KEY POINTS:
At the end of a cold and brutal day at Augusta National, an American with a New Zealand caddy and a South African with an American education lead the 71st Masters on the extraordinarily high score of two under par.
Brett Wetterich and Tim Clark have a one-shot
lead over Augusta resident Vaughn Taylor, the only other player under par after 36 holes. The famous golf course is playing at its most difficult in recent memory because of hard, dry putting surfaces, testing hole locations and swirling, chilly north winds.
Pre-tournament favourite Tiger Woods is tied for 15th at three over while defending champion Phil Mickelson fought hard to post a 73 and is tied for 27th at five over par.
The cut for the final two rounds was made at eight over par, the highest mark since 1982 and 60 players will compete in the final two rounds, the highest number since 1985.
Michael Campbell, for the second year in succession, and the fourth time in his seven Masters appearances, missed the cut by one shot. His second round 77 included three birdies, but also three double bogies, two of them made from the middle of the fairway.
The New Zealander fought hard on the back nine. Birdies at the 13th and 15th brought him under the cut line. But another three putt on the 16th meant he came to the last hole needing a par to stay in the tournament. Sadly he pulled his second shot into the crowd, chipped on but missed a 2m putt.
Afterwards. the usually talkative Campbell was distraught at missing an Augusta weekend and made no comment to reporters as he left the scorer's hut by the 18th green.
The happiest New Zealander after two rounds is 38-year-old Patrick Tarrant, caddy for co-leader Brett Wetterich. Originally from Waitomo, Tarrant, a management studies graduate from Waikato University, has been on Wetterich's bag for more than five years. He's helped the Floridian in his progress from the second-level Nationwide Tour through to PGA Tour winner and Ryder Cup status.
Thirty-three-year-old Wetterich is a Masters rookie and followed up his opening 69 with a steady 73, including 15 pars. But having made more than $1.1 million this year and after finishing second to Tiger Woods at the World Golf Championship event just two weeks ago, he's far from uncomfortable in his position.
"I don't feel like I shouldn't be at the top of the leader board, because I'm playing well."
Diminutive South African Tim Clark has a solid Masters record, including second place to Mickelson last year. His second consecutive round of 71 included four birdies, a double bogey and the continuation of a remarkable sequence of not needing to putt on the green at the18th.
For the second day in succession, he holed a shot from the fringe of the green, this time for par. In the first round he chipped in for a birdie and in the final round last year he holed a bunker shot for birdie.
The 31-year-old Clark came to the US on a college scholarship in 1995 and has been based in America ever since.
While hometown hopes are with Vaughn Taylor, most are still watching for a Tiger Woods move in round three. He's just five shots back on a tightly bunched leaderboard after a day when his 'A' game was missing.
He had to chip out of the trees left-handed on the 9th and he hit into the water at both the 12th and 13th holes.
But such were his powers of recovery that, even though he had to take a penalty shot each time, he dropped a total of just one shot on those two holes.
Woods' caddy, New Zealander Steve Williams, predicted before the tournament that even par could be a winning score. After what's happened, Williams won't be too wide of the mark.
