The second round of The Masters continued to deliver for fans around the world as the leading golfers struggled to come to terms with the slick conditions. We look at the best and worst bits of day one, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
Birdie
There were plenty of great rounds yesterday, none better than Rickie Fowler’s 67. Charley Hoffman can be commended on limiting the damage to a three over par 75, while co-leaders Thomas Pieters and Sergio Garcia also deserve a mention.
However, the man to stand out, is veteran Fred Couples. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s the early 90s (Couples won in 1992), with Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els grabbing plenty of headlines, but Couples was the true star of the second round.
Maybe he forgets his age when he drives down Magnolia Lane or he simply applies the lessons learnt at Augusta better than most, but whatever the American does at Augusta, works.
No player has been inside the top 10 at this stage more than Couples since 2010 and that includes Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. Wherever he finishes, he should he pleased with his efforts, but you get the feeling that he is eyeing something special this weekend.
Par
In round one, England’s golfers were praised. In round two, South Africa’s contingent get this recognition. Minus Trevor Immelman of course. Schwartzel, Grace, Els and Oosthuizen all made the cut, and all had flashes of brilliance on Friday. None were able to turn their decent rounds into more, and that is a concern.
All four went into the event a little undercooked, so making the cut is big relief off their shoulders. A low round on Saturday particularly got Schwartzel [best placed]. Els [needs to finish inside the top 10 to be exempt next year] may turn this par into a birdie.
Bogey
Oh Danny! It’s incredibly tough to defend the green jacket, but Willett’s performance on Friday is sure to leave a few scars. He’ll be loathe to catch a glimpse of the coverage because the likelihood of his shank on the first hole is almost certain to be screened.
No joy should be garnered from his struggles, but he needs to regroup and press the restart button quickly if he wants to keep his place inside the world’s top 20.
