Singh moves four clear at soggy Augusta

Vijay Singh eagled the par-five 15th and birdied his last two holes for a flawless seven-under-par 65 and a four-shot clubhouse lead in the rain-affected second round of the U.S. Masters on Friday.

The towering Fijian, who opened with a 70, collected five birdies in all for his lowest career score at the Masters to move to nine-under-par 135.

Play was later abandoned for the day with 38 players still out on the course.

Singh, the 2000 champion, was four strokes clear of Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who followed his opening 69 with a two-under-par 70 at Augusta National, Spaniard Sergio Garcia (71) and Argentina's Angel Cabrera (71).

But South Africa's U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, still to complete his round, had ominously moved to six under par after 11 holes -- just three off the lead -- before play was called off for the day.

Defending champion Tiger Woods and twice winner Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain were also out on the course, both at three under par for the tournament after 10 holes.

Second-round play will resume from 0745 local time (1245 GMT) on Saturday morning and the halfway cut is expected to be made at three-over-par 147.

FOURTH TIME

This is the fourth time only that rain has forced a postponement in play in the 68-year history of the U.S. Masters, the most recent intervention occurring during the second round of the 1983 tournament eventually won by Seve Ballesteros.

Singh's back nine of 30 on Friday was one short of the Masters record, first set by Mark Calcavecchia in 1992's fourth round and equalled by fellow American David Toms in the last round of 1998.

"I played really good today but I was kind of worried about the weather starting out," the 39-year-old Fijian said.

"It was really wet out there at the start.

"I'm normally not a good wet-weather player but the sun came out later on and I hit it solid and putted nicely all day.

"There was a lot of surface water on the fairways which made it a little bit tougher, and the ball picked up a bit of mud," said Harrington, who was one of the earlier starters on a day which dawned both wet and overcast.

"But, if you were going nicely, it was good scoring conditions out there on the back nine. All the par-fives were reachable."

Both Singh and Harrington made significant moves on the back nine as overnight pacesetter Davis Love III slipped backwards with some wayward driving.

BROKE CLEAR

Singh collected back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13 to share the lead with the Irishman before he broke clear of a congested leader board with his eagle at the 500-yard 15th.

The Fijian struck a superb seven iron approach to 25 feet and calmly holed the putt to take the outright lead.

Singh, who won the Houston Open two weeks ago, parred the short 16th and then finished his round in style with his back-to-back birdies.

Love, who set the first-round pace with a blemish-free 67, had maintained his lead through 11 holes in the damp morning conditions.

However, erratic drives on 12 and 14 proved costly for the 1997 U.S. PGA champion, who has twice finished runner-up in the Masters.

He dropped shots at both holes and then bogeyed the last to finish with a 75 at two-under-par 142.

At one point, eight players were tied for the lead at four under as the afternoon gave way to bright sunshine and high humidity but Singh broke clear with his birdies at the short 12th and the par-five 13th.

FIRST MAJOR

Left-hander Phil Mickelson, looking for his first major title in his 35th professional start, picked up three birdies in his first 10 holes.

He then slipped backwards with dropped shots at 12, 14 and at the last to finish with a 72 at three-under 141.

World number one Woods, who is bidding for a third green jacket at Augusta, began the day three off the pace but was unable to make an early impression as he parred his first six holes.

He birdied the par-four seventh and, after reaching the turn in 35, stayed at three under for the tournament after 10 holes.

Four times Masters winner Arnold Palmer began his last competitive round in the early afternoon on Friday, finding the middle of the fairway with his drive at the first in front of packed galleries.

The 72-year-old golfing legend, who won the Masters green jacket in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964, carded a disappointing 17-over-par 89 Thursday and said afterwards it was time to make his final farewell from the first of the year's four major championships.

He dropped six shots going out for a front nine of 42 and bogeyed 10 and 11 to stand at 26 over par after 12 holes.