The Masters: Second-round notebook

By Joel Schuchmann, PGA TOUR Staff

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Co-leader Kenny Perry will be 48 years, 8 months and 2 days on Sunday -- if he were to win the Masters, he would become the oldest Masters champion (Jack Nicklaus, 1986, 46 years, 2 months, 23 days) as well as the oldest major champion (Julius Boros, 1968 PGA Championship, 48 years, 4 months, 18 days).

The 135 opening totals for co-leaders Perry and Chad Campbell are the lowest first 36 holes at the Masters since Chris DiMarco opened 67-67--134 in 2005, when he finished second to Tiger Woods.

Playing in his 42nd major this week, Perry’s co-lead with Campbell is just his second-ever lead following a major championship round. He led after the first round of the 1996 PGA Championship by one stroke over Phil Mickelson and Steve Elkington, where he finished second. Overall, Perry has been the leader or co-leader 17 times in his PGA TOUR career, with seven wins resulting.

Anthony Kim poured in 11 birdies in the second round, besting Nick Price’s 10 (1986, third round, 63) for the most in one round at the Masters. Kim finished at 7-under-par 65 and sits at 4 under par through 36 holes. The round included four straight birdies on two occasions (Nos. 5-8 and Nos. 12-15).

With Woods tied for 19th, he aims to be the first Masters champion since Nicklaus (1986) to be outside the top-10 through 36 holes. Nicklaus tied for 17th, four behind leader Seve Ballesteros.

The largest comeback after 36 holes in Masters history is Jack Burke, Jr., in 1956. Burke was eight behind Ken Venturi through two rounds but edged Venturi by one with closing rounds of 75-71.

Todd Hamilton has compiled just two top-10s in 129 starts since capturing the 2004 British Open, his last being a tie for 10th at the 2006 John Deere Classic. Hamilton’s best major finish since his triumph at Royal Troon was a tie for 32nd at the 2008 British Open. He is in the last year of five-year exemption for winning the 2004 British Open.

What are 2-6-6? They’re the scores from amateur Drew Kittleson on Amen Corner (Nos. 11-12-13) on Friday. Kittleson had two eagles on the day, at No. 11 and No. 15. The last player to record two eagles and miss the cut was Costantino Rocca in 1996.

The last player to win in Augusta in his first start, the 1979 champion Fuzzy Zoeller (missed the cut this week) played in his 31st and final Masters this week.

Gary Player (missed cut) made his 52nd and final start at the Masters this week, adding to his existing record for most starts. Player missed just one year (1973) since his first start in Augusta in 1957. On Friday, Player passed Nicklaus for most competitive rounds played at the Masters with 164.

After making 23 consecutive cuts to open his Masters career, 1992 champion Fred Couples missed the cut for the second consecutive year despite birdies on three of his four closing holes on Friday.

After a run earlier this decade of five straight years with finishes of a tie for sixth or better including two runner-up finishes (2000-04), Ernie Els missed the cut for the third straight year. Els has not finished in the top-25 since his second-place finish to Mickelson in 2004.

On the cutline at 1-over-par through 15, Justin Rose (tied for 33rd) holed out for birdie from a greenside bunker on No. 16, and then chipped in for birdie on No. 17.

There were a record-setting 17 eagles recorded in Round 2 -- including two each by Kittleson (11 and 15), Dustin Johnson (8 and 15) and Bubba Watson (13 and 15). The previous record for eagles in one round is 15 was Round 2 in 1997.

With a 67 on Friday, Sergio Garcia (tied for sixth) posted his first sub-par round at the Masters since a final-round 66 in 2004.

Defending champion Trevor Immelman birdied Nos. 14-15-16 for the second consecutive day on Friday. Currently tied for 42nd, Immelman has his work cut out for him in his quest to become the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters -- the three to accomplish the feat were Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Woods (2000-01).