Augusta, Apr 11: Britain's Justin Rose leads the Masters Tournament after two rounds. Britain's Justin Rose preserved his two-shot lead in the U.S. Masters second round on Friday (April 9) as Tiger Woods fought back into contention and golf hailed its future and honoured its past. Englishman Rose held his nerve to card a one-under-par 71 while world number one Woods recovered from an out-of-sorts opening day with a three-under 69. Rose, who had set the pace on the weather-hit first day with a superb five-under 67, offset a bogey five at the 11th with birdies at the par-four fifth and the 155-yard 12th. Tied for second at four-under were Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, winner at Augusta in 1994 and 1999, and Germany's Alex Cejka, who shot a second successive 70.



Olazabal, who carded a first-round 71, vaulted up the leaderboard with an eagle at the par-five 13th and successive birdies on 14 and 15 before faltering with a bogey at the last.



Woods, bidding for a third Masters title in four years, mixed five birdies with two bogeys to finish on level-par 144 at a sun-baked Augusta National.



Woods, one of 18 players still out on the course when play was suspended in gathering gloom on Thursday, took advantage of near-perfect conditions in the morning to complete an opening three-over 75 for a share of 44th place.



By the time he signed for a second-round 69, he had improved to a tie for 14th. That left the eight-times major winner six adrift of the 23-year-old Rose, competing in his second Masters.


Bureau Report