No doubt now, Tiger back in the hunt at Masters

Another day, another major transition for Tiger Woods. Buoyed by the crowds and relaxed by the surroundings, the top golfer went overnight from being back in the game to back in the mix. Either way, he feels right at home.

Woods' return after a self-imposed 144-day absence following a sex scandal took another turn Friday during the second round of the Masters. Unsure of how he would be received or how he might play before the tournament began, Woods has left a firestorm of controversy behind and jumped straight into the competitive fire. He shot 2-under-par 70 to reach the halfway point at 6 under, two shots behind co-leaders Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

On Saturday, Woods will be right in front of those two English buddies. He will be paired for a third consecutive day with K.J. Choi, who also is 6 under and was not the least affected by whatever drama surrounded Woods.

Just to underscore the blistering competition and interesting story lines, Woods also is tied with Phil Mickelson. The two would have played together in the third round had Mickelson birdied No. 18 Friday, which he nearly did.

No matter how anyone else scored, the focus was sure to be on Woods. He did not hesitate for a second when he was asked how it felt to be back in the hunt for a major title.

"It feels good. It feels really good," he said, then paused to look at the leader board on the wall of the media center's interview room. He noticed that he had fallen from two back to three back at the moment but was unfazed. "It feels good to be back, and in contention.

"You know, I usually put myself in contention most of the time, most years here and this year, I'm right there," Woods said. It was an understatement, but it was a major statement for him, meaning that he was back in his comfort zone.

His round was mostly solid with a few stellar touches. All three of his birdies came on par 5s. He made no eagles (as opposed to his two Thursday) and only one bogey, on the par-3 fourth. Woods' putting was better than it had been the previous day, highlighted by a 20-footer for birdie on No. 13.

"I feel good. I feel very comfortable," he said. "As I said, my practice sessions were very consistent with Hank and we did some really good work."

Of course, then there was the shot he pulled off on No. 17, a par 4. From behind a tree, he took a wicked swing with a 9-iron. The ball shot up quickly, went through a gap in the branches, curved about a yard and landed softly, 12 feet from the hole. Woods, determined not to be as demonstrative as he used to be, allowed himself a semi-grin and a twirl of the club.

It was vintage Tiger.

Poulter and Westwood each had moments, shooting 68 and 69, respectively. The two friends looked forward to their round Saturday. "Well, we won't be cracking jokes on each other's backswings," Westwood said.

Mickelson will play with Y.E. Yang and will hope to continue his rebound from his poor early season. "Well, it's a good position. I'm two back, I'm in third place," Mickelson said after playing the back nine in 34 for a 71. "I feel like I'm right on the cusp of really having a good round."

It will take a really good round to get noticed. Poulter shrugged when it was mentioned that his birdie at No. 12, at the heart of Amen Corner, drew almost no applause. "That's too far away, you can't see back there," he said.

The other factor, though, was that fans there were busy looking at Woods.