It takes something special to mount a serious challenge to Tiger Woods and yesterday it came in the shape of a talented Australian in the second round of the WGC-CA Championship over the Blue Monster Course at Doral. The question is, will Geoff Ogilvy, a former US Open champion, be able to stare down the world No 1 when things hot up over the weekend?

Ogilvy followed up his first round of 65 with one of 67 and leads the World Golf Championships event on 12 under par, one stroke ahead of Woods and three ahead of Adam Scott, his countryman, in third place. He has found a rich vein of form and is spoiling for a fight, which is exactly what is needed.

For the second day running, Ogilvy was in splendid form. He has not dropped a stroke in two days — mightily impressive in the strong winds — and has an Australian tenacity that could hold him in good stead when he goes to the first tee with Woods today.

For his part, Woods, who has won his past seven tournaments, was once again in majestic form. His round of 66, the best of the day, included two eagles, three birdies and a solitary dropped shot at the 3rd, his twelfth, that followed a wayward drive and an approach shot that found a greenside bunker.

It is hard to imagine Ogilvy holding him in check for two more days. In reality, the course has few fears for Woods. He has made hay at the long holes, picking up eight strokes in the eight par-fives he has played during the two rounds. Yesterday, he finished with back-to-back birdies and was successful with a curling putt of 24 feet at the 9th, his last. Equally impressive was that he rolled in at least four putts of about six feet to save par.

Asked how he maintains his motivation for every round, Woods said: “I don’t see how you can live with yourself not trying, not giving your best. I don’t see how people can go home and say they didn’t give their best. To me, that is unacceptable.”

Scott should have made a better fist of his challenge. He was level with Woods with two holes to play but dropped strokes at each of them and fell back to nine under par, three ahead of three players in fourth place.

Overall, the British challenge has been a disappointment. Plenty had been hoped of Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey, among others, but in reality their hopes faded and died in the wind. Most of them are looking towards the Masters and trying to hone their games for Augusta.

Casey, with a 75, had the pleasure, if that is the word, of accompanying Woods over the first two rounds. He enjoys the American’s company and likes to see how he measures up against him, which is fine on a good day. On a bad day, there is no place to hide. Yesterday was one of those days.

The Englishman dropped five strokes in his first nine holes and reached the turn in 41, which did not compare too well with Woods’s 33 over the same stretch. At one point, Casey was on six over par and bumping along towards the bottom of the 79-man field. To his credit, he turned it round with three birdies in his last six holes and will be in a better frame of mind going into the weekend.

Donald had a level-par round of 72 to lead the home challenge on four under, one ahead of Rose (71), Graeme Storm (70), Ross Fisher (70) and Nick Dougherty (73). Westwood (72), Ian Poulter (72) and Graeme McDowell (71) lie on one under par. Colin Montgomerie, who double-bogeyed the last hole, had a 74 and is on three over par and equal 72nd.