Mixed feelings for McDowell

Graeme McDowell thought he was going well in The Masters at windy Augusta today - until he looked up and saw what he called “unbelievable” golf.

McDowell added a 73 to his opening 69 to reach halfway on two under par, but with two holes of his second round to go American Chad Campbell stood nine under - and he had been 11 under.

The 34-year-old Texan, who had kicked off the tournament with a 65 that had promised to be so much better before he bogeyed the last two holes, went to the turn in 33 and then added a further birdie on the 495-yard par four 10th.

At that stage Campbell led by five, but missing the green on the 11th and three-putting the short 12th cost him bogeys and when Ryder Cup teammate Kenny Perry completed an outward 34 and then birdied the 12th the gap was down to two.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, remained two under after two birdies and two birdies in his front nine and alongside him, in addition to McDowell, was 19-year-old Rory McIlroy, out in 34 on his Masters debut.

As for Padraig Harrington, three under overnight, he was among the later starters wondering if their round would be interrupted by a thunderstorm forecast for the area around teatime.

McDowell, who had been five under on day one prior to bogeying the 17th and 18th just like Campbell, dropped three shots in the last five holes this time.

Most disappointing was a six on the long 15th, where he went for the green in two and saw his ball sail 40 yards over the green.

“I thought it might reach the water,” he said. “I played it as wind against, but it’s very difficult to pick it and it left me in a horrible place.

“I was happy to walk off with a six in the end.”

He needed two chips to make the fringe, sent a putt seven-foot by, but made it coming back.

“A 73 is a little disappointing, but I think the course is only going to get trickier.

“That’s Augusta – it gives and takes away just as fast. I couldn’t believe Chad had got to 11 under, but I see he’s leaking some oil now.”

Two more Americans, former Open champion Todd Hamilton and ex-US Open winner Jim Furyk, were lying joint third on six under.

For Hamilton that was a much-needed return to form.

He is down at 373rd in the world and this season a long slump has continued his seven missed cuts in nine starts.

He was round in 70, but Furyk had not yet resumed.

Ian Poulter matched McDowell’s 73 for a level par aggregate and commented: “The back nine is as swirly as I’ve ever seen it – brutal compared to yesterday. Bizarre.”

He went in the water at the 12th despite switching from a nine-iron to an eight-iron.

“There are a lot of shots with danger and there’s not a lot you can do. If I’d hit seven it would have been in the bushes and I’d have made loads.”

As it was he saved a bogey four with an eight-foot putt and parred in.

Houston Open winner Paul Casey was down on two over with two to play and in danger of missing the cut, while Ian Woosnam, whose mother died earlier in the week, managed only a front nine 40 to stand six over.

Just behind him Sandy Lyle, the only Scot in the 96-strong field, turned at two over, while England’s Ross Fisher, five under after 16 holes yesterday, followed two closing bogeys with another at the first and after eight was still two under.