Early starters chase leader McIlroy

Conditions were perfect again, but the pin placings looked a lot harder for the second round of The Masters at Augusta today.

South African Charl Schwartzel, joint seventh overnight following a three under par 69, was the first player to tee off and from just short of the opening green he chipped to six feet and made it to stay four behind Rory McIlroy and Alvaro Quiros.

The long-hitting Spaniard would be the first of them back on the course at 10.41am, while McIlroy had to wait until 12.42pm to resume his challenge.

Not surprisingly, Quiros led the driving distance statistics by nearly 10 yards in the first round, averaging 309.5 yards.

But the 21-year-old Northern Irishman ranked joint third in putting, taking just 26 in his pacesetting 65.