Finish denies Fisher Masters lead

Apr 9 2009

England's Ross Fisher bogeyed the last two holes to take the shine off what until then had been a sparkling Masters debut at Augusta National.

While Padraig Harrington began his bid for a third successive major by covering the front nine in a one-under 35, the 28-year-old from Wentworth grabbed six birdies to lead, but in the end had to settle for a three-under-par 69 that left him one behind Tim Clark.

The pace-setting South African, runner-up to Phil Mickelson in 2006, was trying to become the first player to win both the eve-of-tournament par-three competition and the championship proper.

Fisher is playing only the fifth major of his career, but has already made his mark in the United States this season with a fourth-place finish in the WGC-Match Play in Arizona.

In near-perfect early morning conditions the European Open champion sank eight-foot birdie putts on the second and third, then converted a 12-foot chance on the short sixth.

A 25-footer followed at the 570-yard eighth, but he turned in 33 after sending his approach to the ninth 30 feet long and three-putting for bogey.

It did not take the wind out of his sails at that point, though. Saving par from seven feet at the 10th kept him at three under and then he fired in a wonderful approach to three feet at the difficult 505-yard par four 11th.

After lipping out from 15 feet on the next he was on in two at the long 13th, but from 20 feet he sent his eagle putt six feet past, missed the return and walked off with only a par.

He holed from similar range for another birdie at the short 16th, but as the wind began to pick up he caught the greenside trap on the next and could not recover from driving into another bunker at the last.