Former British Open champion Paul Lawrie has insisted he could stay on the Tiger's tail at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand. Tiger Woods assumed his customary position on top of the leaderboard by adding a superb 65 to his opening 68 for an 11-underpar halfway total of 133.

Australian Rodney Pampling was a shot behind in second place after a 66, with compatriots Geoff Ogilvy and Wayne Smith a further stroke back.

Lawrie was three shots off the lead alongside another Australian, Paul Gow, after dropping a shot at the last hole in his 69. But he refused to be intimidated by the sight of the world number one at the head of affairs, as usual.

"You know Tiger is going to play well so you have to play even better," said the 31-year-old Scot, without a tournament win since his triumph at Carnoustie. "But there is no intimidation factor. You can't change what he is doing so you have to play your own game.

"He is the best player in the world by a long way and I have great respect for what he is doing. I wish I could do it, to win at the drop of a hat must be fantastic. But I think if I can play well I can beat him, there is no reason why not.

"I gave myself a lot of chances on the back nine but could not make a putt, and at the last got a flier from the rough and went over the back. All week it has gone nowhere from the rough but it came out like a bullet.

"It was a bit unlucky because it was right over the flag as well, but I'm still in with a chance."

It was ironic that Pampling surpassed Lawrie at the Alpine Golf and Sports Club with the Australian's previous claim to fame inexorably linked to Lawrie's greatest triumph.

The 31-year-old from Brisbane has the unwanted record of being the only first-round leader to miss the halfway cut in an Open championship, rounds of 71 and 86 at Carnoustie adding up to three shots too many.

Pampling said: "I'm definitely looking forward to playing with Tiger. I played practice rounds with him at Carnoustie and Valderrama last year and his caddy, Steve Williams, used to work for me as well, so it'll be fun."

The best rounds of the day again came from the morning starters, who enjoyed the best of the conditions, with Swede Jesper Parnevik matching Woods' 65 and the round of the day coming from his Ryder Cup partner Sergio Garcia, who added a 64 to his opening 74.

The cut fell at one over par so rookie of the year Ian Poulter made it right on the limit, but Waterville's David Higgins could manage only a 71 to add to an opening 75 to miss out by a shot.