Saturday 11 April 2015 07:57, UK
Ernie Els is not ruling himself out of contention for a first Masters title, despite Jordan Spieth's red-hot scoring at Augusta.
Els set the clubhouse pace as one of the early second-round starters, although he was disappointed not to better par in his Friday round after opening up with a 67.
The South African made it to six-under early on, with a birdie at the forgiving par-five second, but he dropped shots at the fifth and seventh before picking up a birdie at the long eighth.
However Amen Corner was not kind to the 45-year-old, as he frittered away shots at the 10th and 11th to drop to three-under, eight shots off Spieth at the time.
Els, who finished runner-up at Augusta in 2000 and 2004, made the most of the par-fives on the back nine, with birdies at 13 and 15, and he parred his way home for a 72.
"Jordan is playing unbelievably well and obviously we're all watching the leaderboard," Els said before Spieth finished his round.
"But we know how far there is to go. Front runners tend to do well here, but there have been some really good comebacks, so it's a big weekend ahead. He's not thinking about anything right now and that's a great place to be at.
"I'd really like to shoot two 67s and see where that leaves me. That'd make me 15 under and that's about as good as a man can do.
"If it keeps blowing like this and the nerves get going.... I don't want to wish badly on anyone but if he takes his foot off the gas or has a bad break here and there, it really gives you thought of catching him."
