76, Jeff Sluman 74 73, John Bickerton (Gbr)73 74, Rod Pampling (Aus) 71 76, John Senden (Aus) 75 72

148 Stephen Dodd (Gbr) 73 75, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 74 74, Mark Brooks 73 75, Nick Price (Zim) 75 73, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 72 76, Tom Lehman 77 71, Colin Montgomerie (Gbr) 77 71, Andres Romero (Arg) 71 77, Gregory Bisconti 70 78, Ted Purdy 73 75, Kenneth Ferrie (Gbr) 70 78, Craig Barlow 70 78, Peter Lonard (Aus) 70 78, Scott Verplank 72 76, Bradley Dredge 75 73

149 Chris Wiemers 73 76, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 75 74, Vaughn Taylor 71 78, Johan Edfors (Swe) 76 73, Ben Crane 72 77

150 Kelly Mitchum 71 79, Jason Bohn 77 73, Paul Broadhurst (Gbr) 74 76, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 80 70, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 75 75

151 Chip Sullivan 79 72, Bernhard Langer (Ger) 76 75, John Aber 78 73, Tim Weinhart 77 74, Simon Khan (Gbr) 74 77, Steve Schneiter 72 79

152 Larry Nelson 80 72, Alan Schulte 75 77, Jeffrey Cranford 77 75, Nick Dougherty (Gbr) 80 72

153 Kirk Triplett 75 78, Jerry Haas 74 79, Brett Wetterich 76 77, Tom Pernice 77 76, Todd Hamilton 77 76, SK Ho (Kor) 74 79

155 Richard Johnson (Swe) 79 76, Ron Philo 82 73

157 Mark Brown 80 77

160 Barry Evans 81 79

162 Sam Arnold 78 84

Retired Mark Calcavecchia

Withdrew Dudley Hart