Tiger on the prowl at Augusta

Tiger Woods is well in contention to win his 15th major championship after a patient four-under 68 saw him move to one shot behind the leaders at the halfway stage of the Masters (Woods – 7/1 Outright Winner).

The former world number one progressed to six-under after two rounds and sits one behind a quintet of players who share the 36-hole lead, setting up a potentially thrilling weekend.

Woods’ second round was a mixture of bogeys and birdies but he had the crowd roaring their approval when he holed from 30-feet for a birdie on the 14th and the noise went up a notch after he backed it up on the 15th.

The 43-year-old was satisfied with his efforts on Friday, especially the way in which he kept his patience on a tricky day in Georgia.

“I feel like I played my own way back into the tournament,” he said.

“I was just very patient today, felt very good to be out there doing what I was doing. This is now three straight majors that I’ve been in the mix and so it’s good stuff.

“I missed a few putts out there but I’m not too bummed out about it because I hit them on my lines. So I can live with that. I can live with days when I’m hitting putts on my line and they just don’t go in, that’s the way it goes.”

Woods will partner leading Englishman Ian Poulter on Saturday who, after bogeying the first on Friday, birdied the second before a run of pars before successive birdies on the 12th and 13th briefly put him in a share of the lead on six under (Poulter 33/1 Outright Winner).

Poulter is still to break his major duck and much like Woods, believes playing the percentages will be the key to a successful weekend.

“I’m just trying to be smart and not take myself out of the tournament, like I’ve done in the past,” he said.

Odds subject to change