Weir weaves his way out of left field

The Masters: Quiet Canadian cuts through the carnage as Woods finds weight of history and weather a handful

If there is a minority that is unrepresented at Augusta National, at least among the professionals who are honorary members at the club due to their victories in the Masters, then it is left-handers. Mike Weir might be an unlikely candidate to disturb the peace on this issue but after two rounds of the 67th version of what was once Bobby Jones's invitational tournament the Canadian held a four-stroke lead over the field.

Though the squelching mud outside the ropes was a reminder of the deluges of the past week, the sun finally put in a late appearance, though not as late as Tiger Woods, should the champion of the last two years eventually put in a bid to win a record third successive green jacket.

Woods made the cut for the last two rounds, but only just. He holed a tricky, downhill four-footer on the ninth, his last hole of the sceond round – "it was either going in or off the green" – to finish at five over par. Only the top 44 players and ties proceed to the final 36 holes at the Masters and Woods was tied for 43rd place, along with Justin Rose.

The world No 1 was 11 strokes behind the leader, Weir, who added a 68 to his opening 68 as the second round, which began during a marathon Friday after the first day's play on Thursday was washed out, was completed yesterday morning.

Much of the golf was erratic. Darren Clarke, who claimed the first-round lead with a 66, handed in a 76 for his second effort but held second place by a stroke from Phil Mickelson and the US Amateur champion Ricky Barnes, who had the thrill of outscoring Woods by six strokes over their 36 holes together.

Those four were the only players under par at the halfway stage. Jose Maria Olazabal, who – as in 1999 – began the week in despair over his game but once again found inspiration here, and Paul Lawrie, who birdied the last hole in each of his two rounds, were among those at level par.

Not quite back on level terms but going in the right direction was Ernie Els, who put an opening 79 behind him with a 66 that was the best of the second round. Els did not drop a shot, but it was not for the want of trying. He found the creek at the 13th but was able to play out of it and save par and he put it in the pond at the 15th and then pitched and putted for his five.

Els, recovered from his punchbag induced wrist injury but having not played for three weeks, felt he had driven the ball well in the first round but did not have his touch on the greens. "Coming off a lay-off you might be able to get away with it at another event but not here," the South African said. "I felt the feeling coming back on the last few holes and it probably helped to go straight back out and start to put it right. The 79 was a crazy round and the first objective was just to play at the weekend."

There were adventures for everyone. Woods resumed at the par-five second but only took a five there and missed a good birdie chance at the third to get to one over. "From there things got worse," he said. His bunker shot at the short fourth was thinned across the green into more sand and he took a double-bogey five. He also bogeyed the sixth, got it back at the next and then three-putted the eighth to leave himself in danger of ending his streak of making consecutive cuts at 101. "I am here for the weekend and you never know," he said after avoiding the fate of Jack Nicklaus when going for three in a row in 1967.

"As it dries out it is getting tougher out there and that is good for the guys trying to make a move. If you get it going you can put up a solid round, but I know how tough it is here as the leader to keep moving away."

Clarke sought the positive after finishing at two under. "Augusta doesn't give you anything and I was fortunate to play well and shoot 66 yesterday," he said. "Today I struggled with some bad swings but I'm still second going into the final 36 holes. If I can find the swing from yesterday who knows what can happen. I'll be giving it my best shot."

After bogeys at the ninth and 10th on Friday night to fall behind Weir, Clarke resumed at the 11th yesterday morning and promptly pulled his second shot into the pond. "I had a good lie in the rough but I should have laid up short and right away from the water," he said. That mistake cost a double bogey and he dropped another shot at the 15th when his second, a "flushed" five-iron, came up in the water, but he birdied the 17th to get one back.

Only Weir, it seemed, was oblivious to the mayhem and he played his last six holes in level par. The 32-year-old, who won twice earlier in the year, is not one of the really long hitters who were expected to dominate. "I'm not a bomber for sure," he said. "I have to make my wedge game work for me and rely on my course management and my putting. If you have a good putter in your hand, that's a great equaliser."