Sergio Garcia has made a bright start to the second round of the Masters at Augusta National today. After getting up and down from a bunker on the long second Garcia birdied the 350-yard third as well and moved into a share of sixth place on two under par.

And some other big names were quick to make their presence felt as well. Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els, paired two years after they finished first and second, also birdied the second and that took them to three under and two under respectively.

Conditions were perfect for the early starters and, with the wind expected to pick up later, it was a great opportunity to move through the field and close the gap on overnight leader Vijay Singh.

The Fijian, one ahead of American Rocco Mediate after a five under 67, was in the third last group, with defending champion Tiger Woods immediately behind him on level par.

Colin Montgomerie was another to birdie the second — the hole on which he ran up a double bogey seven in his first day 74.

This time the Scot, who has missed the halfway cut in his last four starts, rolled in an 18-foot putt but, despite a number of other chances, he parred the next seven holes to turn in 35.

At one over he was inside the expected cut-off mark of four over, but the back nine is where most of the thrills and spills come, so nothing was guaranteed.

In the following group Lee Westwood mixed two birdies with two bogeys for a front nine 36 that left him three over, while Ireland's Darren Clarke slipped to one over when he bogeyed the lengthened 450-yard seventh.

The Ulsterman had holed from a bunker for eagle at the second in his initial 72, but was still waiting for his first birdie of the week.

Padraig Harrington, meanwhile, splashed out of sand to five feet on the second and with that birdie improved to level par — a fine effort after standing five over after seven holes of the tournament.

Mickelson was joined in third place by Australian Nick O'Hern when he turned in 35 and then birdied the short 12th.

Mickelson bogeyed the fifth and Garcia the short sixth, while Montgomerie made the start to the back nine he did not want, dropping a shot at the 495-yard par four 10th to slide back to two over.

The same hole cost Westwood a double bogey and at five over it put him outside the cut mark, although the 10-stroke rule could come to the rescue of a huge number of players.

Clarke climbed alongside Garcia on one under when he birdied the eighth and ninth to turn in 35. They were tied for 13th.