Atlanta ? Bart Bryant raised both arms as his putt headed for the center of the cup Friday, giving him another eagle on the 15th hole at the Tour Championship.

But this celebration was different.

The short eagle putt in the first round carried him to the course record at East Lake.

This one allowed him to stop his slide, and kept him atop the leaderboard with defending champion Retief Goosen.

“It was more important than two shots,” Bryant said.

Bryant saw a five-shot lead disappear in six holes as he struggled in the bunkers, but recovered with a 30-foot eagle putt for a 2-under 68 that left him tied with Goosen going into the weekend.

Goosen was surprisingly erratic, hitting only four fairways, but he managed to continue his mastery at East Lake with a 66 and gave himself a good chance at becoming the first repeat winner of the Tour Championship.

“I scrambled really well,” Goosen said. “Four under is as good as I could have played today.”

They were at 10-under 130 and were three shots clear of Ben Crane (65), Scott Verplank (66) and Tiger Woods, who had a 67 despite another day without a birdie on the par 5s, and another wild adventure on the 14th hole.

Woods, who found the short grass only three times, hooked his tee shot into a tent of concession supplies, including a few refrigerators for the ice. He got a free drop and made par, then salvaged a crucial par on the 17th after hitting his tee shot behind a tree and eventually making a 20-foot putt.

Retief Goosen hits from the sand on the first hole. Goosen shot a 66 Friday in Atlanta for a share of the lead in the Tour Championship.

“Bart is playing beautifully, and Goose is always steady, and it’s going to be tough this weekend,” Woods said.

Thanks to Bryant, the season-ending event for the top 30 on the money list suddenly is wide open.

With three birdies on his first seven holes, he built a five-shot lead and was on the verge of turning this All-Star game into a rout. But he started looking ahead, knowing that No. 8 was a good birdie opportunity and No. 9 was a par 5. And before he knew it, Bryant was on the ropes.

“Then he got caught up in bunkers,” Goosen said.

Bryant went from bunker-to-bunker for his first bogey of the tournament, then hit his layup into the sand on No. 9 and had to settle for par.

“I started thinking about a 62 again,” Bryant said. “I was able to right the ship at the end.”

He had no idea he was leading by five shots. But as he walked off the 13th green, he couldn’t help but notice the scoreboard in his group and showed 8 under for he and Goosen.

And a quick glance at the leaderboard showed Woods, Crane and Verplank closing fast.

“I just said, ‘I’m tied for the lead at a great tournament,”‘ Bryant said. “All that matters is what I do from this point forward.”

He turned it around with a 30-foot eagle putt on the 15th.

“To have it to 3 under (for the round) and for that to put me at 2 under, it was like, ‘OK, I didn’t lose too much,'” Bryant said. “The eagle righted my wrongs. I’m happy to be 10 under. I’m happy to be tied for the lead. Where I’m at now is not a bad place to be.”

Bryant and Goosen easily set the 36-hole record at 130, which previously was 7-under 133.

Woods might be able to join them if he can ever figure out the two par 5s at East Lake. He has played them in even par through two rounds, by either not getting up-and-down or missing the fairways. Both rounds, he has started strong and had to play hard to keep from losing shots.

“It’s been frustrating, because if I take care of the par 5s, I would be at the top of the board,” he said.

Tim Clark of South Africa shot 67 and was at 6-under 134, while Charles Howell III (68) and Stuart Appleby (65) were another shot behind.

Woods was lucky to be only three behind.

From behind a tree on the 17th – right after swing coach Hank Haney gave a TV tip for how to hit a low punch around the trees – Woods went through the green and chipped poorly to 20 feet. He made the par putt, then hit his tee shot on the par-3 18th to about five feet for birdie.

“That was huge,” Woods said. “Goosen and Bart are playing great, and if I make bogey there and they make one more birdie coming in, all of a sudden the gap becomes five.”

The gap was at five at one point for Bryant, and all that mattered is how he recovered.

“Overall, he hung in there, kept fighting, made a great eagle to get back into it,” Goosen said.

Goosen spent most of his time battling the Bermuda rough that kept him on his heels on a warm, sunny afternoon at East Lake. His ball was buried in such thick rough that he couldn’t reach the green on three holes, yet managed to save par twice and stay within range.

“I saved a lot of shots out there,” Goosen said. “It could have been a round that was level par if I didn’t get those up-and-down. The back nine, I gave myself a few more chances.”