Westwood and Poulter lead the way

Two months after providing the finalists at the World Match Play, two Englishmen are now setting the pace in The Masters at Augusta.

Ian Poulter is the common denominator, but instead of Paul Casey, the man he beat in Tucson, it is now Lee Westwood, the man who took "a few dollars" off him in practice on Tuesday, that he has to try to defeat.

Tiger Woods, whose bid for a 15th major in his first tournament since November, is also in the thick of things at halfway.

On a day made much more difficult by some of the pin placings - 50-year-old overnight leader Fred Couples could add only a 75 to his opening 66 and 60-year-old Tom Watson fell back to three under as well with a 74 - Poulter shot his second successive 68 to set the target at eight under.

Westwood, third in the last two majors, is alongside him following a 69 highlighted by an eagle on the second, but both bogeyed the last - Westwood after being distracted on the tee by an ill-timed click of a camera - and as a result the chasing pack are breathing down their necks.

American Anthony Kim, winner of the Houston Open last Sunday, was one behind with one to play, while Woods was in a tie for fourth with Ricky Barnes and Korean KJ Choi just two back.