Tiger stays in title hunt after testing time with putter

SAN DIEGO, Jan 27 (Reuters) Tiger Woods, hunting his seventh consecutive victory on the PGA Tour, survived a difficult day on the greens to keep his title hopes alive at the Buick Invitational.

The world number one carded a level-par 72 on the brutal South Course to finish the second round on six-under 138, seven strokes behind pacesetting American Brandt Snedeker yesterday.

''The greens were very interesting out there today,'' four-times champion Woods told reporters after mixing three birdies with three bogeys on a breezy day at Torrey Pines.

''You definitely didn't want to leave yourself with too many three-footers. You just hope the putts go in.

''Good putts don't always go in on these things. They are wiggling all over the place.

''But I felt very comfortable with my swing today and I didn't do any damage (to his victory bid) today.'' Woods, whose run of six successive wins on the PGA Tour dates back to last year's British Open, made a stumbling start by bogeying the par-four second after being bunkered off the tee and also with his approach.

In the main, though, his long game was in good order and his two other blemishes, at the 11th and 15th, came via bunkered approach shots.

''All in all, I need to do a little bit of work on the range and a little bit of work on the greens and I should be all right tomorrow,'' said the 12-times major champion, who birdied the sixth, 13th and 14th.

MORE COMFORTABLE ''It felt good today and I was more comfortable out there, comfortable playing shots, shaping them, hitting the ball correct distances, thinking my way around the golf course again.'' Woods is back in action this week for the first time since winning the Target World Challenge in California midway through last month.

His track record at Torrey Pines is impressive with four victories and four other top-five finishes in just nine starts.

Fellow American Charles Howell III, alone in second place after firing a second-round 64 on the North Course, is well aware of the threat posed by the game's leading player.

''You don't ever count him out,'' said Howell, who charged up the leaderboard with nine birdies and just one bogey.

''If the guy makes the cut, you never count him out. And we all know his history here. I would not be surprised at all to see him go shoot a low one tomorrow.

''But at the same time, the South Course is difficult enough where it's got my attention a hell of a lot more than he does.'' The final two rounds will be played on the 7,607-yard South Course, rated the fifth most difficult layout on last year's Tour.

REUTERS PM KP0958