Augusta - Louis Oosthuizen seized a two-stroke lead at the 76th Masters on Sunday with only the fourth albatross in Augusta National history, holing a spectacular shot from the second fairway.
Oosthuizen's double eagle was the first 2 recorded on the par-5 second hole. The approach by "Oosty" from the middle of the fairway bounced onto the green, then rolled down a slope to the left and into the cup as the crowd roared.
South Africa's Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, stumbled with a bogey at the par-3 fourth, but stood on nine-under after seven holes, two strokes ahead of Sweden's Peter Hanson and Americans Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson.
Oosthuizen, who sank a tension-packed 15-foot par putt at the par-3 sixth to maintain his margin, produced back-nine thrills earlier in the week. He birdied four of the last five holes in round one and three of the final five on Friday.
The only prior albatrosses fired at Augusta National came from Jeff Maggert on the 13th hole in the 1994 final round, Bruce Devlin at the eighth in 1967's first round and Gene Sarazen in the final round of the second Masters in 1935.
Oosthuizen's double eagle was the first 2 recorded on the par-5 second hole. The approach by "Oosty" from the middle of the fairway bounced onto the green, then rolled down a slope to the left and into the cup as the crowd roared.
South Africa's Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, stumbled with a bogey at the par-3 fourth, but stood on nine-under after seven holes, two strokes ahead of Sweden's Peter Hanson and Americans Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson.
Oosthuizen, who sank a tension-packed 15-foot par putt at the par-3 sixth to maintain his margin, produced back-nine thrills earlier in the week. He birdied four of the last five holes in round one and three of the final five on Friday.
The only prior albatrosses fired at Augusta National came from Jeff Maggert on the 13th hole in the 1994 final round, Bruce Devlin at the eighth in 1967's first round and Gene Sarazen in the final round of the second Masters in 1935.