Westwood leads with Poulter on his tail at Augusta

Ian Poulter was the common denominator. Having beaten Paul Casey for his first world title, the 34-year-old continued his push for a first major in magnificent fashion.

On a day made much more difficult by some of the pin placings – 50-year-old overnight leader Fred Couples could add only a 75 to his opening 66 and 60-year-old Tom Watson fell back too – Poulter shot his second successive 68.

But while his clubhouse target of eight under par was five better than anybody else at that point, he had not shaken off Lee Westwood or Tiger Woods.

Indeed, after a closing bogey, Poulter was not even leading any more.

Westwood, who thoroughly enjoyed taking money off Poulter when they practised together on Tuesday, was nine under after a dazzling front nine of 32 which included only the third eagle of the week on the 575-yard second.

Woods, though, had moved menacingly into a tie for third by holing from just outside 20 feet at the 13th and 15th, the two par fives on the back nine.

As a result he remained a firm favourite for the title, and this of course in his first tournament since mid-November after his sex scandal kept him in hiding and away from even the practice range for much of that time.

Woods, whose Thursday 68 was his best opening round at Augusta, was six under with fellow American Anthony Kim, winner of the Houston Open on Sunday, and Korean KJ Choi.

World No 3 Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, was in the group just one further back and was still on the outward half.

If Poulter and Westwood leading the first major of the season was the ecstasy, then the biggest agony belonged to Sandy Lyle.

There were only three shots separating Lyle and Couples when the 52-year-old Scot set off again in the third group of the day.

But the 1988 champion, who has had nothing better than his opening 69 since he won the title, shot a nightmare 86. His previous worst was 82.

Lyle's horrendous front nine 46 – only three less than the worst in the tournament's long history – was followed by a triple-bogey six on the 12th and a fourth double bogey of the round on the 14th.

"I'm battered and bruised," said Lyle, who at 11 over par found himself out of an event for which he had such high hopes 24 hours earlier.

"You have to smile. It got beyond a joke. I lost my rhythm completely and just couldn't regroup.

"For the first nine holes I thought I was playing with a square ball."

Poulter, on the other hand, picked up birdie fours at the second and eighth, made 10-footers to pick up further strokes at the 12th and 13th and collected his fifth birdie at the short 16th.

Lyle was not the only member of the European contingent to struggle.

Debutants Simon Dyson of Yorkshire and Chris Wood finished six over and 10 over respectively after rounds of 73 and 76, while 20-year-old Rory McIlroy talked of taking at least a month off after a 77 dropped him to seven over and Padraig Harrington (five over) disappointed too.

With Ross Fisher heading out as well on nine over after a 76 and Luke Donald, Paul Casey and Oliver Wilson struggling, England's eight-strong field looked like dwindling to two for the weekend.

Yet there was every prospect of those two going head-to-head in today's final group.

Wood, fifth and third in the last two Opens, said: "Very disappointing, very hard – harder than it looks on telly.

"It's pretty much the one you dream of playing in and suddenly I was. It's probably the most nervous I've ever been on a golf course. Everybody says you need to know the course and I didn't until 10 days ago."

On the 155-yard 12th Lyle went over the green into the undergrowth, had "a whack", moved it about an inch and then sent his next attempt over the green into the water.

Woods parred the three final holes for a 70 and six-under aggregate, then said: "I've put myself right there.

"On this course you can make up shots and you can lose shots. It makes for an exciting weekend."

He picked out the 11th as one of the toughest pin locations, but Westwood, having bogeyed the 10th, hit his approach to two feet and returned to nine under and the outright lead.

Poulter, whose outfits over the years have attracted even more attention than his golf, was asked what goes with a green

jacket. "Absolutely anything," he replied before revealing that he will be wearing a "hot pink pair of tartans with a white shirt" tomorrow.

It took him 12 attempts just to break par at Augusta, but now he has had three 68s in his last four rounds.

"My game is certainly a lot better and I've learnt the course over the last six years," he said.

"I feel very comfortable and you can't let this course intimidate you. You can't back off from any shot."