Langer in the hunt

Bernhard Langer’s bid to become the oldest-ever winner of the Masters had a thrilling start today when he birdied the first two holes to move only a stroke behind Americans Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco.

The 46-year-old Ryder Cup captain – he insists he will not play in September’s match – chipped in from 35 feet on the opener, then played a wonderful chip to two feet at the par-five second.

Langer then three-putted the short fourth, however, and fell back alongside England’s Paul Casey, himself trying to be the first Augusta National debutant to triumph since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 – and only the fourth ever.

Casey parred the first four holes, missing a five-foot chance on the first after a spectacular recovery from the fairway bunker.

Mickelson and DiMarco both birdied the second, but then both bogeyed the next and when DiMarco three-putted the fourth, Mickelson held the outright lead at six under.

He got up and down from the bunker on the fourth to be on course to win his first major at the 47th attempt – he was third in the Masters each of the last three years – and, of course, to be the second left-hander in a row to win following Mike Weir’s play-off success last year.

Fiji’s Vijay Singh, meanwhile, went to the turn in a brilliant 32 for the second day running to go joint fifth with South Korean KJ Choi on three under.

Ernie Els was one further back, a birdie on the second being followed by bogeys on two of the next three.

Dubliner Padraig Harrington bogeyed the fourth, but got the stroke back on the next to be joint 10th on level par – not out of it yet, but needing to find some inspiration.

Justin Rose put the horrors of his Saturday 81 behind him, pitching in for an eagle at the eighth.

He had birdied the seventh as well, but there were also bogeys on the third and fifth on his card and with six to play the 23-year-old, leader by two after each of the first two days, was two over.

Tiger Woods, believe it or not, still entertained hopes of challenging when he resumed on the same three-over mark – but he was totally out of contention after going in the water at the short 12th for a double-bogey five.

By then the world number one, whose last major title was the 2002 US Open, had bogeyed the first and third, but birdied the second, sixth and seventh. He was four over.