By David Westin
Staff Writer
Augusta Chronicle

At the searing rate Greg Norman is going, this could 1976 all over again.

Stormin' Norman continued his march to what would be his first Masters Tournament title on Friday, doubling his lead to four shots as the 60th Masters reached the halfway mark at the Augusta National Golf Club.

It was in the 1976 Masters that Raymond Floyd turned the tournament into his personal plaything. He led by five shots after 36 holes and by eight after 54 holes. Floyd ended up winning by eight shots, tying Jack Nicklaus' tournament record of 17-under-par 271 in the process. Nicklaus shot his 271 in 1965.

Norman, bidding to become the first Australian winner of the Masters, put together a 3-under-par 69 Friday and is 12-under-par for 36 holes. Two-time Masters champion Nick Faldo is his closest pursuer.

Norman birdied the 18th hole for the 69, which made him the first golfer in Masters history to shoot in the 60s in five straight rounds.

``I'm looking forward to it,'' Norman said of the challenge that awaits him this weekend. ``I'm very relaxed. I feel very comfortable within myself.''

``Greg has the potential to run away with it,'' said British Open champion John Daly, who has shot rounds of 71-74 and trails by 13 shots. ``I don't see anybody catching him with the course the way it is (fast fairways and firm greens).''

``He'll be very tough to catch, but I don't think anybody is invincible,'' said Lee Janzen, who is seven shots back after rounds of 68-71. ``It will be very tough sleeping on the lead. I know he wants to win it very badly.''

Norman, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, has been a Masters runner-up two times and finished third twice.

If the 41-year-old Norman can play the final 36 holes in 6 under par, he would break Nicklaus' and Floyd's tournament record, once thought unapproachable. He tied Nick Price's course record with a 63 on Thursday.

In two rounds this week, Norman has made 14 birdies, 20 pars, two bogeys and shows no signs of letting up.

``He is the best player in the world and there is a reason for it,'' said Janzen. ``He practices harder than anyone else and his expectations are higher.''

At 12-under-par 132 for the first 36 holes, Norman missed tying Floyd's record for the best start in tournament history by one shot.

Faldo bolted into the championship picture with a six-birdie, one-bogey 67. That featured a 4-under-par 32 on the back nine.

``Greg was way ahead and going along nicely,'' Faldo said. ``I took every chance I was given today. It was a very good round of golf.''

Faldo hasn't been a contender in a major championship since he tied for fourth in the 1994 PGA Championship.

``It's nice to be in contention for a major,'' Faldo said. ``That's what it's all about. It's what we practice for.''

U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin had the day's best round, a 66. He vaulted from a tie for 60th place after a first-round 73 to a tie for 10th. He's still nine shots out of the lead.

The news was not so good for defending champion Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods. All three missed the cut, which fell at 2-over-par 146. Only 44 players made the cut. Starting times today don't begin until 11 a.m., but the gates will open at 8 a.m.

Crenshaw, who shot 77-74-151, is the first defender to miss the cut since Sandy Lyle in 1989. It's only the third time in 25 Masters appearances that Crenshaw failed to qualify for the weekend rounds.

Watson, who had made a record straight 21 straight cuts, shot 75-72-147. And Woods, who led all golfers in average driving distance on both Thursday (340´ yards) and Friday (343´ yards), shot 75-75-150.