US Masters : Adam Scott in hunt, while John Senden makes charge to trail leader Bubba Watson
Defending champion Adam Scott recovered from a slow start to be tied for third while fellow Queenslander John Senden moved into outright second in difficult conditions at the US Masters at Augusta National.
American Bubba Watson, the 2012 champion, rode a hot back nine to catapult into the clubhouse lead, three shots clear at 7-under-par after a 4-under. Senden, who fired 4-under for the day to be 4-under for the tournament, came into the first major of the year in good form after winning last month's Tampa Bay Classic. He was two-over after four holes but stormed up the leaderboard with six birdies in his next 11 holes for a 68. to drop back to even-par for the tournament, dropping into a tie for 13th as swirling winds played havoc with the field. But he fought his way back to fire an even-par round and remain at 3-under, tied for third with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn (68), Swede Jonas Blixt (71) and American Jordan Spieth (70). Senden missed the cut in three of his four previous appearances at the opening major of the year but said he had learned a lot from his experiences. I've been here five times now and learned where to go and where not to go, said the 42-year-old. You just have to accept where the ball ends up and play the best shot you can. The secret of this course is keeping the big numbers off the card. They kind of put you straight out of contention and if you can do that well you have a chance. Scott did well to salvage par at the last where he missed the fairway to the left off the tee, his ball ending up behind a pine tree from where he struck his second shot into a greenside bunker.
Watson made his first bogey of the tournament at the ninth hole and also dropped a shot at the last when he missed a short putt but reeled off five successive birdies from the 12th to seize control of the first major of the year. While most of the world's best golfers struggled to make par in brutally tough conditions at Augusta National, Watson produced a masterful display. Matt Jones will stick around for the weekend at the Masters but will have to watch the action from outside the ropes. Jones finished his first trip to Augusta National with a 6-over 78 to be eight-over for the tournament, ensuring he would miss the cut on his first attempt. As the last man in the field courtesy of his maiden US PGA tour win last weekend in Houston, Jones effectively ran out of gas in the whirlwind week and fell victim to inexperience at the course.
Now, with his world ranking at a career-high 42, Jones is ready to play major championships on a regular basis. He has virtually locked up spots in the British Open and PGA Championship and is just a few decent results away from adding the US Open. Marc Leishman produced one of the all-time Masters meltdowns, birdying the opening three holes to take the outright lead before playing the final 15 in 10-over for a 79. He missed the cut by one shot. Three-times champion Phil Mickelson also missed his first cut at the Masters in 17 years, the victim of another whopping bad hole. Mickelson, who posted a pair of sevens during Friday's opening-round 76, finished outside the cut by one stroke, undone by a triple-bogey six at the par-3 12th. Also making an early exit from the Masters were four-times major Ernie Els, former world number one Luke Donald and 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.
Defending champion Adam Scott recovered from a slow start to be tied for third while fellow Queenslander John Senden moved into outright second in difficult conditions at the US Masters at Augusta National.
Watson made his first bogey of the tournament at the ninth hole and also dropped a shot at the last when he missed a short putt but reeled off five successive birdies from the 12th to seize control of the first major of the year. While most of the world's best golfers struggled to make par in brutally tough conditions at Augusta National, Watson produced a masterful display. Matt Jones will stick around for the weekend at the Masters but will have to watch the action from outside the ropes. Jones finished his first trip to Augusta National with a 6-over 78 to be eight-over for the tournament, ensuring he would miss the cut on his first attempt. As the last man in the field courtesy of his maiden US PGA tour win last weekend in Houston, Jones effectively ran out of gas in the whirlwind week and fell victim to inexperience at the course.
Now, with his world ranking at a career-high 42, Jones is ready to play major championships on a regular basis. He has virtually locked up spots in the British Open and PGA Championship and is just a few decent results away from adding the US Open. Marc Leishman produced one of the all-time Masters meltdowns, birdying the opening three holes to take the outright lead before playing the final 15 in 10-over for a 79. He missed the cut by one shot. Three-times champion Phil Mickelson also missed his first cut at the Masters in 17 years, the victim of another whopping bad hole. Mickelson, who posted a pair of sevens during Friday's opening-round 76, finished outside the cut by one stroke, undone by a triple-bogey six at the par-3 12th. Also making an early exit from the Masters were four-times major Ernie Els, former world number one Luke Donald and 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel.