AUGUSTA – For those of you silly souls who pondered a thought that Tiger Woods, after an opening-round 4-over-par 76 yesterday, was on his way out of contention at the Masters, shame on you.

You should know better than to count out Woods on any course in any tournament, not the least of which is the Masters.

Remember the 40 he shot on the front nine in 1997 before blowing the Masters field away by a record 12 shots?

The most accurate thing that can be said about Woods and his pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive Masters championship is that he survived yesterday’s unique and grueling day at Augusta National, where the first two rounds were played because Thursday’s round was postponed with the course rain-saturated.

Play began at 7:30 a.m. yesterday and concluded at 7:26 p.m. with most of the field still on the course yet to complete the second round.

As night fell, Woods (2-over) trailed leader Mike Weir (6-under) by eight shots with both players still needing to complete the second round. Weir is through 12 holes of his second round; Woods is through 10 holes.

Burly Irishman Darren Clarke, who was the first-round leader by three shots after a 6-under 66, is two shots behind Weir at 4-under through 10 holes of his second round.

Phil Mickelson, seeking his first major championship, stands in third place at 2-under through 11 holes of his second round. He’ll begin his day this morning on treacherous No. 12, on which he is 11-over-par lifetime.

U.S. Amateur champion Ricky Barnes was a revelation yesterday playing with Woods, shooting a 3-under 69 in his first round and closing the day at 1-under through 10 holes of his second round.

Despite the fact Woods will begin today eight shots back of the lead, he remains very much the story, because it looked grim early in the day for the three-time Masters winner.

“I’m still not out of this thing,” Woods said after his balky first round.

It was a wild start for Woods, who chipped in for bogey on the first hole.

Asked after he was finished yesterday about his position, Woods said, “Obviously I’d like it to be better, but I’m on the right track. I’m right where I need to be. We’ve got a long way to go. The leaders aren’t going to run away and hide with these conditions.”

The highest opening-round score by a player who went on to win the Masters was Craig Stadler’s 75 in 1982. So that’s a another potential record Woods could break this week, along with, if he were to win, a third consecutive green jacket.

Woods, whose first-round 76 snapped a streak of 10 consecutive Masters rounds under par, went 21 holes yesterday before carding his first birdie. He then birdied Nos. 13, 14 and 16 on the front nine of his second round.

Woods’ first round was birdie free, the first time since the 1999 British Open he played a round without a birdie.

Gary Player, the diminutive South African and three-time Masters winner, could not have been more prophetic when he said Thursday that yesterday “would be a day for youth.”

After the first Masters round postponement in 20 years on Thursday, after four consecutive days of rain saturated Augusta National, yesterday was a marathon day for the players.

The grueling day left some players exhilarated about surviving to stay in contention, most tired and many agitated.

No player was more upset than Colin Montgomerie, who after blowing past reporters without comment following his first-round 78, stormed into the clubhouse barking out expletives to no one in particular.

“We’re going to get this [bleeping] thing fixed right [bleeping] now,” he repeated over and over as he burst into the locker room.

—

If at first you don’t succeed . . .

Tiger Woods never has led the Masters after the first round of play. In his attempt to become the first player to win three straight green jackets, Woods opened with a 4-over-par 76 on yesterday’s first 18 holes.

Following his worst first round at Augusta, Woods trailed Darren Clarke by 10 strokes.

Here’s a look at Woods’ past performances:

Year+First round (par), strokes behind+Final total (par)+Result

1995+72 (even), 6 back+293 (5-over)+Tied 41st, 19 back

1996+75 (3-over), 12 back+150 (6-over)+Missed cut

1997+70 (2-under), 3 back+270 (18-under)+Winner by 12

1998+71 (1-under), 2 back+285 (3-under)+Tied 8th, 6 back

1999+72 (even), 3 back+289 (1-over)+Tied 18th, 9 back

2000+75 (3-over), 7 back+284 (4-under)+Fifth, 6 back

2001+70 (2-under), 5 back+272 (16-under)+Winner by 2

2002+70 (2-under), 3 back+276 (12-under)+Winner by 3

2003+76 (4-over), 10 back

+Final two rounds this weekend