Masters Friday recap: A penalty, a flagstick and an Australian at Augusta National

• The big story of the day came on the 17th hole, when 14-year-old Tianlang Guan was assessed a one-stroke penalty for slow play, a shocking event that had plenty of fans and pros alike up in arms. The story ended positively, as Guan made the cut on the number, marking a new record for youngsters making it to the weekend of a major championship.

• Jason Day, who finished T-2 here in 2011, had the round of the day at Augusta National, posting 4-under 68 to take the outright lead after 36 holes. Day was solid all day long and looks like he might have the game to be the first ever Australian to claim a green jacket.

• Tiger Woods was making a big push up the leaderboard until he hit the flagstick heard round the world. On the 15th hole, Woods hit a solid wedge that looked like it snuggle up close for another birdie, but his precise shot was a little too precise, smacking the flag and bounding back in the water. His bogey dropped him out of the lead, but it was his three-putt on 18 that was really disappointing. Tiger, who looked like he’d easily break 70, settled for a 71 on Friday.

• Phil Mickelson said he was ready to attack Augusta National on Friday after his opening round of 71, but the only thing he took on was the cut line. Mickelson struggled all day, shooting a second round 76 to drop well down the leaderboard and well out of contention for a fourth green jacket.

• It was a pretty quiet round of 2-under 70 for Rory McIlroy, but with the tucked pins on Friday at Augusta National it was enough to make a move. Rory rolled in a solid birdie putt on the 18th to post that number and is definitely in a good position heading into the weekend.

• Jason Dufner and Angel Cabrera both helped their cause on Friday with rounds of 3-under 69. Dufner sits at 3-under for the week while Cabrera is one better at 4-under.

• Maybe the biggest surprise of the week was the play of Louis Oosthuizen, the former British Open champion that made it into a playoff with Bubba Watson a year ago. Oosthuizen struggled on Thursday, but it was his Friday 76 that left him outside the cut.

• Talk about a tough week for Hunter Mahan. The two-time PGA Tour winner a season ago has finished in the top-12 in three of his last four Masters, but missed the cut by a mile after a second round 82. It was the second straight major championship that Mahan posted a round in the 80s.

The third shot by Matteo Manassero on the par-5 8th hole might have been the most special shot of the third round. Manassero full third to the back pin landed past the green, started yanking back and rolled in dead center for a hole-out eagle.

“I’m sick. He’s 14-years-old.” – Ben Crenshaw, on the slow play penalty assessed to 14-year-old Tianlang Guan

The Par-5 8th, Yellow Jasmine

Not only was it the site of our Shot of the Day, but it was the place that Rory McIlroy got his round going with an eagle and where Tiger Woods kept things going with a two-putt birdie. It’s the momentum holes we focus on at Augusta National, and nothing gets you going like a late birdie on the front nine before heading to the back.

The fun thing about how packed the leaderboard after two rounds of the 2013 Masters is that the green jacket is there for the taking. Tiger, Fred Couples, Jason Day; it really could be anybody accepting the best piece of clothing in all of sports come Sunday evening.

Moving day kicks off on Saturday, a day that usually sees a changing of the guard around the top. A few things we’ll be looking for:

– How will Jason Day handle sleeping on the lead for the first time in his career at a major?
– How will Tiger handle the bad fortune he had on the back nine, and can he break his eight round streak of shooting over par on the back nine at Augusta National?
– Will Fred Couples continue the magic and hold up heading into Sunday?

(Also, for fun, check out this Tumblr page that has photoshopped Waldo in a bunch of different shots at the Masters. Fun stuff.)

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