Second Round Report

Second Round Scores
First Round Report
First Round Scores
Third Round Pairings

Faldo crashes out - again

By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

Augusta, Georgia. 10th April 1998 - Three closing bogeys, the last of them coming when he missed from only two feet, sent three-time winner Nick Faldo crashing out of the Masters for the second year running at Augusta.

Faldo shot 79 for a seven-over-par total of 151 - and the cut fell at six over.

Also out went 1988 winner Sandy Lyle and double champion Seve Ballesteros - also for the second successive time in the Spaniard's case - while Worksop 24-year-old Lee Westwood survived by the skin of his teeth after going in the water and taking seven on the long 15th.

Westwood stayed alive in the first major of the year (he was made third favourite after his first US Tour victory in New Orleans last weekend) by sinking a 10-foot birdie putt on the final green for a 76, having driven into the fairway bunker.

Sharing the lead entering Saturday's third round are 1992 champion Fred Couples and rising American star David Duval. He shot 68, and overnight leader Couples a 70 to lie on the five-under-par mark of 139.

Third is Scott Hoch, runner-up to Faldo after a play-off in 1989, two back following bogeys at two of the last three holes for a 71, and defending champion Tiger Woods is in a group on one under with Jose Maria Olazabal.

Conditions were again blustery, but Colin Montgomerie blamed more poor putting for a 75 which dropped him seven adrift at two over.

Ian Woosnam moved past him with a 71 and now leads the British challenge, but Wales' 1991 winner is also finding life hard on the greens with a new putter he switched to only on Wednesday.

Ulsterman Darren Clarke's 73 for five over meant he made it through to the last two days on his debut in the event.

Faldo's day had begun well at 7.30am. He was one of 10 players forced to return to the course then to complete their first rounds, and his first shot was a six-foot putt for his third successive birdie on the 17th.

He parred the last for a 72, but when he set off in his second round the 40-year-old, who has not won a tournament for more than 13 months, started it like he had his first - bogey, bogey.

At the long second he was on in two, but four-putted, and by turning in 40 he knew he had a task on his hands to survive the cut.

He bogeyed the short 12th, made up for that with a four at the 15th, but then three-putted the next and on the 17th landed in such an awkward place in a greenside bunker that he had to come out sideways.

He bogeyed that, but still looked set to stay alive when he rolled a 30-foot putt up to two feet on the last. It horseshoed out, however, and he soon learnt his fate.

Lyle was fighting an uphill battle from the time he went to the turn in 41 to stand seven over. The struggling Scot then bogeyed both par threes coming home, and birdies at the 15th and 17th were not enough.

Westwood said: "Maybe I used up all my luck last week, but if you fritter shots away you can't expect to be up there."

Woosnam commented: "I need a break on the greens. I missed a lot of chances, but this new putter has a soft face and I've got to get used to it."

Montgomerie, outscored by playing partner Woods by three (last year it was nine when they were the last pair out in the third round), said: "The way I am putting I can't see any light. You've got to be able to see the lines to the hole, and so far I've had 31 putts in the first round and 36 today."

Among those alongside Woosnam on one over is the remarkable Jack Nicklaus, 58 now and winner a record six times. He added a 72 to his opening 73, thrilling the crowd with a closing birdie.

But Duval's 68 is the round of the week so far. The 27-year-old, who finished last season with three victories and had another in Tucson earlier this year, was only one under with six to play, but birdied four of them.

Couples' experience stood him in good stead. Bogeys on the 11th and 12th left the 38-year-old at two under, but he then birdied the 12th, 13th and 16th.

Woods actually shared the lead when he, like Duval, birdied the eighth and ninth, but he could produce only an inward 38 - and had to make an 18-footer on the last for that.

The 22-year-old knew the importance of that for his morale and hugged his caddie. He remains favourite for the title.

Also a threat now is left-hander Phil Mickelson, who went out in 32 and whose 69 left him one under as well.

Olazabal holed from off the green for the second day running, this time at the ninth. But it was one of only three birdies.

Gay Brewer, the 66-year-old 1957 winner whose 72 was the talk of the opening day, missed the cut after an 86 - and out too went Arnold Palmer on 22 over following an 87.

Palmer was playing with British amateur champion Craig Watson, and the 31-year-old Scot did not make it either, improving only one stroke on his first-day 79 to be 13 over alongside Ballesteros.