Tiger looms large as Rose sets pace

YOU write off Tiger Woods at your peril.

Thursday's 75 left the favourite and world number one in danger of missing the Masters cut here at Augusta National but he made a nonsense of that possibility with yesterday's beautifully compiled 69. Woods is now back to even par for the championship and while he was making no rash predictions last night, he didn't hesitate to point out: "I'm still here" a warning that his rivals had better look out.

Sadly, it was a bitterly disappointing day for Ireland's front-runner Darren Clarke. Nicely positioned after Thursday's 70, he crashed to a couple of double bogeys in his first ten holes yesterday. He went from two under at the outset to five over through 13 holes and needing at least one birdie over the last five to survive into the weekend on the ten-shot rule.