BMW Championship round two: Who's up to blocking the Tiger?

Could everyone just shut up about the FedEx Cup for a little and let us concentrate on another engrossing competition? It’s tough finding the golfing wood for the whingeing trees.

There was plenty of good golf on offer Friday, despite the rain and wind. Like Justin Rose the day before, Camilo Villegas looked poised to run away with the event, only to be dragged back to reality over the final stretch. Even so, the spider man is into a very impressive phase. Although he struggled with his putter Friday, Rose is another tour virgin who might fancy his chances of breaking through this weekend.

Naturally the market has decided Tiger Woods, a shot off the lead, is all but locked on at just under 1.8. It seems his flat stick is behaving itself, although all-round his putting was worse than Thursday. But he also had a pretty solid day with his irons, so yes, it’s hard to see him letting this one slip.

Yet he will be up against plenty of hungry rivals this weekend and, with conditions as soft as they are, anyone down to Ernie Els and Co seven shots off the lead must consider themselves still in the fight on moving day. It won’t be so windy Saturday and it should stay mostly dry - a perfect day for a birdie fest.

The biggest problem if the likes of Rose, Villegas and leaders Aaron Baddeley and Jonathan Byrd end up paired with Tiger on Sunday would probably be nerves. I’m not so sure that would apply to Steve Stricker though. He must take great heart from the way he has matched Tiger in their pairing over two rounds.

So the great man’s still got work to do, unlike Robert Allenby’s caddie, who gave us the biggest laugh Friday by apparently storming off in a huff at the sixth hole. We only have one side of the tale, but Allenby reckons the trouble stems from the arrival of his bagman’s girlfriend in town. Plus ca change, as they say. One thing had me puzzled though until I found a reference on the net. Allenby said: “I think he might have been a bit toey.” Toey? Apparently it’s Aussie slang for annoyed. And there was I thinking it had something to do with consenting adults!