Orlando, Florida, Mar 20: Tiger Woods has fallen nine strokes off the lead after the second round at the Bay Hill Invitational and will have to match the greatest comeback of his PGA Tour career to etch his name in the history books. Woods is seeking to become the first player to win the same PGA Tour event five consecutive years, but he has his work cut out after a limp two-over-par 74. "Sometimes you go out there and you just don't have it. That's the way golf is," said Woods, who was tied for 27th.
Shigeki Maruyama certainly had it. The Japanese star took advantage of perfect morning conditions to shoot a second successive 66 and post a 12-under 132 halfway total. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, Chad Campbell and Australian Stuart Appleby, each of whom played in the afternoon, were tied for second at 134.
Woods got off to a dreadful start, with a double-bogey at his second hole, the par-four 11th, where he carved his tee shot out of bounds. Woods has come from nine strokes behind after 36 holes to win - at the 1999 Buick Invitational.
On the European Tour, he was a massive 11 shots adrift of Ernie Els after two rounds but won in a playoff at the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand. Whether he can pull off another miracle remains to be seen, but he certainly will have to improve on Friday's effort, which included just two birdies.
"I obviously need to hit the ball better and putt better," he said. "I need to put myself in position where I can give it a run on Sunday. If the leaders go ahead and play well, my hat's off to them. I just need to take care of my own business". Maruyama, using a seven-wood for the first time in competition, a club he plans to keep in the bag for The Masters, ripped off seven birdies. His lone bogey came at his final hole, the par-four ninth, where he three-putted from 40 feet.

Ranked 19th in the world, Maruyama has been in sizzling form the past six months since recovering from a pinched nerve in his neck that he suffered just over a year ago. He won in Greensboro last October and just last month finished second at the Nissan Open in Los Angeles.
"This is my fifth season over here and now I know how to adapt to the courses. Also, I'm confident with my swing. I trust it and just hit where I aim," he said. Clarke had a chance to tie for the lead at the last hole but three-putted from 14 feet and looked like he would explode with anger as he stormed out of the scoring trailer. He calmed down relatively quickly and even revisited the painful finish.
Woods wasn't the only big name to struggle. World No. 2 Vijay Singh of Fiji carded a 72, leaving him in a tie for 22nd, eight shots off the pace. Davis Love shot a 74 and trailed by 11, but at least he gets to play the weekend, unlike world No. 3 Ernie Els, who missed the cut by one stroke.
Tournament host Arnold Palmer shot a creditable 79, playing the back nine in just two over. He said it was probably the last time he would play the event, but that remains to be seen.
Bureau Report