Lahiri makes halfway cut, Spieth leads in Masters

Augusta, April 11: Star Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded a three-over 75 to share the 50th spot with five others after the second round of the 79th Masters Tourment, while record-breaking Jordan Spieth took a five-shot lead at the top here on Friday.

Lahiri, who scored one-under 71 in the first round on Thursday to finish tied 18th, has two-over 146 as total after the halfway stage in the Major tourment at the Augusta tiol Golf Club. World No.34 Lahiri, current Asian Tour No.1, scored three bogeys on the third, fourth and sixth holes before birding the par-five eighth hole. The back nine was more eventful for the 27-year-old. He got a bogey on the 11th and eagled the par-five 13th hole.

In the par-four 14th, he carded a double bogey, birdied the 15th and again had a bogey on the 16th before ending with two even-par efforts. He finish the round at three-over 75.

Seven-time winner on the Asian Tour Lahiri, who shared the 18th position with 12 other golfers on the first day, is the third Indian after Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal.

Meanwhile, Spieth continued to remain on top as he followed up his stupendous eight-under 64 in the opening round with a sparkling 66.

That took his total to 14-under 130 — lowest 36-hole total in the Masters, breaking the mark set in 1976 by Raymond Floyd. It also matched the record for lowest first two rounds in any major championship. The 21-year-old, who on Thursday got a three-shot lead, fired birdies on the second, fifth, eighth, 10th, 13th and 15th.

In addition, Spieth’s me goes into the history books for holding a five-shot lead over Charley Hoffman, matching the widest ever at Augusta tiol after 36 holes.

Spieth has been under par in his last 14 rounds on the PGA Tour, nine times in the 60s. He is a cumulative 75-under-par in nine events this year. Playing in only his second Masters after finishing runner-up last year, Spieth’s comfort-level continues to soar at Augusta tiol.

In addition to breaking Floyd’s record, Spieth equaled the lowest two-round score in Majors held by Germany’s Martin Kaymer, Brandt Snedeker and Nick Faldo.

Kaymer shot 65-65 last year in US Open, Snedeker started with 66-64 at the 2012 British Open, and Faldo opened with rounds of 66-64 in 1992 at Muirfield in The Open. IANS