The Spanish, at two over par, still alive although number one escapes to -8
Tiger Woods battles in a tough second day
MADRID, 9 Apr. (SportsFinding) –
The Spanish golfers Jon Rahm and Sergio García knew how to suffer this Friday on the second day of the Augusta Masters to enter the weekend with fight options, although the number one in the world, Scottie Scheffler, gave a recital to escape in the leadership which will also pursue Tiger Woods.
The Augusta National continues to squeeze, heavy and windy, the best golfers in the world, but for the number one it was another story. Scheffler, inspired like no one else in recent months to snatch the throne from Rahm and reach the top of the first major of the season, took the lead with a lap of -5.
The American will have to defend his pole position by a total of -8, but he will have a good cushion, five shots over Charl Schwartzel, Sungjae Im, who gave up the lead from day one, Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama. Big words in that chasing group and also in what he lurks behind.
For the Spanish, as for almost everyone, it was a tough day. José María Olazábal did not achieve the goal of making the cut, with a card of 84 strokes. Meanwhile, Rahm and Sergio are in the ‘Top 25’, with two over par. The Basque golfer improved the sensations of Thursday, controlling a dangerous turn in the par of the course.
The one from Borriol, champion in 2017, cursed the 11th hole in a ‘triple-bogey’, but ended up hooked with two ‘birdies’ and a 74 with which he rebelled against the harshness of the Georgia course. Thus, the Masters is still open for both Spaniards, although forced to an important ‘moving day’ and praying that Scheffler pays for the hazing.
With 23 Masters, the one who knows how to handle himself in any situation is Tiger Woods. ‘El Tigre’, competing in his first tournament in a year and a half after his fifth back operation and a serious traffic accident, started Friday with four bogeys in five holes. The Californian, after a glorious return on Saturday at one under par, showed his fighting ability to return to being the protagonist.
The champion of 15 ‘Grand Slams’ fought his return to finish with two over par, plus one in total, and continue thinking about something out of the human. The doubts as to whether he would hold his right leg, whether he was ready to compete, whether he would make the cut, are dispatched one by one with the halo that follows him through the streets of Augusta.