Immelman: Just one bogey
South African Trevor Immelman leads the Masters by a stroke at the halfway stage after carding a second successive 68 at Augusta.
The 28-year-old took advantage of benign early conditions, then watched his big-name rivals fail to overhaul him in the afternoon.
Prominent among them was Tiger Woods, who could not build any momentum and after toiling to a 71 is seven shots off the pace. The Grand Slam dream - talked about at such length in the build-up to the season's first major - is already in danger.
Justin Rose - tied with Immelman for the lead after day one - also struggled. The English world number nine's round went into meltdown on the back nine as he eventually carded a 78.
He missed makeable birdie putts at 13 and 14 then found the water with his third at the par five 15th. His fifth shot flew through the green and he ended up taking eight.
A three-putt bogey at the short 16th followed and he finished in a tie for 29th place on two over.
Immelman birdied the fifth but dropped his first shot of the week at the short sixth, before bouncing back with another birdie at seven.
On the back nine, just as the wind started to freshen, he picked up further shots on the difficult 11th - his second three there in a row - then birdied the last two holes.
At that stage he led by three but that was cut when Brandt Snedeker, having bogeyed the 170-yard 16th, also birdied the last two. He was round in 68 as a result and is on seven-under.
The highlight of Snedeker's round came when the 2007 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year chipped in from off the green for a birdie at six.
Best-of-the-week
Two shots further back are world number two Phil Mickelson (68), England's Ian Poulter (69) and American Steve Flesch, who shot a best-of-the-week 67 on his return to Augusta after a two-year absence.
Poulter, whose highest major finish is ninth, was delighted with his efforts.
"I am in a great position - certainly the best I've ever had in a major - and it could be a great weekend," he said.
"Playing the way I am, I am feeling pretty confident. I've played really solid, holed the right putts at the right time and you have to have a little bit of luck, as I did at the 16th yesterday."
Key to his round were par putts on the third and fifth from seven and 20 feet. "They were probably one-in-10 up and downs," he admitted.
A shot further back on four under are England's Paul Casey and Canadian Stephen Ames.
Ames had a second successive 70, while Casey holed a 10-foot birdie putt at the last for a 69.
Casey has been out of form all year, but has always insisted Augusta suits him down to the ground. "It's a nice week to start playing well," he said. "I'd never shot under par in the first round until yesterday. That always put me behind the eight-ball, so this is a different mindset.
Aggressive
"I can't be as aggressive and you always have to be wary of this course, but it was nice to have Trevor's eight under there because it gave me something to chase."
Casey's Ryder Cup teammate Lee Westwood was going along steadily at one under for the day and four under for the tournament before he found water twice at the par five 15th, and did well to hole an eight-footer for a double bogey seven before parring his way in.
Westwood is still well in contention after a 73 left him on two under but he missed a four-foot birdie chance on the last which would have made his day a lot sweeter.
Nevertheless the 34-year-old from Worksop was in positive mood: "I am in what I think is a decent position. Anything can happen here," he said. "If it gets tough, which it probably will, I am capable of shooting two 70s.
"I tried to hook it too much off the 13th tee and lost my grip a bit. Then for the pitch I was on a bit of a side hill and down slope and caught it a bit fat. In the end it was a good seven."
