Steady Westwood still leads the way

Lee Westwood
6 April 2012

Lee Westwood remains the man to catch after starting his second round with five straight pars in The Masters at Augusta - but he has had to work hard to stay out in front.

England's world number three missed only two fairways in his opening five-under-par 67, but he was off-line on the first and second holes on his return in cooler and windier conditions.

Westwood's opening drive narrowly avoided the fairway bunker on the right and he took advantage by hitting his approach to seven feet, but missed the putt.

On the long second he went left this time - into the trees and not far from a creek which South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen, joint second overnight, had found earlier in the day.

The 2010 Open champion took a double bogey seven, but Westwood ended up having an 18-foot birdie chance. He failed to hole that, though, and a 15-foot opportunity on the third went begging too.

The 38-year-old, runner-up to Phil Mickelson two years ago, remained five under par and was caught when American Jason Dufner birdied the second and third.

However Dufner, the player who led the USPGA Championship by five shots entering the closing stretch last August before losing a play-off to compatriot Keegan Bradley, followed those two birdies with a double bogey at the short fourth.

Swede Peter Hanson had matched Oosthuizen's first-day 68 but he set off again with a double-bogey six and that left Dufner and Ben Crane sharing second place on four under.

Ian Poulter's birdies at the second and fifth lifted him to two under and joint 10th, while Rory McIlroy became part of that group as well when he birdied the 350-yard third.

Compatriot Graeme McDowell remained three over after parring every hole on the front nine, while Scot Martin Laird was on the same mark with five to play, Paul Casey five over after six, Simon Dyson seven over after 12, Ian Woosnam eight over at the turn and Sandy Lyle - clear last after an opening 86 - 20 over with six holes remaining.

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