By CHRIS RATTUE
Tiger Woods may have to throw caution to the Paraparaumu wind if he is to claim the New Zealand Open.
Woods remained in contention for the title at one-over 143 after the second round, despite another day of frustration on the greens, and on a far windier day than for the opening round.
Woods will tee off at 10.28 am today, paired with Wellington professional Martin Pettigrew.
The extraordinary statistic is that the world's best player lies in equal 41st position going into the weekend, and even flirted with missing the cut.
He has missed just one cut - at the 1997 Canadian Open - since turning professional in August 1996
Woods' two-over 73 to go with his opening 70 left him eight shots behind the leaders, Australians Stephen Leaney and James McLean.
Woods is certainly capable of a weekend charge, but it may well have to be in tricky conditions on the high-risk course, with its small greens, unpredictable rough and cambered fairways.
Defending champion David Smail, playing with Woods and Peter O'Malley, fell by the wayside - robbed on the sixth green when his ball moved as he was addressing it and he lost a shot.
That left him at five over the card, thus missing the cut by two.
Woods opted not to speak to the media, but in supplied quotes said he was still in contention.
"I just need to have a day like today with the wind blowing this hard ... and hopefully make a few putts.
"I hit a lot of good putts. It's just the greens are not smooth right now and a little tough, and on top of that the wind was blowing, which makes it even more difficult."
Woods had 30 putts in the first round, but 35 yesterday. He hit just five of 14 fairways, and made 14 greens in regulation.
After missing medium and short putts to bogey the par-four 15th, he had to rescue the situation with a great chip to within a metre of the hole after hitting his approach over the back of the green.
Woods' saving grace was again the par fives, with birdies on all three.
Smail said Woods had played "fantastic" from tee to green, but might need to be more cautious on the putting surface.
"He was quite aggressive and made some three putts ... I think he needs to look at the speed of his putts on these greens," Smail said.
Woods left the course in a hurry after his round. He signed a few autographs before security men linked arms to prevent a small crowd overwhelming him.
The 12,000-plus crowd missed seeing a Tiger-charge yesterday, and today Woods may be forced into a high-risk, high-reward strategy.
The Kiwi golfer is chasing the LPGA Tour season title and a huge payday.