In a treacherous tightrope walk, Garcia kept his temperament on an even keel
Birdies at his first three holes yesterday put the squeeze on Hoffman and as the overnight leader went into reverse, the 37-year-old briefly took the lead halfway through his second round.
Garcia dropped shots at the 10th after finding the trees twice and the 13th after a poor chip as Hoffman restored his advantage but a birdie at the long 15th after taking on the green with his second shot brought him back into the Californian’s slipstream.
A magnificent approach shot to the 17th pulled him alongside Hoffman, who signed for a sobering 75 after his heady 65 on Thursday.
Garcia and Saturdays do not mix at Augusta – his scoring average is 75 on what, for him, has been moving backwards day, but so far he has been reassuringly resolute here. It took 22 holes for his first bogey – his best start at a Major since the 1999 USPGA Championship when he went onto finish runner-up.
That was the first of four second-place finishes in a Major for Garcia; one more than his fellow bridesmaid Westwood. For Westwood, 44 this month, time is running out if he is ever to land the championship that would complete his career.
After a missed cut last week at the Houston Open the omens did not look good but the veteran of the 11-strong English armada here knows how to plot his way around Augusta. He was not at his best yesterday in a bogeyriddled round but last year’s runner-up managed to keep the leakage to manageable handed shot but Willett was forced to take his stance virtually on tip toes and in playing a shot that ended up in the crowd, he lost balance and fell backwards into the bunker.
Willett showed his frustration by slapping his right hand on his leg. His second shot had come to rest under a tree and with a marshal politely asking: “Is there anything you want?” Willett was heard to say: “I could do with this tree being removed.”
He then went from playing his third from among spectators gathered around the left side of proportions. It was a day of damage limitation so in the circumstances Ryan Moore’s 69 was an eye-catching result.
“It’s a course that if you hit it in the right place, it’s possible to shoot a score and I hit it in the right place,” said Moore.
“If you start hitting it in the wrong places – and that can even be on the green – you’re going to make bogey.”
The round took the American Ryder Cup wild card to one under, a shot adrift of William McGirt who is floating around Augusta National on his Masters debut.
It might be hell out there but it is heavenly too. “I don’t know if it’s going to be my first of many Masters or my first and last Masters. I don’t want to look back in 20 years and wish I’d enjoyed it more so I’ve just had fun,” said McGirt.
“It’s hard out there – even two-footers are no gimmes with the green speed and the wind – but I could stay and play here each and every day until the chairman has to run me off.” the green to hitting his fourth off the green before taking two putts and finally walking away with a ‘fat lady’ quadruple bogey.
It put Willett six over par in two rounds playing the first hole. In his previous eight rounds playing the first, Willett had been just three over, while a year ago he produced three pars at the first and just the one bogey, in his triumphant final round.
He finished with a 78, leaving him seven over par, and already realising his tournament was as good as over. He will still feature on Sunday night – but only to fit the Green Jacket on his successor. Bjorn is at Augusta but on this occasion without his golf clubs, as part of the Sky Sports commentary team.
“Danny’s a great individual and he’s shown he is a great golfer,” said Bjorn.
“Much has happened in his life in the space of some 12 months and they have been life-changing issues.
“He became a father, he won a Major, so he has gone from being not just Danny Willett and the very talented young golfer from Sheffield but up into superstar status in the game.
“He’s then had to deal with the last 12 months and everything that goes with and is expected of a Masters champion, so naturally it was going to impact on his golf, as we have seen.
“But, in saying that, Danny has handled his responsibility admirably, including hosting what clearly was going to be a very emotional ‘Former Champions Dinner’.
“However, I’m sure that when this Masters is over Danny Willett will be looking forward to simply getting back to being the golfer Danny Willett.
“He is always going to be a Masters champion and can sit back knowing that he has a tee time at Augusta National as long as he’s still walking.”