2010 Masters Second Day Review: The Brits Make Headway

It’s 14 years since England had a Major winner, but after the second day at the Masters that jinx looks set to be broken as both Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter stormed to the top of the leader board heading into the weekend at Augusta.

Westwood’s could have even earned an outright lead at Augusta, but a double bogey on the 14th, and a further dropped shot on the 18th means he’s tied for the lead with Poulter on -8, who himself carded his second successive round of 68.

The 36-year-old Westwood has been knocking on the door of a Major win in recent years having tied for third at last year's Open and USPGA Championship.

Poulter’s pedigree extends to a second place finish at the 2008 Open Championship, but a win over Paul Casey in the Accenture Match Play Championship earlier this year means he’ll go into the weekend as the slight favorite over his English counterpart.

As expected Tiger Woods was never far from the leaders, and he remains two shots off the pace in a group of five players tied for third including Phil Mickelson, on -5.

But as ever the cut of +3 meant we lost some of the top players in the world of golf.

Jim Furyk, Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer, Bernard Langer, and Rory McIlroy are amongst those who missed the cut as the unforgiving Augusta course took 49 casualties.

The biggest fall from grace after an excellent first day was that of Sandy Lyle who missed the cut after shooting a 14-over par 86 in a round that included five double bogeys and one triple bogey.

Lyle’s problems summed up the week for the European contingent, of which only seven players will make the field during the weekend.

And furthermore, the English duo will be the only European’s realistically in contention for the title come the weekend, but can they break England's Major hoodoo?