Augusta (Georgia): Where there was just one runaway leader at the end of the first round, there are four players sharing the lead in a tightly bunched up leaderboard, and another five were within three shots of them at the halfway stage of the 81st Masters.
Each of the four co-leaders has a charisma of their own.
Garcia six behind Charley Hoffman at start of second round, opened with three birdies in a row and then caught up as Hoffman dropped a bunch of shots midway through the round.
By the end both were part of the leading foursome, as Rickie Fowler and Thomas Pieters joined in, all at four-under.
Defending champion Danny Willett missed the cut, which fell at six-over, but will need to hang around to present the Green Jacket on Sunday.
Garcia seems to have been around almost forever, but never won in 73 Major starts — 18 of which have been at Augusta — but with Seve Ballesteros’ 60th birthday due on Sunday, there could not be a better stage or occasion o break that duck.
Fowler, who was in the top five at each of the four Majors in 2014, but has never been in lead at halfway stage at a Major.
For someone who does not seem to have done justice – save the Players Championships he won in 2015 - to the awesome talent that he has, this could indicate that a Major may be due.
Then there is Belgium’s lanky Pieters, who hit the headlines at the Ryder Cup and then the front nine of the first round of his maiden Masters, before crashing down from five-under after 10 to even par at finish.
On Friday, he showed he is no flash in the pan with a mature recovery that gave him a share of the lead after a round of 68. And, Hoffman is still there. After setting the Augusta National ablaze with seven-under 65 on cold, windy Thursday, he seemed to be unraveling with five bogeys in a six-hole stretch midway through the second round. But to his credit, he steadied himself back to get to four-under and stay in the mix.
Willie McGirt, who has made little secret of the joys of soaking all there is at Augusta in his first visit, ensured his first round 69 was not wasted with a 73 that gave him fifth place.
