South African Ernie Els and American Steve Stricker, the world numbers three and four respectively, missed the cut on Friday for the final two rounds of the US Masters. Els, who dumped swing coach David Leadbetter in favor of Tiger Woods' former-swing coach Butch Harmon before arriving in Augusta, carded back-to-back two-over 74s at Augusta National, finishing at four-over 148 to miss the cut by a single shot. Stricker stumbled to a 77 to seal his fate missing the cut by six strokes. Els and Stricker were joined at the exit by former major winners Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain, Michael Campbell of New Zealand and Germany's Bernhard Langer. Spain's Sergio Garcia added to his Masters misery, missing the cut for the third time in four years. Former winner Fred Couples' bid for a record 24th consecutive cut at the US Masters came up one shot short, the American battling to level par 72 and two-day total of 148. Couples will remain tied with South African Gary Player in the record books with 23 consecutive cuts in the opening major of the year. Nine-time major winner Player, who set a Masters record with his 51st appearance at Augusta, could not make the cut for the first time in a decade, the 72-year-old signing for a respectable six-over 78. The Augusta Par Three curse continued as South Africa's Rory Sabbatini, the winner of the Masters tuneup on Wednesday, also missed the cut. No player has won the Par Three tournament and gone on to be presented with the Masters green jacket in the same year. South African Trevor Immelman birdied the last two holes for a 68 to grab a one-stroke lead Friday. 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. Second on the leaderboard at seven-under-par was American Brandt Snedeker, who mirrored Immelman's rousing finish with birdies at 17 and 18 to complete a 68 for 137, two shots better than Phil Mickelson, Steve Flesch and Briton Ian Poulter. Twice winner Mickelson made three birdies on the front side and capped his bogey-free round with a 30-foot birdie at 17 for a 68, while left-handed Flesch had the tournament's low round by going five-under on the par-fives in a bogey-free 67. Poulter, who registered an electrifying ace at 16 in the opening round, made three back-nine birdies for a 69. Rose, in the last grouping, slipped back to two-under-par by the turn, and four-time champion Tiger Woods was even par for the day and the tournament through nine holes as swirling winds made conditions tougher as the day wore on. At four-under-par 140 were Briton Paul Casey, after a 69, and Canadian Stephen Ames, who shot his second successive 70.Ochoa leads in Mexico World number one Lorena Ochoa fired her second consecutive seven-under par 66 Friday to grab a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the 1.3 million-dollar LPGA Corona Championship in Mexico. The Mexican star, who won her second major title in the row last week at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, seeks her 21st career title and fourth crown in five starts this year. Ochoa sank her third eagle in two days to finish 36 holes at 14-under par 132 for a one-stroke lead over South Korean Park In-Bee, who fired a second-round 64. Park was two strokes ahead of first-round co-leader Song
