ESPN.com - Golf Online - Masters 2000 - Olazabal among those headed home

Associated Press
Friday, April 7

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Jose Maria Olazabal watched in disbelief as the putt rolled. And rolled. And finally rolled all the way off the green.

For the defending Masters champion, the errant putt at No. 9 was the signature moment of a dismal second round. When it was done, Olazabal had a 5-over 77 on his scorecard and missed the cut by a single stroke.

"It was a nightmare on the greens, especially 9," said the Spaniard, who had to chip back on the green and two-putted for a killing double-bogey. "That's never happened to me before."

For a while, it looked like the two players who dueled head-to-head in the final round a year ago would both get knocked out before the weekend. But Greg Norman rebounded from an opening 80 -- his worst round ever at Augusta -- to shoot a 4-under 68 that kept him going for two more days.

"It's real important to do that," said Norman, a runner-up three times and third a year ago. "That's just like a win around here. It gets the juices flowing."

The Shark saved himself with a brilliant shot out of a fairway bunker at 18, hitting his wedge within 3 feet of the cup and putting in for birdie. Without that save, Norman would have missed the cut.

Instead, he'll begin the third round at 148 -- 10 shots behind leader David Duval.

"Let's get up and down from here and we'll be here for the weekend," Norman told his caddie from the bunker. Now, he feels like he's still a contender for his first Masters title.

"You want to play on the weekend," Norman said. "Ten shots around here is nothing."

Tommy Aaron, 63, became the oldest golfer to make the cut, surpassing the mark set two years ago by Gary Player, then 62. He had room to spare after a 2-over 146 put him two shots above the cut line.

"Have a nice weekend," a fan yelled after Aaron finished his round with a par putt at 18.

In addition, three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo made it to the weekend for the first time since 1996, when he won the last of his titles. The Englishman was at 144.

"I've played really solid," said Faldo, showing signs of breaking out of a three-year slump. "I've been working on it the last couple of months. My game has been improving. It's good to play well under the pressure of a major. That's a good sign."

But the cut claimed John Daly, playing at Augusta for the last time on a five-year exemption that was a perk of his British Open title. Showing he's no longer "Da Man," Daly hurried through a 9-over 153 to miss the cut by five shots.

"Guys, I really don't have anything to say," he said, brushing past reporters before speeding down Magnolia Lane in a bronze-colored van.

Also missing out: 1998 Masters champion Mark O'Meara (150) and two-time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen (152), who missed the cut for the first time in nine trips to Augusta.

Joining Norman at 4-over and just getting into the weekend was Fred Couples, who has never missed a cut in 16 trips to Augusta.

David Gossett, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Texas, was the only one of six amateurs to make the cut. The U.S. Amateur champion shot a 71 for a 2-over 146 total.

Olazabal, who will remain in Augusta to present the green jacket to his successor, finds himself in some good company. For the third time in five years, the defending champion failed to make the cut.

"It's been a terrible day on the greens," Olazabal said. "It's just my fault."

Norman felt he played well Thursday and couldn't believe he finished with such a terrible score. He even woke up during the night, replaying the round in his head and trying to figure out what went wrong.

On Friday, he birdied two of the first four holes but seemed to be falling back when he three-putted from 15 feet at 7. Norman made a slight change in his putting stance and remained bogey-free the rest of the way, mixing in three birdies among the pars.

"I hit the ball just as well yesterday and it was a 12-shot difference," Norman said. "I'm still very confused."

Aaron, a native Georgian and the 1973 Masters champion, made the cut for the first time in eight years. In fact, he was one shot ahead of the world's best player, Tiger Woods.

"I have no control over that," he said, scoffing at the comparison. "I'm just trying to shoot the best I can."

Aaron, who had a 74 for a two-round total of 146, was asked how it felt to earn a new place in the Masters record book.

"It makes me feel kind of old," he said. "I definitely feel kind of old right now. I'm tired."

With that, he walked slowly toward the clubhouse, knowing his weekend plans had changed.


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