Round 2 in jeopardy; Campbell helps field
The second round of the Masters is well on its way. Possibly the biggest story of today will be the departure of Gary Player from competitive golf at Augusta National. However, the weather may threaten his retirement from the Masters with predictions of high wind and hail. Hopefully, the Golf Gods will recognize Player's accomplishments and give him the exit he deserves.
If you have been following the scores today, it is clear that Augusta has changed shape over only one day. The scores are skyrocketing upward, and it looks as though scoring will only get worse as the weather becomes harsher throughout the day.
Remember Todd Hamilton? Not really. You may recall that he won twice in 2004, which was by far the best season of his career. This year, the PGA Tour exemption he receives as a result of his victory at the Open Championship in '04 will expire, and his head, so to speak, is on the chopping block. Nevertheless, the former Japan Tour player is back in the hunt. With a two under par 70, Hamilton is currently in second place. Hamilton is currently in 176th place in FedEx Cup points, so a great finish is absolutely critical if he wants to return to the Tour next year.
After nine holes, Tiger Woods has done nothing to help his chances. With an even par nine of 36, he hasn't been able to close in on Campbell's lead. With the rest of the field crumbling under the tough conditions, Woods is still remaining near the top of the leaderboard.
Campbell's quest to dominate the Masters from start to finish continued today as he reached -11 by the fourth hole. With two bogies on Amen Corner, Campbell has helped the rest of the field by dropping two strokes. At this point, because of the ten stroke rule to determine the cut, players with a score of +1 or better will advance to play the weekend.
Notables who will probably not be on the course on Saturday and Sunday:
Trevor Immelman - Last year's champion was one under par yesterday. He is three over par after 10 holes
today, and it doesn't look like he will get it together on the back nine.
Fred Couples - After a solid 73 yesterday, Couples in +2 on Friday with only one hole left. It doesn't look like the former champion will get another shot this weekend.
Ryo Ishikawa - Ishikawa shot 39 on the front nine, which probably won't give him enough room to work his way into the weekend. He is +5 for 27 holes. Still a great performance for such a young golfer.
Zach Johnson - The 2007 champion is 6 over par after 12 holes despite a strong round of 70 yesterday. At +4 already, Johnson's chances don't look good.
Brandt Snedeker - Even after 12 holes. He hasn't been able to come back from his disappointing 76 yesterday.
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