Britain's Justin Rose preserved his two-shot lead in the US Masters second round on Friday as Tiger Woods fought back into contention and golf hailed its future and honoured its past. Englishman Rose held his nerve to card a one-under-par 71 while world No 1 Woods recovered from an out-of-sorts opening day with a three-under 69.Several players made a tilt at the lead before slipping back on a day of high emotion for four-time champion Arnold Palmer, who finally bowed out of the Masters after his record 50th consecutive start.Woods, bidding for a third Masters title in four years, mixed five birdies with two bogeys to finish on level-par 144 at a sun-baked Augusta National.That left the eight-time Major winner six adrift of the 23-year-old Rose, competing in his second Masters.Rose, who had set the pace on the weather-hit first day with a superb five-under 67, offset a bogey five at the 11th with birdies at the par-four fifth and the 155-yard 12th. Tied for second at four-under were Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, winner at Augusta in 1994 and 1999, and Germany’s Alex Cejka.
