South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, backed up his opening round of even-par 72 with a 3-under 69 on Friday, grabbing a share of the early clubhouse lead at 3-under 141, along with first-round leader Sungjae Im.
The 37-year-old Schwartzel, who’s playing in this 13th Masters, made two bogeys and five birdies in windy conditions, and told media afterward that it was about “minimizing how bad the mistake is going to be.” “Everybody is going to make a mistake, so knowing the course well, if you do miss a shot, it’s how do you limit that?” said the two-time Tour winner, who had missed six straight cuts coming into the week at Augusta National. Schwartzel admitted he’s been working on his swing all season, noting, “I haven’t felt like I’ve played as badly as my results, though. I tried to tighten the swing up a little bit. Get the hands a little more passive. Hands were a little too active. I must be honest. These two rounds are one of the two best ball-striking rounds I’ve had in a very long time.” On Friday, Schwartzel hit 12-of-18 greens and 10-of-14 fairways. In 12 previous Masters starts, he’s made eight cuts with two top 10s, including his 2011 win and a solo third in 2017.