The noise - or rather lack of it - was enough to tell Charles Howell that Tiger Woods was not a threat to him in the third round of the Nissan Open in Los Angeles.
And, barring an absolute miracle, he won't be in the final round today either.
The world number one, Woods, went out of bounds off the first tee, took a double bogey seven and then twice three-putted as he fell deep into the pack.
Even with birdies at the ninth, 10th and long 11th and another at the last Woods, seeking a second successive win on his return from knee surgery, finished the day with a 73 and at only level par - 11 adrift of Howell (68) and a lowly joint 28th.
Howell, Rookie of the Year in 2001, has a second US Tour win in his sights, ending the day three clear of former Open champion Nick Price - twice his age - and four in front of South Korean KJ Choi.
Ulsterman Darren Clarke is alongside Woods, but enjoyed the round much more. He had survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare, but returned a 68.
Woods chose a three-wood for his opening shot for fear of running out of fairway on the par five. But that was the least of his worries as the ball was pulled horribly left and had the crowd turning round to see where it flew.
It became a souvenir for somebody as the Masters and US Open champion, lying second until he also double-bogeyed three holes from home yesterday, re-loaded and then found the right-hand rough with both his third and fourth shots.
After the round Woods, resigned to this being one tournament he won't win, smiled and said of that first blow: "I got stuck and flipped it.
"Instead of finishing on number two fairway (right) I went in the parking lot.
"I struggled all day and to compound that the breaks I got weren't exactly positive." He finished at the base of a tree off the 13th tee and had to hack the ball out left-handed.
Howell, in marked contrast, began with two birdies and with Price bogeying the second he had opened clear ground between him and the rest of the field - not that he knew it at the time.
His control did not slacken. Even when Choi closed the gap to three by starting the back nine with two birdies Howell responded with a 10-foot eagle putt at the 564-yard 11th.
Clarke, working on changes with Woods's coach Butch Harmon said: "I played really nicely. I had three and a half hours on the range after yesterday's round (a 74) and 68 was about as bad as I could have scored."
PA