Defending champion Jordan Spieth produced a level par front nine to turn six-under overall in his second round at the Masters yesterday and lead a charging Rory McIlroy by three shots.
Spieth, aiming to become just the fourth player to retain the green jacket, led by two from Danny Lee and Shane Lowry at the start of the day and immediately found his range with birdies on one and three.
He dropped his first shots of the tournament after four-putting the fifth but made a courageous par-three from through the green on the sixth. However, though he birdied eight he immediately dropped a shot at nine to give the chasing pack some hope.
At the same time as Spieth was bogeying, McIlroy curled in a brilliant two on the par-three 16th to reach minus three. It took him to one-under for the round on what has been an incredibly difficult day for most players in the wind at Augusta National.
McIlroy is trying to complete a career grand slam and would have been even better placed had he not doubled the par-three fifth from the greenside bunker.
Lee briefly reached five-under with a birdie at the second but a four-putt double bogey on three undid his good work. He got up to minus four again by the 16th but consecutive three putts to finish meant he returned in two-over 38 to finish two-under and in a tie for third.
“I’m very happy with where I finished today,” Lee said. “But I am very disappointed that I made two three-putts in a row.
“But it is playing tough out there, wind is very gusty, we’ll see what happens out there today.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen out there, but sounds like it’s going to be very breezy still. But I’m just happy I get to play on the weekend and I have a chance.”
Scott Piercy put together a very creditable 72 to join Lee on that score in the clubhouse and they can now hope the wind improves their position relative to others still on the course.
Lowry was two-over after five for his round as his challenge faded to one-under for the competition with three holes remaining.
US Amatuer champion Bryson DeChambeau is also in the group on two-under tied for third.
World number one Jason Day went round in a disappointing 73 with a bogey on the par-five 13th the low point as he failed to make the shots needed to undo a poor opening round of level par.
The cut is currently projected at four-over which would see two-time champion Bubba Watson (six-over) miss the weekend along with Ernie Els, who saw his hopes sabotaged with a six-putt nine on the first hole of the first round.
“Very disappointing,” Watson said. “Got to wait a year to attack it again. The golf course beat me this year and so I just got to improve, try to get better around this place.”
Veteran Tom Watson, playing his 43rd and last Masters, is currently seven-over through 11 as his time as a player at Augusta National come to a close.
Adam Scott and Martin Kaymer are major winners currently on plus five and with work to do if they are to survive.