Tiger is Back With a Hint of Menace Tiger is Back With a Hint of Menace

Apr 08, 06:31 PM

Current Headlines: By PETER HIGGS

TIGER WOODS put aside his indifferent form of the first two rounds to move menacingly into contention for the fifth Green Jacket of his extraordinary career.

Just as night follows day, so the world No 1 stepped up the pressure in the third round of the U.S. Masters to put the frighteners on the rest of the field and emphasise why he is the odds-on favourite for the first major championship of 2007.

As he had done in each of his four Masters victories,Woods got down to business in the decisive second half of tournament.Saturday is called moving day and Tiger made his move.

In conditions that made Augusta National play at its toughest, most of the leaders started to go backwards.As the swirling wind whistled through the pine trees and the firm ground played tricks with anything but the most perfectly-struck shot, the men on the leaderboard were reminded of what a major is all about.

But these are the situations that Woods lives for. When the game becomes almost impossible the

American is in his element, relishing the chance to use his mental strength and show why he is better than the rest.

Once again he gave a master class in how to set up a major championship victory. If he wins this one he will move to 13 majors in his career and within five of Jack Nicklaus at the age of 31.

Only a fool or a very brave man would bet against Woods who, even after he returned a level par round of 72 by surprisingly bogeying the last two holes, moved into fifth place at the time he finished his round.

Playing alongside Paul Casey for the third successive day, the pre-tournament favourite was at his most relentless. His golf may not have been perfect but it possessed an undeniable quality, which kept him moving inexorably forward.

After escaping from trouble on the first and failing to pick an expected birdie at the second, he gained

momentum on the third with a powerful drive, immaculate chip and smooth 15-foot putt.

After saving his par from a bunker at the seventh, where the wind knocked down his approach shot, he picked up a second birdie at the par-five eighth with a pitch to 15 feet and a perfectly weighted putt, which turned right into the hole on its final roll.

Even though he could not reach the 510-yard par five 13th in two, Woods showed his short-game touch with a pitch from 90 yards, which stopped three feet from the pin for another birdie.

There was a surprise at the next par five, the 530-yard 15th, where Woods was on the green in two mighty blows but from 80 feet he three-putted to miss the chance of yet another birdie.

Just when Woods' appeared unstoppable, his round tailed off and a wayward tee-shot at the 17th sent the ball careering into trees on the right. He tried to play an elaborate escape with a cut shot over the spectators but could only send the ball into a greenside bunker and finish up with a bogey five - when he missed an 18-foot putt for par. Then a short approach to the 18th and a wayward pitch left him with a 10-footer, which he missed for another bogey. At that stage the most serious challenge had come from Stuart Appleby, who played his first 13 holes in two under par and is trying to become the first Australian to win the Green Jacket.

It was hardly a shock that Casey had failed to stay with his playing partner.

Over the first two rounds, the Englishman had matched Woods, recovering from an opening 79 with a best-of-thetournament 68 to be in contention for his first major.

But in yesterday's test of survival he suffered the same fate as so many others, allowing shots to fly away on the breeze for a 77 to send him sliding down the leaderboard to 23rd at the time he signed his card.

After a birdie at the second Casey sent his approach to the third green too long and missed a 10-footer for par.

Although he maintained his form to play the front nine in one under par, with another birdie, at the eighth his round fell apart when he found water at the 15th for an ugly triple-bogey eight. Lee Westwood, who had criticised the course changes and claimed he no longer enjoyed playing here,continued his improvement after a firstround 79, with a level par 72. It took him to an eight-over- par 224 and 27th.

The highlight of his round was a 40-yard pitch in at the sixth which he played past the pin, allowing the ball to run down the slope into the hole.

England's Justin Rose,Bradley Dredge of Wales and Ireland's Padraig Harrington were all within four shots of the lead, approaching the closing stages of the third round.

Woods said: 'It's one of the hardest rounds I think I've ever played here.

With 18 pars you're going to move up the board.' Fuzzy Zoeller, who posted a sevenover 79 in his 29th consecutive Masters, echoed Woods' view of the conditions, saying: 'Usually your U.S. Open courses with the high rough are difficult but this baby here this week has been a bear. Trying to get the ball on the green is a heck of a chore.'

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