He’s already got one green jacket, but Charl Schwartzel has a chance of a second after making the cut at The Masters. If you haven’t got a ticket you can’t win the lottery, and Schwartzel has a ticket.
It was a rollercoaster round for the 2011 champion, who made five birdies and five bogeys.
The most important thing at any Major weekend is exactly that: making the weekend.
Schwartzel did that, but his scorecard would make even the most neutral a bit dizzy. He bogeyed the first, birdied the second, parred the third, bogeyed the fourth. Yep, one of those days!
Three pars followed and then two birdies for Schwartzel saw him turn one-under (35).
In the first round, Schwartzel had gone two under for the home nine, but he had a one-over 37 on day two, just showing how tough the golf course is.
Ernie Els is another who won’t go away quietly either, in what might be his last Masters. South Africa’s favourite golfing son added a second round 75 to add to his opening 72, to surely make the weekend cut.
Els is a four-time Major champion and was always touted as a potential Masters champion, but it didn’t happen. But, the 47-year-old has performed superbly after two days at Augusta, where plenty big names have fallen.
Els, after signing for a first round 72 on one of the toughest opening days in years, given the weather conditions, was one of the earlier starters in round two.
He was immediately under pressure, making bogey at the first hole. Els then made birdie at the par-five second, before three pars that left him at even par for the round after five holes.
A bogey at the short sixth and three more pars saw the South African turn in 37. Another three pars followed as he negotiated Amen Corner without too much collateral damage, but Els bogeyed three of the last six holes – interspersed by a birdie on the par five 15th – to finish with a 75.
