Masters 2017 odds: Rickie Fowler is the new favorite to win Augusta

Charley Hoffman pulled it off on Friday, although he would have preferred the cushion he once held.

The leaders had a two-shot lead over 37-year-old Masters rookie William McGirt (73), who missed the cut in three of his previous four majors. Nine players are under par, and 11 are within five shots of the leaders.

Eventually, word from the green jackets came down: Bogey.

Harmon feels the 46-year-old’s experience means he can not be ruled out, while Begium’s Thomas Pieters, in a four-way tie for the lead, is also tipped by Butch for a weekend run at the title.

In a game that needs players with visibility, it will be hard to avoid Fowler if he goes ahead and wins this Masters championship. “So yeah, it did feel like 10 shots worse”.

At even par are three past champions in Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth, all capable of grabbing this event by the throat over the weekend.

“Disappointed to finish like that, but I’m still within five of the lead going into the weekend with better conditions on the way”, said McIlroy, who needs a win this week to complete a collection of all four of golf’s major titles. “You just kind of pass out when you get home”.

“I’m very optimistic I’m going to make a good run”, Mickelson said.

Sergio Garcia has played himself into contention in a major championship, which is sort of like saying a bunch of lemmings have gathered at the edge of a cliff. Playing in his 71st consecutive major – the longest streak of any active player, one that dates to his teenage years at the 1999 Open – Garcia infamously lamented his inability to win here five years ago.

“I’m working on trying to accept things”, he said.

Westwood will need a miraculous comeback to avoid extending his majors drought. The 28-year-old star player may yet recapture his 2014 magic, where he finished Top 5 in all four majors, including a T5 finish at the Masters. Could it really come here?

“I made a few errors”, Hoffman said.

“I think that I’m a little bit calmer now”, Garcia said.

In conditions just as demanding as the opening round, Fowler holed out a bunker shot for eagle on his second hole, quickly moved into the lead pack and secured his spot in a share of the lead with a tricky birdie putt from the collar of the 16th green.

But then he double-bogeyed the third hole to drop back to even par.

Mickelson closed with three bogeys in the final five holes yesterday after flirting with the lead earlier on the back nine.

“I’m looking forward to it a lot”, Pieters said with a smile. And I’m really exhausted.

“No. I would lie if I tell you – obviously I wanted to play well”.

“It’s frustrating. It’s tough because you grind all day and you battle hard and then something like that happens at the last … but I’m still in decent position going into the weekend”. His best finishes to date are two second place finishes at The Open Championship and the PGA Championship, a third place finish at the U.S Open, and a T4 finish in Augusta back in 2004. When we have some good birdie opportunities, I try to take advantage.

The 40-year-old American had an otherwise solid round with two birdies and no bogeys across the other 12 holes.

It certainly promises to be an interesting day.