Woods struggles for form

Scores 71 on a topsy-turvy day at World Golf Championships for a one-under 139 after 2nd round

The latest Tiger Woods comeback embraced the good,the bad and the ugly on Friday as the former world number one laboured to a one-over-par 71 in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational second round.

A day after making a good start on his long-awaited return to competition,Woods struggled for consistency with a mixture of four birdies,three bogeys and a double bogey in hot and humid conditions at Firestone Country Club. Woods,sidelined for three months because of leg injuries,began the round six shots behind pacesetting Australian Adam Scott and he ended it at one-under 139,seven strokes off the early lead.

Perhaps the most encouraging signs for the 14-times major champion were his generally smooth tempo and his ability,in the main,to follow dropped shots with birdies at the very next hole. Woods,champion at Firestone a record seven times,teed off on the back nine where several of the early starters had gorged themselves on birdies in the first three holes. However,he was unable to pick up a shot over that stretch,his closest attempt a 10-foot putt for birdie at the par-three 12th which slipped last the left edge of the cup.

His first bogey of the day came as a shock to the huge galleries watching his every move. After driving into a fairway bunker at the par-four 14th,Woods laid up in the fairway with his second shot before hitting a superb approach which spun back within two feet of the hole. Remarkably,he missed the putt as his ball rammed into the back of the cup before lipping out.

The fans packed around the green,two of them holding a banner which read WELCOME BACK TIGERRRRR,groaned and Woods stepped away in disbelief before returning to his ball to tap in for bogey. He also dropped a shot at the par-three 15th where his tee shot ended up in the left fringe from where he chipped up to seven feet and missed the par putt.

Overall,though,Woods was swinging smoothly and he immediately recovered with successive birdies. After laying up in two at the par-five 16th,he executed a precise wedge approach which left his ball 10 feet from the cup and he calmly rolled in the putt.

At the par-four 17th,his approach was even better and his ball bit into the receptive green before settling five feet from the cup. After Woods knocked in the putt to get back to two under overall,the spectators whistled their approval.

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Woods came agonisingly close to recording a third consecutive birdie at the par-four 18th but his attempt from lipped out as he reached the turn in level-par 35. He bogeyed the fourth after failing to reach the green in two but then knocked in an eight-footer to birdie the par-three fifth. Worse was to follow when he double-bogeyed the sixth after missing the fairway badly off the tee and three-putting from long range.

Overnight leader Adam Scott failed to replicate his Day One performance and shot a 70 but managed to hold on to joint lead. Ryan Moores 66 same as in opening round and a 6-under 64 by Rickie Fowler joined Scott on top of the leaderboard.

Atwal tied 18th after Day One

Indias Arjun Atwal made a strong start with a two-under 68 to be placed at tied 18th in the opening round. Atwal opened with a bogey before he managed to steady himself with pars till he got a birdie on seventh. But a bogey on ninth saw him turn in one-over. A birdie-spree with a hat-trick on the 10th,11th and 12th made his card look excellent,before being put back by bogeys on 14th and 15th. He again bounced back with birdies at 16th and 17th for a days work of 68.Mark Lamport-Stokes