AUGUSTA – When Augusta National went to bed on Friday night the 66th Masters looked in danger of becoming an anticlimactic weekend run-away, thanks to Vijay Singh’s lights-out second-round 65.
The 2000 Masters champion from Fiji tucked himself comfortably in under the covers Friday night at 9-under-par with a three-shot lead over Retief Goosen and a four-shot lead over Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera.
That lead, however, was significantly whittled thanks to separate second-round charges in yesterday morning’s completion of the second round by Goosen, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods, all of whom left this championship poised for a classic weekend showdown among the world’s top players.
Goosen, who began the day 6-under for the tournament, though through only 11 holes of his second round, played his last seven holes in 2-under with a bogey on 13 and birdies on Nos. 14, 15 and 17 to leave himself only one shot behind Singh at 8-under.
Els, who began the day 2-under through 12 holes of his second round, shot 5-under on his last six holes to get to 7-under, two back of Singh.
And Woods, who was 3-under through 10 of his second-round holes, inched himself to within four shots of Singh at 5-under entering the third round.
“You don’t want to get too far behind,” Woods said after his second round and before his third. “Only four back is not too bad. You can make that up quickly out here. I’m happy with the way I’m hitting it.”
So, too, was Els as he came off No. 18 having completed his second round.
“I wish I could have kept going,” Els said. “Everything clicked this morning. I hit some good shots. It was probably as good a stretch as I’ve had in a while.”
Els said he hoped yesterday’s “historical moment” with Arnold Palmer’s final holes of the Masters taking place yesterday was a sign of good things to come for himself.
Palmer’s last U.S. Open – 1994 at Oakmont – was won by Els, his first of two U.S. Open victories.
“Maybe it’s a good omen,” Els said.
Els made the most noise late in the second round with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 and an eagle on 15 and then a birdie on 16.
By the time Goosen, Els and Woods completed second-round play yesterday, some words Singh uttered after his Friday was complete proved to be prophetic.
“I expect somebody is going to come up in the pack and do something,” Singh said. “I’m not going to worry about them and come out here [Saturday] and see if I’m in front or not.”
Singh, indeed, began in front when he teed off with Goosen in the final group at 2:20 yesterday afternoon. His lead, though, was scant compared to what it was Friday night.
As the third round began, at least a dozen players – from 3-under and better – had a legitimate chance to slip on the fabled Green Jacket late tomorrow afternoon.
Along with Woods, the defending champion and a two-time winner, fellow two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal, Garcia, Harrington and Cabrera all stood at 5-under entering the third round.
Thomas Bjorn, Phil Mickelson, Chris DiMarco and Miguel Angel Jimenez were all 3-under.
The three players on the board that clearly had to concern Singh most as third-round play began were Goosen, Els and Woods.
Woods is Woods.
Els has been one of the game’s hottest players of late with wins at Doral and at the Heineken Classic this year.
And Goosen, who’s elevated his world ranking to No. 4 since his shocking U.S. Open win last June at Southern Hills, has proven himself to be anything but a flash in the pan.
Since his Open victory, which put him on the world golf map, Goosen has won six tournaments in nine months worldwide, including the PGA Tour’s BellSouth Classic just last week.
“The guy is playing some unbelievable golf,” Els said of his fellow South African. “I don’t think anybody can match his record over the last several months.”
