Woods set target for chasing pack

THEY CALL him Mr Woods. At least that is how closest challenger, Colin Montgomerie, referred to the amazing young American, who shot a sparkling 66 in the second round of the US Masters at Augusta National yesterday. It gave the 21 year old an eight under par 136 for a lead of three strokes at the halfway stage.

While Montgomerie is ready for the chase, Nick Faldo will have no part in it. After a wretched 81 that included a nine at the 13th, Faldo gained the unwanted distinction of missing the cut as defending champion, just as Ben Crenshaw did last year. And Greg Norman is also gone after failing to repair the damage of a 77 on Thursday.

Was there a hangover from his disaster of 12 months ago. "No, not at all," replied the Shark. "I wasn't nervous it just wasn't my week." He was entitled to feel that way after a second shot in the water at the 15th meant he had played the long holes in five over par.

But the strength of European golf, which has delivered 10 Masters champions since 1980, is reflected in the survival of 10 of this week's 13 challengers. Sadly, the twice former champion, Seve Ballesteros, happened to be one of those casualties, along with Faldo and the British Amateur champion, Warren Bladon.

Nor are the survivors simply making up the numbers. Costantino Rocca, noted for his delightfully crisp irons and solid putting, carded only one bogey in a round of 69 which left him third on his own on 140. And a stroke further back came the 1994 champion, Jose Maria Olazabal, embellishing one of the game's most remarkable triumphs over illness.

When the cut was made on 149 - five over par - major winners, Craig Stadler (Masters), Tom Lehman (British Open) and Corey Pavin (US Open), were among those who got through on the limit. As it happened, the 10 shot rule didn't come into effect, which 5 just as well, given the target that Woods had set.

Softer, more receptive greens, helped by humid conditions, did nothing to help Faldo's cause. He was in trouble from the first, where it took him three to reach the green, which he proceeded to three putt. His halfway total of 156 caused him to miss the cut for the first time in 14 appearances here.

"I'm shellshocked, flabbergasted," said the 39 year old Englishman, clearly at a loss for words. His previous worst round at Augusta was a 79 on his debut in 1979 and yesterday's score was a stroke higher than the 80 he took in the 1990 USPGA Championship at Shoal Creek. And it was no consolation that the overnight leader, John Huston, ran up a 10 at the 13th.

Later, when he composed himself, Faldo laid the blame directly on his putting. The first was the start of it and it simply went on from there," he said. "I'll have to stay around for the weekend (to present the green jacket) and practise. The stroke's not good. I have to start afresh have a little rebuild."

Meanwhile, six times champion Jack Nicklaus set another record. When a splendid second round of 70 guaranteed his survival into the weekend, he was assured of completing 147 rounds in the Masters, so beating the record of 146, set by Sam Snead in 1983.

It was the 54th time Faldo had played the 13th in the Masters and his worst previous score there was a bogey six. In fact his worst score on any hole at Augusta was a seven at the notorious, short 12th on the second day in 1993.

In the event, the nine started

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