Monty may miss cut as Clarke and Harrington recover
A double-bogey seven – his second of the week – put Colin Montgomerie in danger of missing the halfway cut for the fifth event running at the Masters today.
Montgomerie, who had never missed four in a row until his early exit at the Players Championship two weeks ago, came a cropper at Augusta’s 510-yard 13th.
The eight-time European number one drove through the fairway into the trees, had to lay up and then spun his pitch off the green into Rae’s Creek.
Having also taken seven at the long second in the first round, Montgomerie dropped to four over par.
That was the expected cut-off mark, although the first major of the season also has the rule whereby anybody within 10 strokes of the lead at halfway qualifies for the final 36 holes.
That could be the saviour of a huge number of players and the man likeliest to dictate that, overnight leader Vijay Singh, had yet to resume on five under.
The world number two remained one ahead of American Rocco Mediate, who resumed with three pars, while Ernie Els, so close so often in the event, moved into a tie for third on three under with birdies at the second and seventh.
Els was playing again with Phil Mickelson, the man who pushed him into second place with his closing 18-foot birdie putt two years ago, and Mickelson was three under as well when he also birdied the second. But that was followed by a bogey three holes later.
Defending champion Tiger Woods, level par overnight, was another late starter, but Sergio Garcia made his presence felt when he birdied the second and third, only to return to level par when he took four at the 180-yard sixth and then ran up a six on the long eighth.
Darren Clarke, on the other hand, came back from a bogey at the seventh with birdies at the next two and on one under was in joint 13th place with England’s David Howell, yet to tee off again following his opening 71.
Lee Westwood had his work out to stay alive in the tournament. Resuming on three over the Worksop golfer turned in 35, but then double-bogeyed the 10th and bogeyed the treacherous 11th to stand stand over.
Padraig Harrington continued his superb recovery from being five over after seven yesterday. The Dubliner was up to level par when he birdied the long eighth.
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