Tiger Woods took another stride closer to golfing immortality in the second round at Augusta.

After a six under par 66, the world number one is perfectly placed to claim the US Masters crown and win his fourth Major in succession.

And with only the unfancied Chris DiMarco in front of him, few experts would want to bet against Woods taking his place in the history books.

The reigning Open, US Open and USPGA champion is aiming to become the first player to win four Majors in a row.

Ominously for his rivals, record-chasing Woods has opened with the same scores - 70 and 66 - that he had in 1997 when he went on to win the Masters by the biggest ever margin.

"I'm very pleased," said Woods. "I'm at eight-under. I can't complain."

Fun-time Tiger

As if they did not have enough to worry about, Woods fired a new warning to his fellow front-runners when he announced that there was more to come.

"Right now I'm right there in the ball game and with a great chance on the weekend," Woods said.

"I think I've let a couple of shots go but also I've made my share of birdies too and made my share of putts.

"Come Sunday afternoon it will be challenging and it will be fun."

Woods, who shot a two-under 70 on Thursday after bogeying the first hole, again stuttered at the start on Friday as he drove into the rough at the first and into a bunker on the second - but he salvaged par each time.

On the third he hit a three-iron off the tee, followed by a wedge to the green and a 10-foot birdie putt.

He birdied the fourth, sixth and eighth but then three-putted for a bogey on the ninth.

Four birdies on the back nine, including a six-foot putt on the 13th, and a second three-putted bogey at the 16th completed the round.

Putting is the key

"I think I took advantage of the situations I had out there," Woods said. "I hit good shots and I made some putts today. Even though I three-putted twice I really made my share of putts.

"Putting on these greens is so demanding because you've to to play so much swing within the putts.

"You have a simple 10-foot putt and you are playing three feet of break. That's just not normal."'

Woods said firmer greens and increased wind would help to sort out the field over the next two days.

"I've won Majors and I've lost Majors," he said. "But more than anything I've been there before."