No one ever won a major on Friday, but there’s no doubt the round of the day during day two at the Masters belonged to the leader, Patrick Reed, who made nine birdies on a challenging day. Reed, who played college golf at both Georgia and Augusta State, said his local status benefits him at the Masters.

“I would say it probably helps you,” he said. “I would say the first year there was a little bit of pressure coming back, but being my fifth time back home, back where I went to college and that, it’s normal. You kind of come back, you try and play well for the fans, and if you aren’t playing well, they’re trying to pump you up. If you are playing well they’re trying to pump you up even more.”

Reed, who is 9-under through two rounds, was followed closely by Australian Marc Leishman who shot 67 to sit two shots back.

Ones to watch

With weather expected to play a role on Saturday at Augusta, no lead is safe. A couple of big names lurk closely behind the leaders:

• Henrik Stenson is alone in third at 5-under after carding a 2-under round.
• Close behind is a group of major champions, led by Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth (who struggled in the second round at 2-over) in a tie for fourth, with Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson sitting in a tie for 6^th, six shots back of the leader. Spieth said the day could have gone much worse: “With the way the back nine was playing today, the wheels could have come off there,” Spieth said following his round. “But I made some nice par saves and was able to grind out some phenomenal second‑shot iron shots and good two‑putt birdies.”

British Columbia has some similarities to Georgia, according to Adam Hadwin.

Hadwin, who is in a tie for 18^th position after a challenging second round, said Augusta National, “suits my eye,” adding that growing up in BC helps him at the Masters.

“I love working the ball both ways,” Hadwin said. “It’s something that I work on and practice on the range a lot and so it really doesn’t matter the hole, I feel like I can hit the shot that’s required. And then some of the, some of those recovery shots as well. Growing up in BC, tree lined golf courses, I’m used to kind of hitting the punch hooks and cuts when you need to. So I don’t know what it is, but obviously a very special golf course and I feel at home here.”

Hadwin made just two birdies and 4 bogeys and a double bogey on Friday, to hang around the top of the leaderboard for much of the day before struggling on the 18^th.

Mike Weir, the other Canadian in the field, shot 79 on Friday to miss the cut.

Tiger Woods has yet to show any signs he can contend at Augusta this year. Woods played the front nine in 3-over, which included a double-bogey on the 5^th hole after his approach flew over the green and ended up in a patch of bushes. Woods played the back nine in even par, despite making bogey on the 12^th hole after dunking his tee shot in the water. Woods concluded the day at 4-over par in 40^th-place.