The Chileans had an excellent second round in the first major of the season, managing to get -4 and E cards respectively.
Deadline day at the Augusta Masters and the Chileans took advantage of the good weather that dawned in Georgia. Huddled in the first groups of the day, they avoided rain alerts and had good runs on Friday. Niemann remains in contention for the top ten, while Mito escapes the threat of missing the weekend.
That’s why the feelings are more than positive thinking about Saturday. While that of Talagante has a card of four strokes under par which places him among the best scores of the tournament, the native of Pirque managed to catch up with his complex on Thursday, sign a round of -2 and get way above a cut that projects two over par.
But he didn’t have it easy. He started early (a long way from the drops that started falling at 2:00 p.m.) and the course punished him almost from the start. Consecutive bogeys to flags two and three, they left him with a cumulative +4 integrated at the bottom of the table.
The situation changed on the sixth hole, where he had his first put-in of the day. It was a pivotal moment, since he then only benefited from discounts on his card. He birdied nine, thirteen and 16, resetting his card to par. . A figure that reassures him thinking about Saturday, because even if there are still many players on Augusta National, it is almost impossible for the Chilean not to be in the third round. Not bad for a rookie in Georgia.
Niemann hits a three-under inning
If there’s anything that defines Joaquín Niemann’s second round at Augusta, it’s the lack of control. The golfer’s national map was in constant motion on Friday, forcing many to continually have to do the math to see what position he was in.
Specifically, today he had seven birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, delivering a round that went through every emotion. Of course, the day ended with applause and smiles, as the Chilean managed to put four throw-ins and just one penalty in the last seven flags. Stretch that leaves you with a Friday of three under par and an overall chart of -4 . Still far from the leader, Brooks Koepka (-12) the Chilean will fight for a place in Augusta’s top ten this weekend.
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Source: Latercera
I am David Jack and I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years. As an experienced journalist, I specialize in covering sports news with a focus on golf. My articles have been published by some of the most respected publications in the world including The New York Times and Sports Illustrated.
