TOUR Championship: A Smell of Roses

Tiger Woods must be just a wee bit tired of being paired with British players in the FedExCup Playoffs. Going south with a 73 in the second round of the TOUR Championship, Woods witnessed his European playing partner produce a birdie for the second day in a row at the tricky par three 18th at the East Lake to keep himself in the final pairing for the next round.

England’s Justin Rose shot a 68 to finish at six-under-par, just one shot behind leader Jim Furyk who made birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey on the last four holes for a somewhat stellar round of 64.

Furyk, who won the FedExCup in 2010 and received a wild card for next week’s Ryder Cup from captain Davis Love III, got his game together this Friday in Atlanta.

While Furyk emerged to the top via great play on Friday, Rose has seemed very comfortable in both of the two first rounds, and on that account, he’s pretty alone. The only other golfer who can legitimately be described as a member of his company on East Lake would be Bo Van Pelt (68), who started and ended the second day tied for third at five-under-par.

Further down in the field, tied for seventh at three-under-par, FedExCup leader Rory McIlroy is climbing the leader board after a 68. He is still holding on to the No. 1 spot in the playoff, but his playing partner Phil Mickelson shot a 71 after another day of weak putting and dropped to a share for 16 on par.

Woods, who had five bogeys and a double bogey on the scorecard with four birdies, signed for a 73, leaving him at one-under-par for a share of the 12th spot.

Nick Watney, who had a fair chance of winning the FedExCup before Thursday’s first round, is dead last at nine-over-par.