The Masters: Poulter comfortable with being '˜clocked' during second day

Ian Poulter refused to blame being timed for slow play for a second round of 75 in the Masters.
Phil Mickelson hits out of the woods off of the first fairway during the second round at Augusta National. Picture: Curtis Compton/APPhil Mickelson hits out of the woods off of the first fairway during the second round at Augusta National. Picture: Curtis Compton/AP
Phil Mickelson hits out of the woods off of the first fairway during the second round at Augusta National. Picture: Curtis Compton/AP

But the 42-year-old made it clear he felt he was not to blame for being put on the clock by rules officials at Augusta National.

Poulter was playing alongside former Masters champion Trevor Immelman and American Patrick Cantlay, whose lengthy pre-shot routine recently came in for criticism during the Genesis Open.

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“I think as a group we were slow, but I’m not going to say the reasons why we were slow,” said Poulter, who won the Houston Open last week to claim the last place in the field. “I’m going to say ‘we’.

Jordan Spieth hits from a bunker on the seventh hole during the second round at The Masters. (AP/Charlie RiedelJordan Spieth hits from a bunker on the seventh hole during the second round at The Masters. (AP/Charlie Riedel
Jordan Spieth hits from a bunker on the seventh hole during the second round at The Masters. (AP/Charlie Riedel

“Let me just generalise and say ‘we’. Just to keep that clean.

“I’m quite comfortable being on the clock every single shot. I’m not going to call foul.

“Unless you stand on the 12th and 11th and you get a big wind switch, that’s when obviously it’s going to get tricky.

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“So I mentioned to the lads we need to get off this clock coming up 12.

Ian PoulterIan Poulter
Ian Poulter

“And we did. But quite quickly we fell back on the clock. So we rightly should have been back on it.

“It’s never going to affect my golf, so I’m fine.

“And I know I’m quick enough. That’s all I’m saying.”

Poulter carded five birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey on the 11th to finish five over par and faced a long wait to see if that was good enough to eventually make the cut.

Jordan Spieth hits from a bunker on the seventh hole during the second round at The Masters. (AP/Charlie RiedelJordan Spieth hits from a bunker on the seventh hole during the second round at The Masters. (AP/Charlie Riedel
Jordan Spieth hits from a bunker on the seventh hole during the second round at The Masters. (AP/Charlie Riedel

Sandy Lyle is likely to continue competing in the Masters after a highly creditable display on the 30th anniversary of his memorable victory at Augusta National.

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Lyle was seven over par for the first 12 holes of his second round in tricky conditions, but birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th to post a 76 and halfway total of six over par.

The 60-year-old Scot said: “I had a little tweak with the swing months ago.

“I was starting to hit the ball a lot, lot better, so I was really hoping to do at least some 72s or 73s out there without too much trouble.

Ian PoulterIan Poulter
Ian Poulter

“The driver’s cost me a little bit today, I just got off line on a few drives and it’s hard work to recover.

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“That is especially the case when it’s the end of the second of two rounds of golf at 60 years old.

“It’s not that easy to stay fresh and hit the driver a long way up hills and all that kind of thing and keep it straight.

“But it was pretty good. It was promising.

“It gives me encouragement for next year to try and come back.”

With all players within 10 shots of the lead at halfway making the cut, Lyle faced a long wait to see if any of the later starters could post five under par or better.