Game over?

We've just got back from a rather expensive shopping trip (but we'll be Keeping Stock's best-dressed bloggers!!), but before we went out, we were following Tiger Woods' progress at the PGA Championship. Woods came to Hazeltine desperate not to finish the season without a major title. Halfway through the final major of the year, he's already gone a long way towards making sure that he achieves his goal.

Woods leads the PGA by four shots after 36 holes. And his opponents should be afraid, be very afraid indeed when they consider these facts, courtesy of PGATour.com:

In blustery conditions and on bumpy greens, Woods made key par putts early in his round and big birdies toward the end for a 2-under 70 that gave him a four-shot lead in the final major of the year.

The late string of birdies came in the final hour Friday at Hazeltine, and it changed everything. The final birdie putt gave this major that look of inevitability, with some frightening figures to back it up.

Woods is 8-0 in the majors when leading after 36 holes. He has never lost any tournament when leading by four shots going into the weekend. Of the top 16 players going into the second round, he was the only player to break par.

"In order to have a lead in a major championship, you can't be playing poorly," said Woods, who was at 7-under 137. "And all the times that I've been in this position, I have played well. And I'm playing well now."

Bugger! At least for all the other players who've made the cut, including Japan-based Kiwi David Smail, that will be the reaction. Woods is playing as well as he ever has, with two victories in the last two weeks. Quite simply put, he has too much game for anyone else out on tour right at the moment. English golfer Ian Poulter might have inadvertently summed it up a while back when he said that if he continued improving, he could be the #2 player in the world. It seems like the #1 player tag is unobtainable for anyone but Steve Williams' best mate.