KEY POINTS:
AUGUSTA, Georgia - None of the Masters front-runners could find a hot streak on a chilly Friday (Saturday NZT), creating a crammed second-round golf leaderboard and leaving the door ajar for Tiger Woods.
South African Tim Clark, runner-up last year, shot a one-under-par 71 and long-hitting American Brett Wetterich posted 73 to tie for the lead at two-under 142, one better than Augusta resident Vaughn Taylor (72).
Vijay Singh of Fiji, the 2000 champion, chipped in from the behind the green at the sixth hole in shooting 71 for even-par 144.
That total was matched by Americans Zach Johnson (73) and Jerry Kelly (69), and Briton Justin Rose who bogeyed the last for 75.
There was a see-saw element in the battle for the lead with fortunes rising and falling. Four different players held it alone. At one point there was a five-way tie at the top.
For a while four-times winner Woods looked in danger of missing the cut.
"I turned a 90 into a 74 today," the world No 1 told reporters after a scruffy round put him at three-over 147.
Woods sprayed the ball to all parts of Augusta National and was involved in an extraordinary incident on the 13th tee.
The 31-year-old American was forced to abort his downswing after being put off by a bird in flight.
"A bird flew right over me and I stopped my swing somehow," said Woods. "I felt like I broke my back, my neck, my arm. I don't know how baseball players can check their swings."
Woods escaped penalty as he made no attempt to strike the ball. As for the rest of his round, he was pleased to emerge relatively unscathed.
"Yesterday I threw away a good round," said Woods, who finished bogey-bogey for a first-round 73.
"Today I salvaged a bad one. I kept myself right there in the ballgame."
With the leaders falling back, Woods got back on track with birdies at 15 and 17 to tie for 15th place despite posting his first back-to-back over-par rounds at the Masters since 2003.
Joining Woods on three-over 147 was Jeev Milkha Singh (75), the first Indian to qualify for the opening major of the year.
The cut was set at eight-over-par 152, with 60 qualifying for weekend play. Among players failing to qualify were New Zealand's Michael Campbell (153), Sergio Garcia (154), Colin Montgomerie (153), and Ernie Els (154), who snapped his string of making 27 consecutive cuts in majors.
Holder Phil Mickelson, who slumped to seven-over after a bogey at the 11th, came back with two birdies for a 73 that left him five-over, seven shots behind the leaders.
Early starter Wetterich, who shared the overnight lead with Rose on 69, began with eight pars and then sank a 30-footer at the ninth to reach four-under.
Even though back-to-back bogeys from the 15th spoiled his round, Masters rookie Wetterich, 33, was thrilled with his position.
"I like it," said Wetterich, who made his first cut at a major after missing one each at the US Open, British Open and PGA. "Obviously it's a spot I've never been in before."
Six players were knotted at one over par, including US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, who returned a 70, and Irishman Padraig Harrington, who shot 68 to tie the lowest round of the day.
With freezing temperatures expected overnight and cold weather forecast for Saturday, the highest Masters winning total of one-over-par 289, shared by Sam Snead (1954) and Jack Burke Jr. (1956), could be threatened.
Harrington, whose 68 was matched by Briton Paul Casey, said Augusta was still receptive to a low score.
"This golf course always gives you a chance to shoot a good score," said Harrington, who moved from a tie for 59th to a tie for eighth after the second round.
- REUTERS
