WORDS ABOUT … BUBBA WATSON
Luke Donald: You can see why he's had some success around here. Obviously hitting wedge and sand wedge into a lot of holes, and I'm hitting 6-iron, it's a big advantage. And he spins his irons a tremendous amount, with the greens only getting firmer and firmer. So when he's controlling his ball as well as he is right now, it's going to be tough to catch him if he keeps playing like that.
Sergio Garcia: Well, not only the back nine, I thought he played great the rest of the day. He drove the ball really, really good, very far. His iron play was extremely good. So he played extremely well throughout the whole two rounds.
Ernie Els: He's obviously doing the right things. He's getting the ball up and down when he needs to, and he's obviously making the putts and is just a little step ahead of the field at the moment. He's comfortable here, and obviously the course really suits him. Being a lefty, it's a great way to play this course.
WORDS WITH … THOMAS BJORN
Bjorn got on the leaderboard with a 68, tying for low round of the day with Bubba Watson and John Senden.
Q: How does the round compare to past rounds at Augusta? Among your best?
A: It was a good day. I played well. I played solid all the way through. Right up there. It was right up there. It's a tricky golf course. And you can try and do the right thing, but if you're not quite on, it becomes extremely difficult out here. … I felt comfortable on the golf course today, and that's always a sign that you've got a good idea of where your golf swing is and how you're hitting the ball.
Q: What’s been the secret that you had another great round out here? What’s clicked for you here?
A: I came out here last year, and I played very poor. And I always felt like when I came in here I had to play so well to do any good. … I just felt like I've learned so much from that week last year that I could even without playing great I could find the way around the golf course, put myself in positions. And it was probably the first time I really understood the golf course completely.
Q: What happened with the bogey on 17?
A: I pulled my drive on the 17th fairway. And I actually hit it up right of the green and just chipped it down to 12 feet and missed it. Not the Eisenhower tree to blame that one on? (The drive) would certainly have hit the Eisenhower tree if it was there.
WORDS WITH … OLIVER GOSS
The only amateur in the field to make the cut, with a score of 76-71-147, Goss was born in England and grew up in Australia. He plays at Tennessee and earned his way to Augusta as runner-up in the U.S. Amateur.
Q: What a great way to spend your 20th birthday (Saturday)?
A: Exactly. That's the last thing I'm thinking about … 20th birthday (Saturday), and that's the last thing I'm thinking of. I'm just absolutely excited to be playing on the weekend.
Q: You got Brian Tam on your bag, an Augusta caddie. How much has he helped you with reading the greens?
A: He's been here about 10 years now, so he's got a really good grasp of the greens. When I came down before the tournament practicing, he gave me some really good reads, and that's the reason I chose him. So he's been invaluable for me the whole week.
Q: Did you have to fight to get him because he made the cut last year with the 14-year-old Tianlang Guan and I’m sure maybe a lot of other amateurs maybe wanted him, too?
A: Not really. I had a different caddie when I came down in November, and then I think that someone recommended him. So I didn't have to fight for him at all, he was just available. I called him the next week after I played with him and confirmed it.
Q: Who is out here supporting you?
A: I have both my parents over here, my grandparents, my girlfriend, her mother is here, and I've got a bunch of Tennessee fans are here. … It's great to have all the support out there.
WORDS ABOUT … AUGUSTA WINDS
Q: Can you talk about (No.) 15 and the perils of just being around the green around here and the difficulties?
Louis Oosthuizen, 69-75-144 and made the cut: I'm still trying to figure out how they fall. I took more club, obviously, with that wind. But my play was always pitching it five yards from the back, just going through the back of the fairway, which was fine. But somehow I pitched them way too long, and it went through to the rough. Just seeing Matt (Kuchar) get in the water with a 3-wood, I only went 215 yards. So I've got to be thinking that it's a slightly hurting wind.
Ernie Els, who shot 75-74-149 and missed the cut: I mean, it's not like we haven't said it before, but it's actually happened. I was on 16, we were almost in the same spot, me and Phil (Mickelson), on the fairway. I hit 5-wood, and he went with a 5-iron. It just switched that quickly, 180 degrees.
About the Author
