sport golf mastersaugusta 8440468 ----- # The Masters 2011: Tiger Woods falters as Augusta holds its breath ## The volunteer at cart central waiting to deliver her next journalistic cargo to the Augusta National media centre was in no doubt. ![The Masters 2011: Tiger Woods on the charge as Augusta holds its breath ][1] All smiles: Tiger Woods (right) celebrates sinking a birdie putt on the 18th with caddie Steve Williams in Augusta Photo: REUTERS [![Kevin Garside][2]][3] By [Kevin Garside][4], Augusta 12:01AM BST 10 Apr 2011 [Follow Kevin Garside on Twitter][5] [Comments][6] Tiger Woods would be the last man standing on Sunday. It is unlikely that she saw anything of Woods's storming of the leaderboard late on Friday afternoon. The conviction she was expressing was an awakening of an old attachment that had lain dormant these past 18 months. She did not have to watch him play, only to hear the cheers. She knew who was knocking down flags on the back nine in the lengthening shadows. Her condition is shared by the majority here; a deeply embedded feeling that Woods was always coming back. It is a sentiment that borders on the religious since it ignores much of the reality. Were our driver to have scrutinised Woods's second round, there was no basis for her claim on the evidence of the outward nine. Woods started with the mixed bag that has characterised much of his work under the aegis of coach Sean Foley; bogey, birdie, bogie. Then boom. Woods birdied eight, nine and 10 to move into the top 10. A shiver rippled through the pines that had nothing to do with the strengthening breeze. Jason Day, KJ Choi and Alvaro Quiros were all worthy contenders in pursuit of the McIlroy but none carry the ballast of Woods in the calculations of patrons and television producers. The Tiger charge is the biggest ticket in golf. Augusta was witnessing a rebirth. The Woods of old was back, and it took only three holes for Tiger fever to consume the place. Would it continue? Could Woods string two rounds together and really contend? The reception at the first yesterday was predictably raucous. The weather had wrapped a muggy blanket around Augusta necessitating constant refuelling. Water was not the chosen tipple. Woods hit a peach down the middle only to find a divot. The Tiger Society sighed as his approach came up short, the prelude to an opening bogey. The smiles returned at the third with his first birdie of the day. A poor tee shot at the fourth cost him another shot to par. Maybe it was going to be one of those days. The eighth came and went without a repeat of day two's eruption. At least for Woods. Playing partner Choi walked off with his birdie and sank another at the ninth to reach the turn nine under par, one off the lead. ## Related Articles * [McIlroy keeps cool to lead world][7] 09 Apr 2011 * [Woods: I'm now back in the mix][8] 09 Apr 2011 * [Partisan fans fail to lift Mickelson][9] 08 Apr 2011 * [Final round as it happened][10] 10 Apr 2011 * [McIlroy leads after magnificent 65][11] 07 Apr 2011 * [Fisher and McIlroy set Masters pace][12] 07 Apr 2011 Would the lava flow for Tiger? His approach had the patrons setting off flares, pitching forward before gripping the turf and spinning back sharply towards the hole. Eight feet for glory. Not this time. Woods set off for the back nine at six under, four behind leader McIlroy. We are all conditioned by the Woods phenomenon, living through a history shaped by 14 major championships. The players are as fascinated with Woods as the galleries. This is the view of Lee Westwood, a player ranked No 2 in the world and making his own bid for the big prize. "It is nice to see Tiger playing well. I think the tournaments and the game of golf are always better when Tiger is up there." It was pointed out to his former coach Hank Haney that Woods was striking the ball well for no return on the greens. "You can't make them all," Haney said. That maxim also applied to the day's supernovas. Adam Scott was six under for his round approaching the last. A bunker off the tee stalled his ambition and the par putt slipped by. Bo Van Pelt was another to explode on to the leaderboard playing the 18th five under for his round, only to drop a shot at the last. Woods knows the rules. Do not go chasing what can not be caught. Wait for your luck to turn. Despite dropping a shot at the last yesterday, at five under par he is not completely out of this. 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