Tiger Woods had to shield his face from sand whipped from the bunkers on the 18th before tapping in for par to add a second round of 72 to his opening 73 and make a record 24th consecutive cut in the Masters, a remarkable effort which prompted a standing ovation from the spectators around the green.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have been able to play this event for all these years,” Woods told ESPN.
“I did miss the cut as an amateur, but as a pro I’ve done well. It’s just an amazing aura that Augusta National has and I’ve been lucky enough coming here since I was 19 years old.”
Woods was one of 27 players unable to complete their first rounds on Thursday following a lengthy weather delay, the 15-time major winner covering his first 13 holes in one under par.
Play resumed at 0750 local time (1250BST) on Friday and Woods bogeyed the 14th following a clumsy chip from short of the green before scrambling for par on the 15th after another misjudged approach.
Woods then left birdie putts on the 16th and 17th short of the hole before dropping a shot on the last after failing to get up and down from a greenside bunker.
That gave the 48-year-old an opening 73 and just 49 minutes to rest, refuel or practise before he got his second round got under way with two pars and a birdie on the third.
Woods bogeyed the par-three fourth after missing the green with his approach and dropped another shot on the fifth after finding a bunker off the tee but made amends in style by chipping in for birdie on the sixth.
A rollercoaster round continued with a bogey on the seventh and a birdie on the par-five eighth, followed by just a third par of the round on the ninth after hitting his approach into the spectators right of the green.
The back nine was a quieter affair with seven pars, one birdie and one bogey all adding up to yet another weekend of action at Augusta.
“It’s been a long day,” Woods said with a smile. “It was a good fight, we did really well out there and I’m still right there in the ball game with a great chance going into the weekend
“This golf course will expose any weaknesses you have, the greens are quick right now and this wind is all over the place. It was a great test.”
Coming into the week, Woods had played fewer than five-and-a-half competitive rounds since undergoing ankle surgery in April last year after withdrawing from the Masters during the third round.
He returned to action in the Hero World Challenge in December and completed all 72 holes, but was forced to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational in February due to illness after six holes of the second round.
Playing alongside Woods, Max Homa added a 71 to his opening 67 to set the clubhouse target on six under par, with Bryson DeChambeau eight under after 13 holes of his round.
