Dimarco has Tiger on his tail

AUGUSTA, APRIL 7. Chris Dimarco hung on to his Masters lead here on Friday, but the Augusta National newcomer had Tiger Woods on his tail at the close of the second round of the year's first major golf championship.

Dimarco added a 69 to his first-round 65 for a 10- under-par 134. He topped the leaderboard on which golf's elite were closely bunched with unexpected upstarts. Woods, in pursuit of an unprecedented fourth straight major title, finished with a 66 for a overall eight-under 136. Mickelson, ranked second in the World behind Woods but still searching for his first major title after 18 wins on the U.S. Tour, carded a 69 for a eight-under-136.

Dimarco had pars till he reached the par-three 12th, where he knocked a seven-iron to 30 feet and made it for a birdie. He birdied 15, where his four-iron second shot landed a few feet from the pin and he two-putted for birdie. He finished two strokes in front of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

A group of five were placed fourth on seven-under, including two- time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, 12-time U.S. Tour winner David Duval, and Masters rookie Toshimitsu Izawa of Japan, Argentina's Angel Cabrera and American Steve Stricker. Duval, who missed three weeks prior to the tournament nursing tendinitis in his wrist, had seven birdies and just one bogey in his 66. Cabrera, winner of the European tour event in Argentina two weeks ago, picked up four birdies in a row from the fifth in a round that saw him go as low as nine-under for the tournament.

He carded a one-under 71, as did Stricker. Janzen joined the seven-under group with a 70. Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain led a group of players on six-under 138. This group too had such revered names like former British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia and Kirk Triplett.

After two birdies and two bogeys in his outward run, Olazabal birdied four holes, including three in a row from the 13th, for a four-under 68. His birdie putts on the back nine ranged from 30 feet to three feet.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa shot a 68 and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke a 67 for five- under 139. A further stroke back was defending champion Vijay Singh of Fiji, who bogeyed the last enroute to a 71 and finished four-under 140.

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