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Enlarge Photo K.J. Choi of South Korea hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during second... KJ Choi and Yang Yong-eun kept South Korea high up on the leaderboard of the U.S. Masters on Friday after trading shot for shot with American golfing titans Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.Choi carded a one-under-par 71 for a six-under total of 138, two strokes off the pace, while Yang hit a 72 for 139 at the halfway mark of the year's opening major championship.
Their efforts ensured the battles against their more celebrated and fancied playing partners will continue on Saturday, Choi paired with Woods and Yang with Mickelson in the third round at Augusta National.
"This is my best so far in a second round in a major and I'm very happy," Choi told a small group of reporters after signing his card on Friday.
Despite that, Choi was not satisfied with his shots off the tee and said he would practice hard on his drives.
"My drive is left and right," added Choi, a seven-time U.S. PGA winner and Asia's most successful men's golfer in recent years. "But I had better recoveries, short game and putting."
Yang's victory at last year's PGA Championship in a final-pair duel with Woods at Hazeltine made him the first Asian man to win a major.
Despite his own pedigree, Yang said his compatriot was due for more success.
"He's played on this course in this tournament for eight consecutive years now, so he knows this place much better than I do," Yang told reporters through an interpreter.
"So I think KJ can ... hopefully sustain it the next two rounds. Hopefully it will be the same for me."
(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Ian Ransom; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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