Golfing News

The Friday before Easter is Good Friday in the Christian world.

At The Masters, it was GREAT Friday.

Nearly everyone near the top of the leaderboard, headed by Americans Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry at 9-under, has a story that unveiled on the second round at Augusta National Golf Club.

Campbell got off to the same hot start he did on Thursday — at one point he was 11-under and five clear of the field. He bogied three holes on the back nine, but birdied the long, uphill 18th hole to post 9-under par.

Perry, Campbell’s fellow U.S. Ryder Cup hero from Valhalla six months ago, quietly pieced together a bogey-free 67, which included his own birdie on 18 to tie the lead.

One shot back is Argentina’s Angel Cabrera. The long bomber split fairways all day, and his birdie on 18 capped a 68 that put the 2007 U.S. Open champion at 8-under. He’ll be paired Saturday in the penultimate group with Todd Hamilton (6-under), a fellow major champ from the 2004 British Open.

Tim Clark, the fateful winner of Wednesday’s Par-3 Contest (the Par-3 winner has never won that year’s Masters) is 5-under. The group at 4-under includes Sergio Garcia and Rory Sabbatini, who shot 67, and Anothony Kim, who went hog wild, carding 11 birdies en route to a 65.

Two gaggles trail them. Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy and Phil Mickelson head up the group at 3-under. Mickelson was right on the cut line before a birdie on No. 12 and eagle on N0. 13 from kick in range. He birdied 18 for a back nine 4-under 32.

The large group at 2-under includes the World Number One. Tiger Woods has yet to get out of neutral gear this weekend, shooting even-par 72 on Friday. Others in that group are 1988 Masters champion Sandy Lyle, who birdied five holes in a row on the back nine, and Padraig Harrington, looking for a third-consecutive major championship.

Former champions Larry Mize and Mike Weir are at 1-under. Defending champion Trevor Immelman made the cut on the number at 1-over.

And then comes this list of folks who’s Masters is over. Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Jose-Maria Olazabal missed it by one. And then there were the players who bid Augusta adieu as competitors.

Fuzzy Zoeller and Gary Player played their final Masters, accounting for 82 appearances between them, but took one final ovation coming up the 18th hole despite missing the cut by wide margins.

Friday also likely has marked the final appearance of Greg Norman, barring another uplifting miracle like his 3rd place finish at last British Open, which qualified him for this Masters. Norman was 1-under par, two shots inside the cut line, before he double-bogied the par-5 13th hole then bogied two more holes coming in, and followed a solid opening 70 with a 77.

So after such a Good Friday, what could follow? That’s easy — Easter Sunday at The Masters.

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