Thanks to his two Masters triumphs, Langer enjoys a lifetime start at the major tournament in the US state of Georgia. The German, who lives in Boca Raton, Florida, set a record two years ago when he became the oldest player in tournament history to make the cut. Again this year, Langer was the oldest player in the field.
Woods makes the turn
Meanwhile, superstar Tiger Woods had to contend with a lot of wind. The 46-year-old played a very changeable round 14 months after his serious car accident, after which he even had to fear the loss of his right leg, but ultimately made it through to the final two rounds with a stroke over par on 19th.
The fan favourite, who had been under par on one stroke after the first round, had started weakly. He played four bogeys in the first five holes and at times threatened to miss the cut, as did Langer and many other well-known names. But then he found stability in his game and played a few birdies to the cheers of the spectators. “It was extremely challenging with this wind”he said afterwards in an interview. “But I’m happy to be here and to have made it to the weekend.”
Promoted Scheffler confidently in the lead
Scottie Scheffler, the new world number one, established himself as the favorite to win. The American, who has won three of the last five tournaments, also played really well in Augusta. At 1:18 German time, he entered the weekend with a five-stroke lead and a score of eight under par ahead of defending champion Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Sung-Jae Im (South Korea), Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) and Shane Lowry (Ireland).
Source: dpa/red