4 tied for lead after Round 2

Pieters turned in a record performance as a rookie in Europe’s Ryder Cup defeat past year and is certainly not phased about trying to become the first player to win on their Masters debut since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. William McGirt (-2) T5.

Couples, 57, could become the oldest major victor in history, eclipsing the age mark set by compatriot Julius Boros, who was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. Rose was part of a five-man tie for first place on opening day and can still contend for his first green jacket and second overall major win. Watson had a brief flourish, with consecutive birdies on the eighth and ninth holes. Adam Scott, Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth are at even, and they have won five green jackets between them. He bogeyed the first hole, his only one of the day. Now there are 18.

“My start really gave me a bit of cushion and momentum in the right direction and freed me up”. Still looking for his first major, the Spaniard posted a 3-under 69 in the second round. “But those last couple putts, I had confidence in them, put really nice strokes on them and I finally got them to go”.

“These first two rounds are probably the best I ve ever played at Augusta”, Garcia said.

Garcia, 37 and still seeking his first major title, had three squares on his card, but the most noteworthy of the trio was the bogey on 10 – because he was one of very few on the grounds who knew that he had made one.

“I’ll definitely try to make more birdies (on Saturday) as the conditions are supposed to be more benign”, said Leishman.

Sergio Garcia celebrates a putt for birdie on the 3rd green during his second round at the 2017 Masters Tournament.

There’s the villain. Thomas Pieters, best known for shushing the US crowd at the Ryder Cup, who ignited his round with an eagle on 13 and birdie on 14 to finish 4-under.

Eighth-ranked U.S. star Rickie Fowler was on two-under with 11 holes remaining thanks in part to birdies on the par-5 second and par-4 third.

Rickie Fowler played his 100 round in a major championship Friday at the Masters. 6-9 as the putts that were falling on Thursday when Hoffman needed his putter just 25 times, weren’t dropping on Friday. Following a dazzling 7-under 65 on Thursday, the 40-year-old four-time victor on the PGA Tour birdied No. 2 to reach 8-under par.

That final hole was especially important because it came after back-to-back bogeys. On Friday he shot 75, but he didn’t lose his lead altogether. It was especially hard Friday on Saturday because it blew from the northwest, which makes No. 1 and the par-5 holes 8, 13 and 15 play into the wind.

“It was quite a tough shot, but if I just carry the water”, Pieters said. “So I was very happy with that”.

With a 5-under-par 67, the round of the day, Fowler moved into a four-way share of the lead at Augusta National. On No. 18, his approach was too good. The ball caromed off the flagstick and off the green, leading to a bogey 5.

“I’m working on trying to accept things which can happen here and can happen anywhere”, said Garcia. He was hitting good, crisp shots, so he wanted to just keep swinging and let his ability shine.

“I feel like my age is still OK because I can drive it far enough”, Couples said.