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Bubba in command after Masters birdie binge
By Jim Slater | AFP News – 18 minutes ago
Bubba Watson, seeking his second Masters title in three seasons, seized command in Friday's second round at Augusta National with five birdies in a row on the back nine.
The 35-year-old American left-hander, who beat Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff for the 2012 crown, fired a four-under par 68 to stand on seven-under 137 after 36 holes, grabbing a three-shot lead over Australian John Senden in quest for his second career major title.
"I felt really good," Watson said. "It's not science here. It's try to hit the greens and if you're hitting the greens that means you're obviously hitting your tee shots well. That's what I've done the last two days and it's worked out so far."
In Masters history, there has never been a longer birdie streak before the weekend than Watson's run and only five longer ones at any stage in the event.
"You're so focused on what you are doing, you are not really thinking you have just had three in a row, four in a row," Watson said.
"It's one of those things. Everyone has had that stretch before, playing with their buddies or playing in a tournament, so it's not that big a deal when we think about it.
"But at the Masters, it makes it a big deal."
Watson, whose first win after claiming the green jacket came only two months ago at Riviera, struggled with demands on him last year as defending champion and only managed a share of 50th.
"This year I'm trying to get the green jacket back," Watson said. "You want that feeling again. You want it back. Somehow I'm lost in the crowd. I can go through the practice rounds, not too much media attention."
He will have plenty of attention now.
After firing a first-round 68 to stand one adrift of 18-hole pace-setter Haas, Watson began Friday with six pars and a birdie at the seventh but closed his front nine with his first bogey of the tournament.
Watson, ranked 12th, began his birdie run with a five-footer on the par-3 12th hole and followed with another from 10 feet at the par-5 13th as he departed Amen Corner.
Watson curled in a long putt with 15 feet of break over slopes at the 14th, owning a debt to playing partner Sergio Garcia.
"Sergio had a chip and had to go right over my coin, basically, and I watched his ball. He checked it up and then it went straight sideways about 15 feet, and he hit it about eight inches from the hole," Watson said.
"Having that putt from the same line, I knew where to aim it, knew kind of what the speed was. It was a lot different than what I was thinking, and then somehow it just went in.
"Without Sergio's chip, I probably would have three-putted it."
Watson followed with a chip to eight feet to set up a birdie at the par-5 15th and rolled his tee shot, a 9-iron from 176 yards, feet from the cup to set up a birdie at the par-3 16th.
A bogey at 18 dropped Watson one stroke closer to the field but his earlier heroics made him the man to catch.
"I've been lucky enough to win here," Watson said. "Just got to keep my head down, same thing I've been doing the last two days, try to stay level, not too energized, not too excited."
Not since Tiger Woods ran off a Masters record-tying seven in a row starting at the seventh hole of the third round on his way to a 2005 title has there been a longer birdie run at Augusta National.
And not since David Toms ran off six in a row from the 12th in the last round in 1998 has there been such a run on the back nine at the Masters.
Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, 43, opened with two birdies and birdied four of the last five holes to fire a 68 and stand four back on 141 along with Sweden's Jonas Blixt, one of a record 24 Masters newcomers trying to become the first debutante to win a green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
Fred Couples was three under overall and two under for the day with five holes to play as he bids to become the oldest champion in major golf history at age 54.
Defending Masters champion Adam Scott and two-time major winner Rory McIlroy teed off in the last two groups and both stood on level par overall at the turn.
Scott could overtake injured Woods atop the rankings with a two-way share of third this week.
Major champs face cut
The low 50 and ties and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead will make the cut, which was projected at 148.
Two reigning major champions are over that mark -- British Open champion Phil Mickelson at 149 and 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner at 11-over with nine holes to play.
Others finishing over the cut mark were Garcia, one-time Friday leader Marc Leishman of Australia and Ernie Els.
Bubba in command after Masters birdie binge
By Jim Slater | AFP News – 18 minutes ago
Bubba Watson, seeking his second Masters title in three seasons, seized command in Friday's second round at Augusta National with five birdies in a row on the back nine.
The 35-year-old American left-hander, who beat Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff for the 2012 crown, fired a four-under par 68 to stand on seven-under 137 after 36 holes, grabbing a three-shot lead over Australian John Senden in quest for his second career major title.
"I felt really good," Watson said. "It's not science here. It's try to hit the greens and if you're hitting the greens that means you're obviously hitting your tee shots well. That's what I've done the last two days and it's worked out so far."
In Masters history, there has never been a longer birdie streak before the weekend than Watson's run and only five longer ones at any stage in the event.
"You're so focused on what you are doing, you are not really thinking you have just had three in a row, four in a row," Watson said.
"It's one of those things. Everyone has had that stretch before, playing with their buddies or playing in a tournament, so it's not that big a deal when we think about it.
"But at the Masters, it makes it a big deal."
Watson, whose first win after claiming the green jacket came only two months ago at Riviera, struggled with demands on him last year as defending champion and only managed a share of 50th.
"This year I'm trying to get the green jacket back," Watson said. "You want that feeling again. You want it back. Somehow I'm lost in the crowd. I can go through the practice rounds, not too much media attention."
He will have plenty of attention now.
After firing a first-round 68 to stand one adrift of 18-hole pace-setter Haas, Watson began Friday with six pars and a birdie at the seventh but closed his front nine with his first bogey of the tournament.
Watson, ranked 12th, began his birdie run with a five-footer on the par-3 12th hole and followed with another from 10 feet at the par-5 13th as he departed Amen Corner.
Watson curled in a long putt with 15 feet of break over slopes at the 14th, owning a debt to playing partner Sergio Garcia.
"Sergio had a chip and had to go right over my coin, basically, and I watched his ball. He checked it up and then it went straight sideways about 15 feet, and he hit it about eight inches from the hole," Watson said.
"Having that putt from the same line, I knew where to aim it, knew kind of what the speed was. It was a lot different than what I was thinking, and then somehow it just went in.
"Without Sergio's chip, I probably would have three-putted it."
Watson followed with a chip to eight feet to set up a birdie at the par-5 15th and rolled his tee shot, a 9-iron from 176 yards, feet from the cup to set up a birdie at the par-3 16th.
A bogey at 18 dropped Watson one stroke closer to the field but his earlier heroics made him the man to catch.
"I've been lucky enough to win here," Watson said. "Just got to keep my head down, same thing I've been doing the last two days, try to stay level, not too energized, not too excited."
Not since Tiger Woods ran off a Masters record-tying seven in a row starting at the seventh hole of the third round on his way to a 2005 title has there been a longer birdie run at Augusta National.
And not since David Toms ran off six in a row from the 12th in the last round in 1998 has there been such a run on the back nine at the Masters.
Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, 43, opened with two birdies and birdied four of the last five holes to fire a 68 and stand four back on 141 along with Sweden's Jonas Blixt, one of a record 24 Masters newcomers trying to become the first debutante to win a green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
Fred Couples was three under overall and two under for the day with five holes to play as he bids to become the oldest champion in major golf history at age 54.
Defending Masters champion Adam Scott and two-time major winner Rory McIlroy teed off in the last two groups and both stood on level par overall at the turn.
Scott could overtake injured Woods atop the rankings with a two-way share of third this week.
Major champs face cut
The low 50 and ties and anyone within 10 strokes of the lead will make the cut, which was projected at 148.
Two reigning major champions are over that mark -- British Open champion Phil Mickelson at 149 and 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner at 11-over with nine holes to play.
Others finishing over the cut mark were Garcia, one-time Friday leader Marc Leishman of Australia and Ernie Els.
