Woods in pole position at Dubai Classic

Tiger Woods' challengers at the Dubai Desert Classic were facing a make or break day in Friday's second round with the world No.1 in pole position to win his fifth consecutive tournament.

The 32-year-old American finished two strokes ahead of the field on Thursday after a commanding seven-under par 65 and a repeat of his second round performance in his season-opener at the Buick Invitational in California last week could see him run away from the field.

On that occasion he shot a 65 to move from two strokes off the lead to four ahead at the halfway stage. He went on to win by a comfortable seven strokes - his fourth straight win dating back to the tail-end of last year.

Woods said that his opening round could have been even better.

"I definitely missed a few. I had a couple of good opportunities to make some putts and just kind of ran them over the edge. But overall I couldn't have asked for a better start."

The pack chasing to keep up with Woods bunched up into an 11-way tie for second place two strokes back with the two men seen as his main challengers - defending champion Henrik Stenson and three-times winner Ernie Els - a further stroke back with 12 others.

Stenson and Els were out early on the Majlis course at Emirates Golf Club in playing conditions that had changed dramatically from Thursday.

The perfect golfing weather that marked the opening round had vanished overnight in the face of a cold front that brought falling temperatures and gusts of wind that were whipping up the desert sand.

Both Stenson and Els dropped early strokes, but with the conditions forecast to deteriorate further during the afternoon, there was hope yet for them and the others that Woods might not have it all his own way.