AUGUSTA - South African Trevor Immelman seized the second-round lead at the Masters on Friday, closing with impressive back-to-back birdies for an eight-under total of 136.
Immelman, who started the day tied for the lead with England's Justin Rose, posted his second straight 68, draining putts of 15 feet and 10 feet at 17 and 18.
"I really did hole some unbelievable putts out there," said Immelman, who made 10-footers for birdies at the par-four fifth and the par-four seventh and a five-foot birdie at the par-four 11th.
His only bogey - his first of the tournament - came when he three-putted the par-three sixth.
"Any time you make a birdie in a major championship it's a thrill," said Immelman, who was one shot in front of American Brandt Snedeker and two in front of Steve Flesch.
"You've really got to hang onto it as long as you can. The course at some point is going to show its teeth. If you're playing well you have to try to score while you can."
It was a welcome performance for a player who has had an arduous recovery from surgery to remove a non-cancerous tumor from his diaphragm.
The 2006 USPGA Rookie of the Year returned to competition in the United States in January, just six weeks after the procedure.
Rose teed off in the final group of the day and opened with three pars to remain at four-under.
World No.1 Tiger Woods was in the penultimate group, and he opened with a birdie and a bogey to stay even - eight behind Immelman.
Woods left himself some work to do if his quest for golf's fabled Grand Slam, a sweep of all four major championships in a single year, isn't to end before it begins.
Snedeker rebounded from a bogey at 16 to finish with two birdies in his 68 for 137.
At 17 he drained a 40-foot downhill putt that he said he was just intending to get close.
Flesch, playing in his fourth Masters and first since 2005, posted the low round of the tournament so far with a five-under 67, playing Augusta's four par-fives in five-under.
That included an eagle at the 510-yard 13th, where he hit a three-iron from 234 yards to two feet.
"I thought it was too much club, but my caddie talked me into hitting a three," admitted Flesch, who thought from his poor vantage point in the fairway that his ball had rolled off the back edge of the green.
Overall, Flesch said, his game couldn't have been much better.
"I drove the ball so well, and I hit the ball just great. I put them underneath the hole, and I putted them great."
Canadian Stephen Ames posted his second straight 70 for a four-under total of 140.
Meanwhile on the course world No.2 Phil Mickelson, who started the day one-under, birdied three holes on the front nine to get to four-under, and was still four-under through 14.
Ames said the warm, dry weather was adding some bite to the Augusta layout.
"They're definitely getting firmer and faster, so it's going to be a lot more fun if it stays like this for the weekend," he said.
However, there was a chance of showers on Saturday followed by windier weather that could affect those who made the halfway cut, which included the lowest 44 scores and ties, and all those within 10 shots of the lead.
bb/ak
04/11/2008 19:11 GMT