AFP, Augusta :
Tiger Woods faltered early but battled back to keep his comeback from severe leg injuries alive amid gusting winds that wreaked havoc in Friday’s second round of the Masters.
The 15-time major champion fired a roller-coaster two-over par 74 to share 19th place on one-over 145 after 36 holes at Augusta National, nine adrift of leader Scottie Scheffler but only four back of second place.
“I’ve got a chance going into the weekend,” Woods said. “Hopefully I’ll have one of those lightbulb moments, turn it on and get it done.
“On the back nine on Sunday anything can happen. I’ve just got to get myself there.”
World number one Scheffler, seeking his first major title, matched the low round of the day of 67 to stand on 136 with a five-stroke lead, equalling the largest 36-hole edge in Masters history.
“I wouldn’t say much changes,” said Scheffler. “I played solid golf. I put myself in position. I have to just keep doing what I’m doing.”
A second-place pack included South African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, 18-hole leader Im Sung-jae of South Korea, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama.
“It was one of my better rounds of my career,” said 2019 British Open champion Lowry. “It was quite tricky out there, quite difficult.”
Woods, back in action 14 months after a horrific car crash, teed off only three strokes behind the leaders but made four bogeys on the first five holes.
“It was blustery. It was windy, swirling all over the place,” Woods said. “I got a couple bad gusts and I made a couple bad swings.
“Then on four, I ended up in a divot. It was almost, ‘What else could go wrong?'”
He was at risk of missing the cut despite a solid opening 71, but rallied to carry his comeback charge into the weekend as he chased a record-tying sixth Masters crown.
