Masters golf 2022: 'Crazy' – Scottie Scheffler leads Masters by five shots as Tiger Woods battles back to stay in hunt

Scottie Scheffler lived up to his billing as the World No. 1 after a classy second round of 67 set against some biting wind saw the American claim a five-shot lead at the halfway stage of the 86th Masters. Scheffler leads on eight under with defending champion Hideki Matsuyama (69), Shane Lowry (68), Charl Schwartzel (69) and Sungjae Im (74) sharing second place on three under ahead of the weekend's closing 36 holes.

Ad/> The Dallas professional – chasing a remarkable fourth tournament win in six starts – enjoyed seven birdies and two bogeys and almost finished with a birdie on the 18th that would have seen him lead by six strokes, but his putt from 15 feet came up just short. MastersWhen does Tiger begin his second round at Augusta?YESTERDAY AT 06:37 As it is, Scheffler equals the largest 36-hole lead in the history of the Masters last witnessed in Jordan Spieth's march to the Green Jacket in 2015. No player has squandered such a lead since 1945, but it will be interesting to see how Scheffler's nerve holds up as he closes in on a first major.

/> «If anything, it (the lead) gives me more confidence,» he said. «Once I saw that I took the lead at one point today, and 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. «To be completely honest, the front nine was such a grind. The wind was crazy.

There was some times where we saw the sand blowing up out of the bunkers out there. /> »It was ridiculous. I think we were a little bit fortunate that it did die down a little bit