OOSTHUIZEN GRABS SHARE OF LEAD
Most players still struggling to cope with the lightning fast greens at the Masters
augusta — Louis Oosthuizen, who lost an epic playoff at the Masters two years ago, grabbed a share of the lead at Augusta National on Friday with an eagle in his second round. With most players still struggling to cope with the lightning fast greens, the South African joined overnight leader Bill Haas and Sweden’s Jonas Blixt in a three-way tie for the lead at four-under-par.
The South African made a shaky start, bogeying two of his first seven holes to drop back to twounder, before making an eagle on the 510-yard par-5 13th hole, the final leg of Amen Corner.
His eagle rekindled memories of the 2010 British Open champion’s jaw-dropping albatross on the second hole in the final round two years ago, when he went on to eventually lose to Bubba Watson in an epic playoff. Watson also had a share of the early lead on Friday after he safely navigated his way through his first eight holes before he made his first bogey of the tournament at the ninth to reach the turn at three-under.
Abandoning his normally maverick play, the left-handed American picked up a birdie on the tricky seventh hole, a 450-yard par-four, before making his first mistake of the tournament on a picture-perfect Georgia day.
Blixt birdied the third and fourth holes to join Oosthuizen and Haas, who had not yet started his second round, at four-under after his first four holes. Australia’s Marc Leishman, who finished tied for fourth last year, briefly held the outright lead at five-under when he made a flying start with birdies on each of the first three holes, but fell back to two-under after eight holes with bogeys on three of his next four holes.
Australia’s defending champion Adam Scott, who was tied for second with Watson and Oosthuizen overnight, was among the later starters. Earlier, Bubba Watson, seeking his second green jacket in three years, and Sweden’s Jonas Blixt charged into the hunt in Friday’s second round of the Masters.
Watson, the 2012 Masters champion from the United States, opened with a 69 and on Friday opened with six pars and a birdie at the seventh to reach four-under.
That was the same mark as Bill Haas, who fired a four-under 68 to lead the field of 97 after 18 holes. Haas was among those set to tee off in the final groups of the afternoon. Blixt, one of a record 24 first-time Masters players this year, birdied the second and third holes to join the leaders on four under. Australia’s Marc Leishman opened with three birdies to briefly take the lead.
But Leishman, who only qualified for the Masters based on his major career-best fourth-place showing last year at Augusta National, fizzled as quickly as he flashed, taking bogeys at the fourth, fifth and seventh holes to fall back to two under. Also on two under was 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. The South African who lost to Watson in a 2012 Masters playoff, made bogeys at the fourth and seventh holes and a birdie at the eighth.
Defending champion Adam Scott of Australia, who opened on 69, was in the penultimate group while two-time major winner Rory McIlroy, a fan and oddsmakers favourite this week, was set to be the last man off the tee after opening on 71. Haas, the 2011 US PGA playoff and Tour Championship winner seeks his first major title.
As warm and dry conditions allow the undulating greens to harden and become lightning-fast, Watson marveled at how the club recovered from ice storm damage in February that led to the removal of the giant 17th hole pine known as the Eisenhower Tree.
“The course is in great shape. This is probably the best I’ve seen it in a long time,” Watson said. “It’s amazing. With the storms they had here, the ice storms, to have it in this pristine condition is remarkable. It sets up well for me.”
McIlroy, who has taken the bulk of the crowds in the absence of world number one Tiger Woods, is paired with young rising US stars Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, both in their first Masters.
McIlroy says the firmer conditions will make an already crowded field of contenders open to even more of the field, which includes a record 24 first-time Masters players. —