Tiger loosens his grip, loses the slam?

Come rain (it's predicted) or shine, tomorrow will give a defining result to safely project who the winner will be.

Tiger had not even started as Thursday's co-leader, Trevor Immelman, racked up birdie after birdie. And despite failing to make birdies on thirteen and fifteen, both eagleable, was the leader in the clubhouse at eight under.

This is remarkable as just four months ago he had major surgery on his back to remove a tumour, fortunately benign, that left a seven-inch scar. His confidence is sky-high and he is now regarded to be the best South African player.

Snedeker mounted a challenge but faltered briefly at Redbud (sixteen) before birdieing the last two to end one shot back. Steve Flesch, starting level, had an immaculate five under for the day, pretty good for a forty-year -old. Two more rounds like that and he might win the Green jacket.

Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, was a model of concentration. While the main galleries followed Tiger, he carved out a flawless four under. Definitely wishing to pip Tiger at the post, he is keeping a very low profile, mainly because he has not had any great showing for several weeks.

The other bogey free round of the day was by ex-Masters champ, Mike Weir, by far the slowest player on the course (there should be penalties for slow play!).

Defending champion, Zach Johnson, and Justin Rose dropped shots, and are probably out as the pressure of being so far behind in a major, when expected to contend, may be difficult to handle.

However, in golf, as in cricket (the ultimate couch potato game), it's a game of glorious uncertainties and anything can happen.

But, can it? Tiger can't win the grand slam now, some would say. It's all over bar the shouting! He drove into the pines on the first but hit a remarkable low shot that bounced a couple of times and then rolled to about 15 feet above the pin. When he slotted that in, the huge roar attracted more spectators and the galleries swelled to twice their already-abnormal size.

But he disappointed on the second (Pink Dogwood) where he bogeyed when everyone else was birdieing (or, at worst, parring). From there on he could not make a putt over 10 feet, and he was not often within that. Add a three putt here and there and we are asking for a miracle if he is to pull off a win.

The saddest part of the day was our own Daniel, self destructing on thirteen (azalea) and fifteen (Firethorn), with water-borne double bogeys, besides three other bogeys in the second half, before reclaiming some pride with a birdie on the last.

The backbone of his support system, his wife Samantha (Sam), now wants to ensure that he either wins another tournament or ends up in the top 50 to make it back here. He will do well but needs more experience at this venue.

Furthermore, he should heed the wise counsel of his great buddy Jeev, who says that you cannot avoid making mistakes on this course but you must calm down and exit from that error cheaply. Daniel did not.

Meanwhile Jeev was playing a solid, workman-like round and was in the top 10 going into the second half. Then suddenly, possibly a loss of concentration and not heeding his own advice led to his dropping three shots to twenty first at one over. He birdied all four par fours yesterday but was level on them today.

On the fourteenth (Chinese Fir), where he always seems to have trouble, his drive kept low, head height, and then, unaccountably, swerved viciously left and struck a pine, making a sound like a cannon shot, and then, fortunately, landed in the middle of the fairway albeit 250 yards away.

He parred that but the par he finished the eighteenth with was beautifully executed: A delicate chip over a steep bunker and a confident putt to live to fight again tomorrow. If he finishes in the top 20, he will be invited back next year.

The story ends for the day with the most amazing par on the eighteenth by Tiger. Deep in the pines with his drive (after a splendid birdie on the seventeenth), he was forced to play onto the tenth fairway leaving himself a blind hundred yard shot, over a hill and a bunker, to an away sloping green.

The officials parted the deep, adoring gallery lining the green, much like Moses parted the Red Sea, and Tiger executed one of those great shots which will go down in golfing history.

It carried the hill, carried the bunker and landed ever so softly on the green and came to rest a few feet from the pin. Of course, he sank it. He ended up one under for the tournament, in clear sight of the Green jacket. In his post-game interview he said that the wind was swirling about quite a bit and only settled down by the fourteenth.

Tomorrow, with patience and some close to the shots, he expects to place himself in serious contention for the final day. Only 45 players have made the cut, the least in many years.

Jeev, having made the cut while so many other better-ranked players faltered, is paired with Angel Cabrera, a US Open winner. Vijay with Furyk (who was furious with his game today), and Tiger is paired with the promising Andres Romero from Argentina.

Come rain (it's predicted) or shine, tomorrow will provide a defining result to safely project who the winner will be.