TARGET CHALLENGE Old friends surge into share of the lead

Colin Montgomerie and Tiger Woods each shoot a 66.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -- Colin Montgomerie walked off the 18th green in a tie for the lead with Tiger Woods at the Target World Challenge, and someone told him the tournament was in his hands.
Montgomerie, of all people, knows better.
"It's in Tiger's hands," he said with a smile.
Seven years after they were first paired together in the final group going into the weekend, Woods and Montgomerie established themselves as the front-runners Friday with stretches of great play and minimal mistakes to each shoot 5-under 66.
Montgomerie birdied five of his first seven holes, then had to scramble for a bogey on the 18th hole to salvage a share of the lead at Sherwood Country Club.
Woods made five birdies in a six-hole stretch in the middle of his round, disappointed in making only one birdie on the par 5s.
They were at 9-under 133 and were two shots ahead of Jim Furyk (68) and Jay Haas (66).
Fast friends
Woods and Montgomerie first played together in the third round of the 1997 Masters, Woods' professional debut in the majors. Woods had a three-shot lead going into the weekend, but Montgomerie felt he might have the advantage having contended in more majors.
It was such a blowout -- Woods shot 65, Montgomerie a 74 -- that the Scot came into the media center at Augusta National without invitation to give his take on the 21-year-old Woods.
"There is no chance -- we're all human beings here -- no chance humanly possible that Tiger Woods is going to lose this tournament," Montgomerie said.
Woods, who went on to win by a record 12 shots, remembers the moment well.
"He basically said I didn't have much of a chance because of my experience level," Woods said. "But I was playing well. I said to Fluff [his caddie at the time], 'He may have said all those things, but he hadn't won a major, either.' "
Woods said they have been friends ever since, and he thinks so highly of Montgomerie that he called him personally and invited him to his Target World Challenge.
"What he has done is impressive," Woods said. "Plus, don't forget his resume with seven Order of Merits. No one has ever come close to that."
Monty has raved about Woods ever since, although that doesn't change his plans for the weekend.
"He's still intimidating, and that's not criticism; that's a compliment," Montgomerie said.
"It is different to play with Tiger. I've just got to concentrate on my own game. I'm not going to beat Tiger. I'm not going to outdrive him, I'm not going to hit better iron shots, and I'm not going to putt better. The only way I'm going to beat Tiger is by scoring well."