Tiger back on prowl at favourite stomping ground

IS Tiger Woods back in business?

It certainly looked that way at Augusta National last night as the former world number one blazed his way into Masters contention like the Tiger of old.

Woods has been without a major since winning the 2008 US Open on one leg at Torrey Pines and without any sort of a victory since squandering his reputation in a tawdry sex scandal in late 2009.

And after a string of tournaments where he has shown only glimpses of the brilliance that garnered 14 majors, including four Masters titles, Woods had been written off by many before the first major of this season, having struggled with both his new swing and his putter.

The criticism of the American had been that he was unable to string together any sort of consistency from round to round and after shooting a second-round 66 those doubts returned on Saturday when Woods carded a two-over 74 that left him seven shots adrift of 54-hole leader Rory McIlroy.

A front nine of 31 from Woods, dressed in that familiar final-round red shirt and black trousers, changed all that again, though, stirring echoes of his previous Masters feats.

Woods looked like a man in his pomp again as he birdied the second and third and then bounced back from a bogey at four with a birdie, birdie, eagle run between the sixth and eighth that brought back the famous Tiger fist pump and Augusta roars that had in recent years been the preserve of Phil Mickelson.

That run took Woods to 10 under and into a share of the lead with McIlroy and Charl Schwartzel.

The doubts about his putting — Woods eschewed his Scotty Cameron putter this week for a Nike Method flatstick — resurfaced at the 12th when his missed a short par putt in three-putting the par-three hole for bogey. They continued at the 14 with another missed putt and again at 15 where an beautiful approach shot set up an eagle opportunity that would have given him the outright lead.

The putt lipped out but Woods took birdie and moved himself back into the hunt for a play-off spot.

And while his round of 67 may not quite have been enough, Woods has proven he remains a force to be reckoned with, even if his post-round comments continue to fail to match the spark his golf provides.

“Did that round feel like a turning point for you,” he was asked as play continued. “All that matters is that I’m one back right now and we’ll see what happens,” came Woods’ reply.

“I hit it good all day. This entire weekend I hit it good. So that was a nice feeling. I got off to a nice start there and posted 31 and then on the back nine could have capitalised some more, but I still got a shot at it.

“It’s just shot for shot. This golf course baits you into doing that. You can get aggressive, you can lose it. Very similar to what I think what Rory’s doing out there.

“That can happen out here very easily and it doesn’t take much. It’s just one shot here or there and it can go the other way.

“So I had to be committed to my spots and I did that all week.”

Playing alongside Woods was Masters debutant Martin Laird of Scotland, who called the experience “a lot of fun. “You know, his golf swing, hitting shots — he hit some of the best shots you’ll ever see today.”