No rookie jitters for Abraham Ancer.
Playing in his first Masters, Ancer has a share of the lead after a dazzling 5-under 67 left him at 9-under 135 midway through the tournament.
The 29-year-old from Mexico has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but he’s moved up in the world rankings with a pair of runner-up finishes in 2020.
Experience is always a key factor at Augusta National, but the conditions are much more inviting because of rain this week that saturated an already-soft course. The tournament is being played in the fall rather than the spring because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ancer took advantage, bouncing back from a bogey on his first hole to make six birdies the rest of the way. That came on the heels of a 68 in the opening round, when he closed with four birdies on his final six holes.
The odds are against Ancer, however. Outside of the first two Masters in the 1930s, the only time a player won in his first appearance was Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
