Seething Woods trails Britons in China

Britain’s Nick Dougherty and David Howell shared the halfway lead at the Champions Tournament on Friday, two shots clear of a seething ...

Britain’s Nick Dougherty and David Howell shared the halfway lead at the Champions Tournament on Friday, two shots clear of a seething Tiger Woods.

Joint overnight leader Dougherty fired a four-under-par 68 and Howell carded a blemish-free 67 in the rain to go to 12-under 132 at the $5 million event.

Woods stayed within striking distance at 10-under but was frustrated after an error-strewn 69 that left him tied for third with Australia’s Nick O’Hern, who shot a 67.

“It was a long and frustrating day,” said Woods after scrambling a par on the 18th. “My mind is a little frustrated. I didn’t really get anything going today until the ninth.” Woods birdied the ninth and made three straight from 13 but struggled mightily with his short game in the drizzly gloom.

The American fluffed a bunker shot on the seventh hole, slipped as he climbed out of the sand, then smashed his golf bag with his club in fury.

He bogeyed 16 after failing to clear a greenside bunker from the rough and had to hole a 20-foot putt for a miraculous save at the par-five 18th after finding the water with his second shot.

Fiji’s world No.2 Vijay Singh was a further stroke off the pace after a 69.