The deafening roar that echoed around Augusta National on Friday meant only one thing. Tiger Woods was back on the prowl. After a solid opening round of 71 on Thursday, Woods made his move at the Masters on Friday, shooting a six-under-par 66 to reach the halfway stage at seven-under-par.
That left him tied for third with South Korea's KJ Choi, three strokes behind Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and one behind Australia's Jason Day. "I played myself back in the tournament," Woods said. "I'm three back but we have got a long way to go. It's going to be fun."
Woods may not have won a major since 2008 nor any tournament since 2009 but his charge up the leaderboard has already added a magical element to the tournament.
"My job is to get there with a chance with nine holes to go," he said. I've been successful at it in the past by doing it that way."
It also came at a time when he has been tinkering with his swing. "The whole idea was to peak for this event," he explained. "We try to peak four times a year and it was nice to go through the learning curve."
At his peak, the 14-time major winner was almost unbeatable and held a psychological edge over many of his rivals but that has partly been eroded by his below-par performances and the rise of a new generation of golfers, led by McIlroy.
{{/usCountry}}At his peak, the 14-time major winner was almost unbeatable and held a psychological edge over many of his rivals but that has partly been eroded by his below-par performances and the rise of a new generation of golfers, led by McIlroy.
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