Howell makes charge at Augusta
England’s David Howell went on a spectacular second-round charge to share the lead on his Masters debut at Augusta National today.
The 29-year-old from Swindon, without a tournament victory since the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic, thrilled the band of family and friends following him with five birdies in seven holes on the back nine.
Howell, one of the heroes of last September’s Ryder Cup victory in Detroit, has been having a miserable time on the US Tour so far this season.
But, his confidence boosted by an opening level-par 72, he set off again with birdies at the 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th and then the short 16th.
Howell struck his tee shot to eight feet there and although it had a vicious curl on it and he spent an eternity deciding on the right line, he judged it to perfection.
His burst came as the first round – delayed for five and a half hours at the start because of thunderstorms – was being completed.
Howell’s Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald claimed a fourth-successive birdie when he resumed today, and a further three pars followed for a four-under-par 68 which put him only one behind first-round leader Chris DiMarco.
Alongside Donald on 68 was world number one Vijay Singh, who birdied the 13th and 14th and missed two other good chances over the closing stretch, while defending champion Phil Mickelson tucked in just behind with a 70.
Donald could have been at the top of the pile. His pitch to the long eighth spun close to the hole, but rolled 30 feet away and at the last a five-foot birdie chance went begging.
“It’s a great start, but nothing more than that,” said the High Wycombe golfer, joint runner-up in the Players Championship in Florida two weeks ago.
He was due off for his second round in little more than half an hour and commented: “I’m very happy with the way I’m playing, but this course can bite you back.”
DiMarco also had four holes to play when the tournament resumed and he too kicked off with a two at the sixth – the hole he aced in last year’s opening round – and continued to match Donald the rest of the way.
Mickelson instantly moved a stroke off the lead when he set off again, hitting his tee shot to seven feet on the short 12th.
The left-hander chose to lay up on the long 13th, however, failed with his birdie attempt and then bogeyed the next to slip back to joint sixth on two under.
Tiger Woods continued to have an eventful time. Somehow only two over par overnight the world number two birdied the fifth, but at the sixth his first putt from the front nine failed to make it up the sharp slope and came back to him.
His next attempt steamed 10 feet past the flag, but he made that for a bogey four. Another birdie followed, but then a bogey six and he finished with a 74, seven adrift of Ryder Cup team-mate DiMarco.
The last two years Woods opened with rounds of 76 and 75 and he had again left himself a mountain to climb.
So too last year’s runner-up Ernie Els, who double-bogeyed the fourth in his 75. The South African had to remind himself that two years ago he began with a 79 and got back into the hunt before finishing sixth.
Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke all matched Howell’s 72, while another member of the Ryder Cup, Frenchman Thomas Levet, turned his woeful season – not one cut made yet – on its head with a one-under 71.
Poulter, who sank a 15-foot putt at the 17th, stated: “Steady – very steady. I kept it on the right side of the hole. The more times you play the more you know about the course. I’m right in there and very happy. There were some tricky pins.”
Harrington birdied the long 15th, but was relieved not to go in the water there.
“I hit a great chip, but only the cushion of rough stopped it going in,” he said.
“I’m happy enough. It’s an OK first round to see where you are at.”
Donald’s former Walker Cup colleague Graeme McDowell did not have such a successful debut round. Eight over after 10 holes he eventually finished with a seven-over 79, while 1988 winner Sandy Lyle, who had a skin cancer scare before the event, came in with a 74.
Lee Westwood struggled to a 77 and Sergio Garcia, fourth last year, was on the same mark with one to play. He went back to the tee on the 12th after hitting into the bushes over the green and double-bogeyed.
Jose Maria Olazabal, who lost a play-off for the BellSouth Classic on Monday after missing two short putts, did not have a single birdie and closed with a double bogey six for a 77.
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