Date: April 11, 2009
Author: PA Sport and Sportal

Perry catches Campbell at Masters

Americans Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry hold a one-stroke lead from Argentina&aposs Angel Cabrera at the halfway mark of the US Masters at Augusta. After enjoying outright leadership after the first 18 holes, Campbell could only manage a two-under second round of 70 and was reined in by Perry who carded a five-under 67 to join his compatriot on nine-under overall. Geoff Ogilvy is the best of the Australian contingent in equal 11th spot at three-under. After starting the day in a share of 28th position, Ogilvy also hit a two-under 70 which included four birdies and two bogeys to move 17 spots up the leaderboard. Aaron Baddeley is the next-best Aussie on two-under, Robert Allenby (one-over) and Stuart Appleby (one-over) just made the cut but the same couldn&apost be said for Adam Scott (two-over), Greg Norman (three-over) and Mathew Goggin (seven-over) and Kiwi pair Michael Campbell (11-over) and Danny Lee (11-over). Meanwhile, Padraig Harrington was involved in a rules discussion when his ball was blown by the wind on the 15th green. Because he had addressed it previously, a one-shot penalty was imposed and instead of putting for birdie, the putt he then sank was for par. Harrington then bogeyed the 17th and when his birdie putt at the last horseshoed out he was round in 73 for two under alongside Tiger Woods, who had bogeyed the 18th for the second day running and signed for a 72. “It started to blow, so I stood off it, but a gust came and blew it three feet further away,” Harrington said. “It&aposs strange. It happened to me before when the referee ruled it was not a penalty, but I grew up thinking it was, so it wasn&apost hard to take and I was pleased that I collected my thoughts and knocked the putt in.” Spaniard Sergio Garcia leads the European contingent going into the concluding 36 holes as a result. A 67 in the last group of the day, completed with a birdie, put the world No.3 joint sixth. Swede Henrik Stenson (70) and world No.2 Phil Mickelson (68) were tied for 11th with Ogilvy on three under. Two under and joint 19th with Harrington, Woods and Baddeley were Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and 51-year-old Sandy Lyle, Scotland&aposs 1988 champion having five successive birdies from the 13th in his 70. In the gusty conditions the course showed far more teeth than it had on the opening day, but Campbell was still able to add a 70 to his dramatic opening 65. The 34-year-old Texan even reached 11 under after 10 holes, then bogeyed three of the next seven before closing with a 30-foot birdie putt. Ryder Cup team-mate Perry did supremely well to keep a bogey off his card and with birdies on the 1st, 2nd, 12th, 15th and then the last from five feet he was round in 67. Cabrera had a second successive 68, while in fourth place on six under was 2004 Open champion Todd Hamilton – a long-awaited return to form for a player now ranked 373rd in the world. Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Houston Open winner Paul Casey and Luke Donald all made the cut with a shot to spare on level par and Ross Fisher survived on the limit after a 76, but among those crashing out were Ernie Els, Jose Maria Olazabal and Fred Couples – all by one on two over. Ian Woosnam, whose mother died earlier in the week, bowed out on five over, while fellow former winners Ben Crenshaw and Tom Watson showed their age sadly with 83s and Norman&aposs return after seven years ended early too after he dropped four shots in the last six holes for a 78. Oliver Wilson bowed out as well on four over. US Masters After Round 2 -9: Chad Campbell 65 70, Kenny Perry 68 67 -8: Angel Cabrera 68 68 -6: Todd Hamilton 68 70 -5: Tim Clark 68 71 -4: Anthony Kim 75 65, Rory Sabbatini 73 67, Shingo Katayama 67 73, Jim Furyk 66 74, Sergio Garcia 73 67 -3: Steve Stricker 72 69, Hunter Mahan 66 75, Nick Watney 70 71, Stephen Ames 73 68, Henrik Stenson 71 70, Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 71 70, Vijay Singh 71 70, Phil Mickelson 73 68 Also: -2: Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 68 74 +1: Robert Allenby (Australia) 73 72, Stuart Appleby (Australia) 72 73 +2: Adam Scott (Australia) 71 75 +3: Greg Norman (Australia) 70 77 +7: Matthew Goggin (Australia) 74 77 +11: Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 80 75, Danny Lee (New Zealand) 74 81