Immelman leads by one at halfway mark

By Larry Fine

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) - South African Trevor Immelman, finding his form after recovering from health problems last year, birdied the last two holes for a 68 to grab a one-shot lead in Friday's second round of the U.S. Masters.

Immelman, overnight co-leader with Briton Justin Rose, matched his first-round score by posting three birdies on the back nine to reach eight-under-par 136 as he got hot with his putter on a warm, breezy day at Augusta National.

American Brandt Snedeker was alone in second place after he mirrored Immelman's rousing finish with birdies at 17 and 18 to complete a 68 for 137, two shots better than compatriots Phil Mickelson and Steve Flesch, and Briton Ian Poulter.

"It feels great to break 70 both rounds," said Immelman, 28, who four months ago had a benign tumor the size of a golf ball removed from behind his rib cage and had previously lost more than 20 pounds due to an intestinal parasite.

"It's a thrill to play well here."

Four-times champion Tiger Woods was seven strokes off the pace after an up-and-down round of 71, while Rose plunged to a 78 thanks to a triple-bogey eight at the 15th hole in swirling winds that made it more difficult for the later starters.

"It was quite a fight to try and figure out what was going on out there," world number one Woods told reporters. "I mean, it was just swirling all over the place."

Twice winner Mickelson had three birdies on the front side and capped a bogey-free round with a 30-foot birdie at 17 for a 68.

"At least I'm working in the right direction but I've got a long way to go," said Mickelson.

Flesch registered an eagle at the par-five 13th to help his 67, while Poulter made three back-nine birdies for a 69.

At four-under-par 140 were Briton Paul Casey, after a 69, and Canadian Stephen Ames, who shot his second successive 70.

LUCKY SHOT

Snedeker, 27, drew a huge roar from the gallery at number six with an imaginative chip from the green to carry a mound, landing it at a 90-degree angle from the cup and watching it trickle down a slope and into the hole.

"That was probably one of the luckiest shots I've ever hit on number six," said Snedeker, the 2007 U.S. Tour Rookie of the Year. "The only chance I had was chipping it and trying to spin it a little bit.

"It came off absolutely perfect, tracking the whole way. If it didn't hit the hole it was going on 10 or 12 feet by, at best, if not off the green."