Rose wilts at the last

The 26-year-old, whose opening 69 made him joint top with American Brett Wetterich, was the last player to tee off in the second round and had nothing better to beat than the two under par totals of Wetterich and South African Tim Clark, last year's runner-up to Phil Mickelson.

However, Rose could not manage a single birdie the entire day and with bogeys at the first, 10th and 18th - where he three-putted - and handed in a 75 for a level-par aggregate and joint fourth place. Home town player Vaughn Taylor is third on his own.

Conditions were again far from easy, of course, but the finishing bogey really took the edge of Rose's performance and left him alongside Vijay Singh and Americans Zach Johnson and Jerry Kelly.

After a 68 Padraig Harrington not only re-ignited his hopes, but gave himself the chance to create history.

Nobody has won at Augusta National after an opening 77 or an eight-stroke deficit after the first round, but his seven-birdie performance - matched as the low score of the week so far by Ryder Cup team-mate Paul Casey only 10 minutes later - brought the Dubliner back into contention for a first major title.

Harrington was on the same one-over-par mark of 145 as another of Ian Woosnam's heroes last September, David Howell (75), and also Welsh debutant Bradley Dredge (70).

They were in a tie for eighth place only three behind Clark and Wetterich, who returned rounds of 71 and 73 respectively.

Tiger Woods, like Howell, had a real rollercoaster ride, but from five over with four to go he birdied the 15th and 17th for a 74 that kept him in the hunt in joint 15th at three over.

Playing partner Casey's 68 was an 11-stroke improvement on his error-strewn opening day effort and it brought him back alongside the world number one, who still has a chance to make it five green jackets, a third major in a row and his 13th in all.