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Immelman in the lead
12/04/2008 08:43 - (SA)
Augusta - South African Trevor Immelman, finding his form after recovering from health problems last year, birdied the last two holes for a 68 to grab
a one-shot lead in Friday's second round of the US Masters.
Immelman, overnight co-leader with Briton Justin Rose,
matched his first-round score by posting three birdies on the
back nine to reach eight-under-par 136 as he got hot with his
putter on a warm, breezy day at Augusta National.
American Brandt Snedeker was alone in second place after he
mirrored Immelman's rousing finish with birdies at 17 and 18 to
complete a 68 for 137, two shots better than compatriots Phil
Mickelson and Steve Flesch, and Briton Ian Poulter.
'It's a thrill'
"It feels great to break 70 both rounds," said Immelman,
28, who four months ago had a benign tumour the size of a golf
ball removed from behind his rib cage and had previously lost
weight due to an intestinal parasite.
"It's a thrill to play well here."
Four-times champion Tiger Woods was seven strokes off the
pace after an up-and-down round of 71, while Rose plunged to a
78 thanks to a triple-bogey eight at the 15th hole in swirling
winds that made it more difficult for the later starters.
"It was quite a fight to try and figure out what was going
on out there," world number one Woods told reporters. "I mean,
it was just swirling all over the place."
Twice winner Mickelson had three birdies on the front side
and capped a bogey-free round with a 30-foot birdie at 17 for a
68.
"At least I'm working in the right direction but I've got a
long way to go," said Mickelson.
Flesch registered an eagle at the par-five 13th to help his
67, while Poulter made three back-nine birdies for a 69.
At four-under-par 140 were Briton Paul Casey, after a 69,
and Canadian Stephen Ames, who shot his second successive 70.
Lucky shot
Snedeker, 27, drew a huge roar from the gallery at number
six with an imaginative chip from the green to carry a mound,
landing it at a 90-degree angle from the cup and watching it
trickle down a slope and into the hole.
"That was probably one of the luckiest shots I've ever hit
on number six," said Snedeker, the 2007 US Tour Rookie of the
Year. "The only chance I had was chipping it and trying to spin
it a little bit.
"It came off absolutely perfect, tracking the whole way. If
it didn't hit the hole it was going on 10 or 12 feet by, at
best, if not off the green."
The cut was set at three over par, with 45 players
qualifying for the final two rounds.
Among those at four-over were Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and
Fred Couples, who remains tied with Gary Player for a record
for the most consecutive Masters cuts of 23.
Immelman, who has missed four cuts and finished no better
than 40th in other stroke play events this year, said it was
special to be contending at Augusta for his first major title.
"The whole atmosphere, the mystique ... everything about
this tournament and this venue. It's what dreams are made of."
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Rugby
