Scottie Scheffler continued his remarkable run of form as he opened up a record-equalling five-shot lead heading into the weekend at the 2022 Masters Tournament.
The American has won three of his last five starts worldwide to catapult himself to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking and he is now looking to claim a maiden Major Championship just two weeks after winning his first WGC title.
Blustery winds made scoring far more difficult on day two at Augusta National Golf Club but Scheffler carded a 67 to get to eight under and lead the way from defending champion Hideki Matsuyama, 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel, South Korea's Sungjae Im and Irishman Shane Lowry.
The American has four top tens in his seven Major starts with two top 20s at Augusta but only claimed his first US PGA Tour title on February 13 this year.
Three weeks later he had another and it was just another three before he lifted the trophy at the WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play.
Should he don a Green Jacket come Sunday, the 25-year-old will become the first player since Christiaan Bezuidenhout in 2020 to win back-to-back events on the DP World Tour, and the first since Jeunghun Wang in 2016 to claim his first two DP World Tour wins in consecutive events.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler leads by FIVE going into the weekend at Augusta.#TheMasters
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) April 8, 2022
"I feel like my game is in a good spot," he said. "I've done a good job managing my way around the golf course the last two days and I've made some really nice up-and-downs and key putts that have kept my rounds going. I've kept my cards pretty clean for the most part, which is nice.
"Immediately when I've gotten out of position the last few days, I've done a really good job of getting the ball back in play and putting myself in a spot where I can get the ball up and down.
"Once I saw that I took the lead at one point today, my first thought was to just keep trying to build it just because I feel like I'm playing well.
"That will be the goal going into tomorrow, just to keep putting myself in good positions, execute shots, and as long as I'm committed to everything, everything should be fine. The rest really isn't up to me."
Scheffler started his round with a bogey but he got up and down on the par-five second for a birdie before dropping another shot on the third.
Scheffler separates from the field. Lead is now five strokes. #themasters pic.twitter.com/0WQLTXZyu5
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 8, 2022
An approach to eight feet on the seventh had him back level for the day and he played a deft chip on the tenth to birdie the par five and turn in 35 with a one-shot lead.
He put his tee-shot to 12 feet on the 12th and that kicked off a brilliant run of scoring as he recovered from a poor second at the 13th to take advantage of the par five, did the same on the 15th and then left himself seven feet at the 16th to lead by five.
Schwartzel had set the early target as he got up and down from the sand for a birdie on the par-five second and while the South African gave the shot back on the fourth, an approach to two feet at the seventh saw him turn in 35.
Another stunning iron shot left him a tap-in on the tenth but he surrendered it on the next before two-putting for birdie from just off the green at the par-five 13th and almost acing the par-three 16th for a 69.
Lowry went one shot better as he recovered from a bogey on the first with an up-and-down on the second and then put an approach to five feet on the seventh to turn in 35.
A good day to have your son on the bag. #themasters pic.twitter.com/qkOH9EPXHT
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 8, 2022
A remarkable chip-in at the tenth was followed by a two-putt birdie at the 13th and he almost holed out for an eagle after laying up at the 15th.
South Korea's Im carded a 74 with three birdies and five bogeys, while Matsuyama took advantage of a fast start in a 69.
The Japanese made a two-putt birdie on the second, played a beautiful pitch-and-run on the seventh and then nearly holed his tee-shot at the sixth. He gave that shot back on the next but made another two-putt birdie on the 15th to join the group in second.
2020 champion Dustin Johnson, fellow Americans Kevin Na and Harold Varner III and Australian Cameron Smith were at two under, a shot clear of reigning European Number One Collin Morikawa, 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett, Canadian Corey Conners, Chile's Joaquin Niemann and Americans Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.
Stewart Cink made a hole-in-one on the 16th, celebrating with his son Reagan, who was caddying for the 2009 Open Champion on his 25th birthday.
