Stewart Looks Good, Ties Watson, Stadler

Payne Stewart’s fashion show continued to dazzle in the second round of the Masters Friday. His pastel blue knickers, Hogan cap and shoes with the silver twinkletoe tips were the talk of Augusta National, more so than his golf game, which wasn’t bad, either.

His one-under-par 71 gave him a four-under-par 140 for the tournament and tied him for the lead with a couple of former champions, Tom Watson and Craig Stadler.

One stroke back was Gary Hallberg, who had a one-shot lead after his 68 Thursday but fell back with a 73 in the second round.

Afterward, he went directly to the practice tee, failing to reveal which of his fedoras he will wear when again paired in today’s third round with Stewart.

Stewart said his predominant color will be pink. Gentlemen’s Quarterly should take note.

As for those who prefer Golf Digest, the 49th Masters is not much more predictable today than when it began.

The way Augusta National is playing, Watson said there is a possibility that someone six or so shots behind the leaders could win, and an outside chance that someone 10 shots back could sneak in on Sunday.

That includes every one of the 60 players who made the cut.

The field was supposed to be cut to either 44 or all the players within 10 shots of the lead. As the lead is an ordinary 140, only 17 players weren’t within 10 shots of that.

Only 10 players are under par.

One of them, surprisingly enough, is Lee Trevino, who is beginning to like it here after 13 years of badmouthing the course. After a 73 Friday, he is three shots behind the leaders and tied with a couple of former Masters champions, Seve Ballesteros and Ray Floyd.

Other former champions didn’t fare as well. Jack Nicklaus, Billy Casper, Gary Player and Ben Crenshaw were in contention after the first round, but they had their difficulties Friday.

Nicklaus bogeyed the last two holes and shot a 74. Player shot a 75, Crenshaw a 76 and Casper a 78.

When the day began, Augusta National looked as if it was going to play like the neighborhood publinks.

After an opening-round 83, Arnold Palmer was the first man to tee off Friday and charged back with an even-par 72.

That wasn’t good enough for Palmer to make the cut, but it spread excitement through the clubhouse. If Arnie could take 11 shots off his score, some of the other players thought they might get around the course in record-breaking numbers.

The next player to finish was Curtis Strange, who shot an 80 Thursday and reserved a Friday seat on a plane for home because he didn’t think he would make the cut.

“If you don’t play good, get the hell out of Dodge,” he said.

That was before he shot a 65, one off the course record.

Then came Scotland’s Sandy Lyle with a 65, 13 shots better than his opening round.

Stadler shot a 67.

Johnny Miller shot a 68.

Amateur Jerry Haas shot a 69.

Asked if he had a chance to win the tournament, Strange laughed.

“If the lead’s still at four-under after today, talk to me then,” he said. “But the conditions are so perfect for scoring today, I’m sure the lead will be at seven- or eight-under.”

When Strange finished his round, the temperature was in the high 60s and the wind was still.

By mid-afternoon, the wind was blowing gently through the tall pine trees.

By late afternoon, it was gusting.

Because of his Masters experience, Watson knew enought to wait out the wind whenever possible. On the par-three No. 12, the center of Amen Corner, Watson didn’t hit until the wind had settled, then made a near-perfect shot that resulted in a birdie.

His playing partner Friday was amateur Sam Randolph Jr., a USC junior.

Having had no experience with the fickle wind, he didn’t wait for it to settle and watched in disgust as a gust took his tee shot and deposited it into Rae’s Creek.

He bogeyed the hole and finished the round with a three-over-par 75.

Still, Randolph, 20, is tied for low-amateur honors with Haas at 145.

The other amateur who was within two shots of the lead after the first round, North Carolina’s John Inman, had a nightmarish second hole.

After hitting his tee shot into a ditch, he didn’t move his second shot more than five feet. His third shot flew through the fairway. It took him another shot to get into a sand trap and two to get out of it. He three-putted for a nine.

But he hung in for a 76 and a 146 total.

By then, everyone was having problems. After all those 60-somethings in the morning, no one who teed off after noon shot better than a 71.

Watson thought he had something going when he birdied Nos. 12, 13 and 15 to go six under par, two shots ahead of the field.

But instead of protecting the lead, Watson decided to go for more.

“I was trying to play aggressively then, and it cost me,” he said.

On the par-three No. 16, Watson hit his tee shot into a bunker, then made a terrific shot out of it that almost went into the hole.

The gallery began applauding, then groaning as the ball refused to stop rolling until it had almost escaped the green.

Watson two-putted for a bogey, then followed with another bogey after he missed a three-foot putt on No. 17.

If Watson had played conservatively and finished at six-under-par 138, 11 fewer players would have survived the cut.

“What can I say?” Watson said later. “I’m a nice guy.”

Watson also is the world’s best golfer, but he pretended anger when it was suggested to him that he isn’t as colorful as the pair that will be playing ahead of him today, Stewart and Hallberg.

“I’m known for my small collars,” Watson said.

Hallberg is known for his hats, which he said were inspired by Indiana Jones.

“I don’t like to be one of the clones,” he said. “I’ve heard too much about golfers not having any color.”

No one will ever say Stewart is one of the clones.

He is, for instance, the only player on the tour to wear acupuncture needles in his ears.

He’s also the only tour regular to wear knickers.

“I wanted to try something different,” he said. “Before I began wearing the knickers, everybody had to look at the name on my golf bag to know who I was.”

All they have to do today is look at the leader board.