SHANGHAI — The gallery kept growing until it stretched along all 603 yards of the eighth hole at Sheshan International. It took a little longer before Tiger Woods gave them what they came to see yesterday in the HSBC Champions.

Losing patience with each missed putt, Woods finally knocked in a 10-foot birdie on the ninth hole and was on his way.

With five birdies over the final 10 holes, he pieced together another 5-under 67 and surged into a share of the 36-hole lead with Nick Watney in a World Golf Championship that had a distinctive American flavor. Seven of the top nine players on the leaderboard are from the United States.

Woods missed six birdie chances inside 20 feet and was growing increasingly agitated until one putt on the ninth changed his outlook.

"It certainly was a little bit frustrating, but the guys weren't running off and hiding, either," Woods said. "I knew if I could just play the back nine at 3-under par ... I figured that would probably be a pretty good number. And I did a couple better than that."

Woods came up short of the 17th green with his wedge, but chipped in for birdie-3. He then reached the green in two on the 538-yard closing hole framed by water for a two-putt birdie.

That put him in the lead at 10-under 134 with Watney, who birdied his last two holes for a 70.

Phil Mickelson birdied his last four holes, including the 288-yard 17th, when he plugged his hybrid tee shot in a bunker, blasted a pitching wedge to 12 feet and made another birdie.

"One of the best shots I hit all day," said Mickelson, who birdied the 18th for a 66 to tie him with Alvaro Quiros (66) and Ryan Moore (69) at 135.

LPGA

LANG LEADS MIZUNO

American Brittany Lang shot a 6-under 66 yesterday to take a one-stroke lead over Japan's Nobuko Kizawa and South Korea's Hee Young Park after the first round of the Mizuno Classic at Shima, Japan.

"I've had a very good year," Lang said. "I've played a lot of really good golf. I always play well this time of the year for some reason, so I just try to practice and have some fun."

Lang, who is winless in four seasons on the LPGA Tour, reached 7 under at Kintetsu Kashikojima with an eagle on the par-5 seventh, but bogeyed the eighth and finished the round with a par.