THE MASTERS : Demons Haunt Dreaded No. 12 : Golf: This time Forsman survives the hole, shoots a six-under 66 and trails leader Mize by one shot.

The Masters golf tournament is as well known for its failures as its successes. More often than not, the tournament is lost, rather than won, as Augusta National finds another way to expose the dismal failings of its competitors in the most public of ways.

Last year, the dismal figure was Dan Forsman, shooting a watery seven on the par-three 12th hole during the final round when he trailed eventual winner Bernhard Langer by only one shot.

Forsman tumbled to seventh place, good enough to get him an invitation back this year, but not good enough to make him forget. However, he made a good run at compensation Friday, shooting the low round of the day, a 66 that placed him one shot behind leader Larry Mize.

Maybe the course is being kind to Forsman, paying him back for being a gracious loser, or maybe it’s merely teasing him, setting him up for an even bigger fall. The next two days will provide the answer.

Mize, the first-round leader, shot a 71, putting him at five-under-par 139. Forsman, Greg Norman and Tom Lehman are at 140. Hale Irwin, Tom Watson, Tom Kite, Jose Maria Olazabal and Ernie Els are one more shot back.

Of that group of leaders, Els is only 25 and likely to wilt under the pressure of the Masters; Olazabal is 28, and everyone else is at least 35.

The course was able to keep its firm grip on the rest of the players, with only a few of the most famous being shown the door after the cut. Among the missing will be Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, the three players who were most responsible for bringing golf out of its infancy and into the public domain.

Forsman is more infamous than famous. It was last year when he discovered that his personal plot in hell was only 155 yards long with a green that has one bunker in front, two in back. At the very front, is Rae’s Creek, which flows with the speed of a Southern drawl. It’s the corner in “Amen Corner,” and no less than Nicklaus calls it “the toughest hole in tournament golf.”

Forsman, who started his 1993 Masters a virtual unknown, was a stroke out of the lead. He had attracted quite a following with his friendly manner, ready smile and the fact that Americans have a perpetual love affair with the underdog.

He hit a six-iron, and the ball landed in the middle of Rae’s Creek. He took his drop and hit his wedge short into the green and watched in disbelief as it caught the slope and rolled right back into the water. After another drop, he hit his wedge to the back of green, two-putted and was left to wonder what might have been.

“I have gotten a lot of response from people after what happened last year,” Forsman said Friday after shooting his 66. “People have been encouraging, yelling, ‘Get by 12 and you can do it.’ It’s constantly before me, but this is golf, it’s not life and death. There are other things a whole lot more important than what I did on the 12th hole at Augusta.”

Forsman said he has gained a lot from last year and added that the pressure of the Masters was a lot to handle. It’s not like any other tournament.

“If you think about walking across a 2-by-4 that’s sitting on cinder blocks, it’s not too bad,” Forsman said. “But this was like walking across the same 2-by-4 on top of the World Trade Center with the wind swirling all around and everyone is there waiting for your demise, remembering all the people that have gone to their death.”

Friday, Forsman hit an eight-iron within eight feet of the cup. He missed the putt, but got his par, the same score as Thursday. Forsman had little trouble with the rest of the back nine, with birdies on four of the holes. He also had three birdies and one bogey on the front nine.

Still, he feels just fine with his par on No. 12.

“Looking at the 12th, I thought it was one of the most beautiful holes I’ve ever seen,” he said. “Now, after last year, I respect it even more. I walk across the bridge (to the green) a little quieter. I get off the green and bow and pay homage to the great hole--the 12th.”

The 12th hole did catch Mize Friday with a bogey. “If 12 can’t get your attention, then you’re not alive,” Mize said.

Mize played a steady round with three birdies and two bogeys, the second coming after he missed a short putt on No. 18. Mize, who also led after the first round last year, had things figured out a little better this year, shooting 71 instead of 74.

“I did better on Friday this year,” Mize said. “The difference, I think, is I’m more comfortable in the lead. I’m a little more prepared.

“Having won here (in 1987) also makes it easier, especially going into the weekend. Having a green jacket takes the pressure off.”

Logic says the most pressure Mize will likely encounter today and Sunday should be coming from Norman. After an erratic 70 Thursday, he shot a steady, controlled 70 Friday. Coming into this tournament, he was playing tremendous golf, with an overwhelming victory at the Players Championship.

“I’m in a very comfortable position,” Norman said. “I’m relaxed and hope that I can put on a performance this weekend like I know I can. The keys are patience and putting.”

And, as usual, another key will be the 12th. After two rounds, there have been more double-bogeys (11) on the hole than birdies (eight). There have also been 49 bogeys. It’s playing as the second-most difficult on the course, behind the fourth hole, a 205-yard par-three. However, with no water, the fourth doesn’t have that monster quality to it. No. 12 still has the lock on personal demons.

Struggling with their own demons, meanwhile, were Nick Price, whose 73 on Friday left him at 147; defending champion Bernhard Langer, who shot another 74 and is at 148; and former winners Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, who are tied at 149 after each shot a 73.