Sergio Garcia struggles in second round of Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. — First-round co-leader Sergio Garcia found agony Friday no matter what pains he took to avoid it.

On No. 4, Garcia hemmed and hawed over the tee shot, switched from a four-iron to a three-iron and found sand and another bogey. A snap hook into the creek on No. 13 was followed by a gleaming recovery … and a missed par putt.

On the 15th, Garcia’s attempt to reach in two hit the bank in front of the green and ricocheted into the water. He dropped his club and then his head, then stood incredulous over the spot moments later — all en route to a 76 and a two-under total.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Garcia said. “I feel like it’s a little unfair that I shot 10 shots worse than yesterday the way I was hitting the ball. But it is difficult out there for everyone.”

That agonizing shot on No. 15 was basically blown away.

“I hit a great three-iron,” Garcia said. “It’s almost dead calm when Angel [Cabrera] and Adam [Scott] were hitting. I hit what I thought was a perfect shot to the middle of the green and caught a huge gust and unfortunately it comes up short into the water. Those things you can’t really control.”

Time out

Tianlang Guan got some sympathy, sort of, from the world’s No. 1 player after the 14-year-old’s stroke penalty for slow play.

“Rules are rules,” said Tiger Woods. “We’ve had a case of slow play from some of the guys out here on tour, and we have our policies. Unfortunately he either didn’t pick it up, or sometimes you get guys that are backing off a couple shots and you can get weird times. ... I don’t know what his situation is, but it’s unfortunate.”

Straight talk

A four-hole funk might have cost Phil Mickelson a chance to contend. He said he hit an “awful” gap wedge into a bunker at No. 9, leading to a bogey.

“That carried over to the next shot,” he said, “because I hit an awful shot [off the tee] at 10.”

A “terrible swing” with a nine-iron on the par-three 12th sent his ball into Rae’s Creek and led to a double bogey. At three over after a 76, Mickelson is nine shots back.

Big run

Cabrera was en route to irrelevance before four birdies in his last five holes produced a 69 and a tie for fourth at four under.

“For me Augusta is never easy,” the 2009 champion said. “The big difference was that the back nine, I was hitting very well off the tee, leaving my second shots close.”

The mighty fall

Defending champion Bubba Watson missed a five-footer for par on No. 18 but made the cut on the number. He will play alone in Saturday’s first “pairing.”

Those less fortunate included Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Tom Watson.

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tgreenstein@tribune.com