Harrington on the Lookout for Love

Padraig Harrington put the nightmare of yesterday's last six holes behind him with a confident start to the second day of the Masters.

The Irishman, who had been three clear of the field on the first day before making three bogeys on the closing stretch, birdied the opening hole to briefly go level at four under par with overnight leader Davis Love III.

Harrington then nearly birdied the 575-yard second, having brilliantly recovered from driving into the trees, but only just missed a 12-foot chance. However, after safely parring the third, he went over the green at the short fourth and bogeyed to return to three under.

Love III, who topped the first round leaderboard with a blemish-free 67 yesterday, bogeyed the first before recovering with a birdie-three at the 350-yard fourth to return to the top of the leader board at five under par, two shots clear of Harrington, on a wet and overcast day at Augusta National.

He was joined soon joined by Sergio Garcia, who saved a great par at the first after finding sand off the tee, who birdied the short fourth.

The round of the day so far, however, has come from Dane Thomas Bjorn. Resuming on two over - he had been four over after six yesterday - he birdied the first five holes to move into a tie for fifth spot on three under.

The run of birdies came to an end on the 180-yard sixth, but a par three there meant he had played the first six in just 18 strokes - and he now needs only one more before the turn to equal the greatest outward half in Masters history.

World number two Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, birdied the long second to join Argentina's Angel Cabrera on four under.

Ulsterman Darren Clarke parred the first four to remain two under, but it was not such a good morning for other Europeans. Sandy Lyle only managed 40 for the outward half and went from one over to five over and Seve Ballesteros turned in 41 went from three over to eight over.

Ian Woosnam, troubled by a bad back, resumed on five over and after a front-nine 38 was heading out as well, while Lee Westwood looked to be another early departure until he birdied the eighth and ninth to get back to two over.

The cut was expected to fall at either three or four over, which means that Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie and British amateur champion Michael Hoey, who are all three over par overall, face a real battle today.