"CBS SPORTS’ 2011 MASTERS FINAL-ROUND COVERAGE EARNS SECOND HIGHEST RATING IN 10 YEARS"

For Immediate Release...

CBS SPORTS’ 2011 MASTERS FINAL-ROUND COVERAGE EARNS SECOND HIGHEST RATING IN 10 YEARS
 
CBS Sports’ coverage of the 2011 Masters on Sunday, April 10, which saw South African Charl Schwartzel win the coveted Green Jacket by birdying the final four holes in a dramatic final round, scored the second-highest rating for the final round of the Masters in the metered markets in 10 years.
 
Yesterday’s final-round coverage earned an average overnight household rating/share of 10.4/22, second only to last year’s 12.0/25.  This year’s 10.4/22 for the final round was up 18% from 2009 (8.8/21), up 17% from 2008 (8.9/18), as well as being up 1% from 2005 (10.3/21) when Tiger Woods won his fourth green jacket.  The final round in 2001 earned a 12.9/27 (Woods’ second Masters win).
 
This year’s final-round rating peaked with a 12.6/24 from 6:30-7:00 PM, ET.  

2011 Masters Clippings, Final Round Wrap

This one may set a record for length, so I won't bore you with too much. But this is one magical week we'll talk about for decades. And while the players delivered a great show, lost in the recaps will likely be enough praise for the golf course maintenance crew that had the course playing so well, the course setup committee that appeared to get it right in just about every sense (this year) and the CBS crew that did a fantastic job somehow covering a deep and changing leaderboard.

Someday there will be a great story about what went on behind the scenes this week, but for now here's what we know...

Ledes

Doug Ferguson for the Associated Press:

The finishing touch of a most amazing Masters was Charl Schwartzel slipping into a green jacket. Until that moment late Sunday afternoon, everything else at Augusta National was up for grabs.

The roars came from everywhere, for everyone, and never stopped.

Tiger Woods made up a seven-shot deficit in nine holes — too bad it was the front nine. Geoff Ogilvy ran off five straight birdies. Rory McIlroy matched the greatest collapse in Masters history with a stretch of holes not even Greg Norman would want to watch.

It was so wild that eight players had at least a share of the lead on the back nine.

Schwartzel emerged from all this madness with a magical touch of his own. He became the first Masters champion in its 75-year history to finish with four straight birdies, giving him a 6-under 66 for the best final round by a winner in 22 years.

Gerald Imray for the Mail and Guardian, South Africa:

 Charl Schwartzel marked the 50th anniversary of Gary Player's breakthrough first international win in the Masters with another South African victory at Augusta National. 

South African fans had to stay up late to watch it.

It was 12.48am in Schwartzel's hometown of Johannesburg when he made the last of his four straight birdies to finish off a two-stroke victory over Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott.

James Corrigan for the Independent:

Through the wreckage of Rory McIlroy’s Masters dream marched Charl Schwartzel here last night. The South African’s joy at winning his first major was in direct and pitiful contrast to the devastated young Ulsterman. A crestfallen, shattered figure who limped out of Georgia as forlornly as Greg Norman 15 years before.

Lawrence Donegan for The Guardian:

The 2011 Masters was won by the South African Charl Schwartzel but it will always be remembered for the sight of young Rory McIlroy, head in hands and near to tears as his major championship dreams were swept away in the compelling theatre of an Augusta afternoon.

Larry Dorman filing for the New York Times: 

Fifty years to the day after Gary Player, the godfather of South African golf, became the first international player to win the Masters, his countryman Charl Schwartzel won the 75th Masters on Sunday, breaking though a chaotic afternoon shootout by birdieing the final four holes at Augusta National Golf Club.

As roars exploded like cannon fire through the pines, saluting eagles and birdies by the seven other players who either held or shared the lead, Schwartzel, 26, a thin man with a muscular game, came from four strokes off the pace with the day’s low round of 66 for 14-under-par 274.

Derek Lawrenson for the Daily Mail:

In the entire history of major championship golf we've rarely witnessed anything like this. We've seen any number of  players choke, we've witnessed plenty more simply not having the skills to cope with the suffocating demands of a Sunday afternoon. 

But has a man in a position to win ever suffered three holes to match those that befell poor Rory McIlroy in the final round of the Masters on Sunday? Amen Corner they call it, and everyone had better say a prayer for the young Northern Irishman after this disintegration.

The Irish Times' Phillip Reid understandably also went with the Rory angle:

A STEP too far, too soon? If we all believed he was ready to take his place at golf’s high altar, Rory McIlroy’s quest to claim the 75th edition of the US Masters here at Augusta National yesterday ended in a degree of ignominy as he suffered a final round collapse which left him licking mental scars that could conceivably take some time to heal.

Steve DiMeglio of the USA Today:

On a wild Sunday at Augusta National, roars echoed through the towering pines as eight players, including Tiger Woods, held at least a share of the lead during the final round of the 75th Masters. The winner turned out to be the soft-spoken son of a former golfer who was playing in this hallowed event for the second time.

Quick Round-Ups

If time is sensitive, you're best going for one of the quick roundups.

Sam Weinman's Birdies and Bogeys with photos.

James Achenbach's awards for the week.

Shane Bacon at Yahoo.

A CBSSports.com final round wrap-up show of highlights with Ian Eagle and Matt Gogel.

And a similar video highlight package from ESPN.com: 

Charl

Sean Martin with more on the champion, his background and this from his caddie Greg Hearmon:

“He was so calm, and so relaxed,” Hearmon said. Schwartzel credits his father for his ability to remain calm as the roars arose all around him, ironic for a man that worked in the family farm, and pilots his own plane, because he enjoys quiet and solitude.

Steve Elling with the full backstory of Schwartzel's quick education in how to play Augusta courtesy of Jack Nicklaus and notetaker Johann Rupert. And how he likes to kill animals.

 Schwartzel is a pretty serious game hunter who once drove hundreds of miles north with his wife to go on a wildlife safari in the Serengeti. Sunday he got a huge taste of what it's like to be both hunter and prey.

"I don't think I ever prayed so much in my life," he said.

Guess that's why they call it Amen Corner. Who's to say there wasn't some sort of divine intervention -- he became only the second player since 1990 to win at Augusta when not playing in the final twosome on Sunday.

Bob Harig with details of the behind-the-scenes world involving Charl, Rory and their ten-percenter Chubby Chandler.

Schwartzel had remarked over the weekend how calm McIlroy appeared, especially when visiting him at a function put on by the management agency for both players, International Sports Management.

The company rented out a house in Augusta and threw a party on Friday night that was attended by several clients. They were to have another one Sunday night, although it was expected that McIlroy would be the beneficiary. Instead, it was for Schwartzel.

"It'll be a wake as well," quipped one of the management company's employees.

Chris Gay reports that Gary Player is already becoming insufferable is touting South Africa's superiority. It sounds just like what we heard after Trevor Immelman won. 

"It means an awful lot," Player said. "South Africa is a great sporting nation. We've had great rugby players, great golfers, great hurdlers, great cricketeers, great swimmers. Physical training is a big part."

David Dusek breaks down what is in Charl's bag.

Rex Hoggard says Schwartzel and Rory are on a 5 pm flight Monday to Kuala Lumpur for next week's Malaysian Open. Nice scheduling Chubby!

A Reuters fact box on Charl.

Someone signed Charl up for Twitter right after winning, but we don't know if it's an official account or not.

Rory

John Huggan on Rory's rough day:

It was, long before the card was signed and the inevitable tears were shed, all but unwatchable. On and on it went, this round from hell, at every turn getting worse and worse as one of the most naturally talented players in the world game eventually took Amen Corner at a speed that could only result in a crash of spectacular proportions.

Brian Keogh has Rory's extensive post round remarks. A snippet:

 McIlroy confessed he was “derailed” by his triple bogey seven at the 10th, where his tee shot ricocheted 100 yards left and finished between a couple of Augusta’s famous cabins.

“I felt comfortable on that tee shot all week and for some reason I started it a little left of where I wanted to,” he said “It hit that tree and I don’t think anyone has been over there near those cabins before. The seven on 10 sort of derailed me a little bit. It was hard to get back from there.”

More of Rory on this ESPN video.

Alistair Tait on how this is not the first time Rory has handled a huge disappointment with class.

Don’t fear for McIlroy. He, indeed, will bounce back from this all the stronger. The smile on his face when he walked off the 18th green said as much. The fact he made himself available for interview when he walked off the 72nd green was pure class. He could have been forgiven for storming off the golf course.

“The thing about Rory is that he takes everything in his stride,” father Gerry once said. “Nothing seems to faze him.”

Brian Wacker on when the Rory collapse hit home for the young lad:

“When you could hear all those roars,” McIlroy’s agent Chubby Chandler said. “That’s fairly unnerving having never been in that position.”

Some of those roars were for Woods, who was putting on a charge of epic proportions. He would falter, too, but his day was nowhere near the debacle McIlroy’s had become.

McIlroy's situation drew dire with a triple bogey on No. 10, where he hit his tee shot so far to the left that it landed next to Peek and Berckman Cabins, which are practically off the property. 

When McIlroy sent another tee shot straying off into orbit on No. 13, his shoulders slumped and his head dropped over his arm; McIlroy’s body held up only by his driver.

 “I'd sort of realized, unless I birdied my way in, I realized I didn't have a chance,” McIlroy said. “I realized that was it.”

Gene Wojciechowski goes the dark humor route on the Rory meltdown, which may be the best way to look at Sunday's 80.

"He's an old 21," said Chandler, about 90 minutes before McIlroy teed off Sunday. "He looks 15. He plays like he's 30. And he's got a shrewd head on him."

By early evening he looked 115 and played like he needed MedicAlert. Any scarier and it would have straightened his curly mop of hair.

On the par-4 10th hole, he hooked a drive into "Star Trek" territory, going where no pro has ever gone before: in between the cottages located far, far to the left of the fairway. Said BBC commentator Peter Alliss in grave tones: "It's moments like this that the game becomes very cruel."

Triple-bogey 7. His lead was forever gone.

Thomas Bonk with this take from Phil Mickelson:

 "It's very hard to sleep on the lead," Mickelson said. "It's hard to come out and play aggressively when guys are chasing after you and you've got the lead. We have seen guys do it over and over in history, throughout history at this tournament, guys want this thing so bad that sometimes it's hard to perform at the highest level."

Tiger

Gary Van Sickle for golf.com:

I got an e-mail from a friend who watched Tiger's post-round interview with CBS. Woods was no doubt irritated (as is his habit) that he didn't play a perfect final nine. Irritated because he knew deep down that his score of 10 under par wasn't going to be good enough to win a fifth green jacket and a 15th major championship, which would've been sweeter than we could possibly imagine after what he's gone through. My friend asked if Tiger has been taking a-hole lessons. I responded that no, most people think he's already got a black belt in that. He is back to not answering most questions. The interviewer asked him what it was like to play well under pressure for the first time in quite a while. "I hit it good all day. This entire weekend I hit it good. So that was a nice feeling," he said.

Tiger gives up nothing. Never has, never will. He takes losing hard.

However, at the time Tiger was still very much in the championship so he hadn't lost yet. I reviewed the tape for Golf World Monday and will link the item here Monday.

Jay Busbee on how Tiger's play gives all sides something to like:

Which brings us to this weekend's Masters. This was catnip for both Woods worshipers and detractors; both sides could take something from this. Woods fans got the knowledge that their man still has game, that he might still have a major win or five left in him. Woods haters got the satisfaction of seeing him implode on the back nine, seeing that green jacket fade from his view putt after short missed putt.

Jeff Ritter talks to fans about the Tiger roars.

 "When they threw up Tiger's birdie and an eagle at the same time [on the scoreboard at 11], this place went crazy," said Fred Roddy, a 53-year-old Atlanta native who was attending his 15th Masters. "People here are usually polite. It's not a party, it's about the golf.

"But this is as nuts as it ever gets."

Mike Freeman made me laugh with this bit about Tiger not caring whether he's liked or not. You know Tiger, the public apology press conference guy!

But make no mistake: Woods doesn't give a damn if he's liked or not. In one of his interviews following the final round, his answers were short and overflowing with jerkiness. When you compare Woods' obnoxious behavior with the graciousness of McIlroy's it's easy to see why, despite Woods' tremendous efforts, he'll never be forgiven in some quarters.

Woods was asked if he felt a corner had been turned, and in typical Woods fashion, he refused to bite. "...we’ll see what happens," he said. Typical Woods. Give 'em nothing.

Christine Brennan on Tiger:

These are the young players who have learned from Tiger but aren't afraid of him. Each time he doesn't win, they become more emboldened. While it's true that the 21-year-old leader, McIlroy, came apart under the pressure (more likely just from leading the Masters than because of Tiger), the others did not. And they seem to be coming in waves, from all over the globe.

Tiger's uneven play is only part of the story of his confounding comeback from his unprecedented fall from grace. His uneven behavior is another part of the conversation, and it unfortunately doesn't seem to be getting better, either.

Woods' demeanor bordered on the terrible when shots weren't to his liking this week. He pouted. He pounded his club into the ground. He walked away. He swore. And when he finished a round and didn't like that, his answers in interviews were just as bad. (His CBS appearance Sunday has to be one of the 10 worst by a superstar in sports history.)

I wrote an item for Golf World Monday on Tiger's interview.

Michael Buteau for Bloomberg on the changing scene in golf:

Standing near Chandler under an oak tree near the clubhouse, 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger was among those taking note of the leaderboard filled with young international players.

“Tiger is creeping past his prime now,” Azinger said in an interview. “The next generation is coming and they’re from all over the world.”

Robert Lusetich wraps up Tiger's week with this:

As Woods left, jumping into the black SUV with Williams behind the wheel, he didn’t seem particularly happy, either.

For he knows those five majors he needs to overtake Jack aren’t going to get any easier to win.

And though the writers aren't going to do a little deep tissue ego massaging, Tiger always got the people on his payroll! Greg McLaughlin, still Tweeting:

Shower break!

Aussies

E. Michael Johnson on how close we were to having the first major winner with a club that should be illegal and shares the backstory of how the fishing reel ended up in Adam Scott's bag.

The Aussie put the putter in play at the Match Play and now his near-win with a 49-inch Scotty Cameron by Titleist Kombi at Augusta National may help remove a stigma that has long hounded those using longer-than-normal putters. Ernie Els once said in reply to Trevor Immelman winning an event with a belly putter that "Nerves and the skill of putting is part of the game ... take a [pill] if you can't handle it."

Paul Newberry on the Aussies' great day:

"He must have hit some beautiful shots," said Scott, who played with Day in the group right in front of Schwartzel. "He's got a hell of a swing. Certainly he's a guy when you're out there playing with him and you see him strike the ball, you take notice because it's pretty impressive."

So was Day, who hardly looked like a Masters rookie.

He posted the best round of the tournament on Friday, a 64 that vaulted him into contention, and he never wavered even after struggling on the front side Sunday.

The 23-year-old Day birdied four of the last seven holes, making clutch putts at 17 and 18 that gave him a glimmer of hope until he saw the numbers Schwartzel was posting.

"You can't do anything about a guy who birdies the last four holes of a tournament," Day said. "If you want to go out and win a tournament, that's how you do it."

Tom Spousta explains how each of the Aussies got a consolation call from Greg Norman. 

"He's very proud of what we did out there and how we played," Day said. "I don't think there's going to be a drought for too long. I think Australian golf is right where it needs to be.

"One of us is going to win that Green Jacket one day."

Bill Fields about what this means for Australian golf:

Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion who started the final round seven back of 54-hole leader Rory McIlroy, had a birdie binge (Nos. 12 through 16) more impressive than Schwartzel's. "Especially since Greg [Norman] was getting close so many times, it became a big deal for Australia, and I promise you there's millions of people awake at this moment watching this," Ogilvy said with the last couple of groups still on the course. "They're pretty excited."

 If not for Schwartzel's magical run, they would have been jubilant. "You can't do anything about a guy who birdies the last four holes to win a tournament, especially the Masters," said Day, who, like Scott, received a consoling phone call from Norman, a three-time runner-up at Augusta. "He's very proud of what we did out there and how we played," Day said. "I don't' think there's going to be a drought for long."

The Men Who Will Watch The Royal Wedding

Paul Mahoney on the English contingent's showing, led by T4 Luke Donald.

While Donald can at least celebrate a high finish, his countrymen — Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Ross Fisher — leave Augusta National still searching for the key to major success. The forlorn fivesome played solidly at times, but all fell short of expectations.

So what went wrong this week for the English? "It's all down to skill, precision, good decision-making, guts, intensity and determination," said Nick Faldo, who remains the last Englishman to win a major title, at the 1996 Masters. "Our guys have all those qualities. What they've got to do next is learn how to hang on. The major victories are coming."

John Steinbreder's story on Hideki Matsuyama's finish as low amateur includes a video of the green jacket ceremony and this: 

Matsuyama's four-day total score was the fourth lowest for an amateur in Masters history, and the same one Jack Nicklaus posted as an amateur in 1961, Nicklaus' third Masters.

The Masters

John Paul Newport says "repeated viewings may be the only way to wrap one's mind around the wild finish."

Furman Bisher called it a strange one.

It was, if I may be allowed the freedom to say, one of the strangest Masters I have ever seen. Strange swings from one seeming champion to another, Woods' fade-out, Day's slump and then revival, Adam Scott's seeming victory before Schwartzel put his foot to the pedal. Strange, weird, inscrutable, and all those things, but what a day to have been in the gallery.

Dan Wetzel on the scene that developed in the club Grill Room, where players and family congregated to sort out the conclusion.

There was Geoff Ogilvy, fresh off a five-birdie streak on the back nine that got him to 10 under. He walked in looking spent and seeking his wife.

“Have you seen Juli?” he asked to a friend.

Once he found her, they debated at what point he could have a drink. Eventually, when it was apparent he was done; he simply untied his shoes and conceded the day.

Out of respect, people could neither cheer too loud nor express even the slightest hope for an ugly drive or water ball. This is a gentlemen’s game and this is Augusta National where decorum rules, even amid the madness. Plus you didn’t know who was at the next table.

It was the strangest of scenes, people politely applauding the beautiful shot that eliminated them.

Scott Michaux on the week:

The Sunday show left everyone gasping for air and grasping to find anything comparable. Who knows how history will treat it as some of these young players start building their résumés with other major wins? But one thing that will never be forgotten is the spell-binding drama of the world's best golfers careening six-wide down the stretch.

"That was quite a shoot-out," said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem on his way to the green jacket presentation. "I think Billy Payne ought to just read a list of names at the ceremony: 'I'd like to thank the following players for lighting it up the last five hours.'"

We all should thank them for that. A Masters this memorable is a gift.

Ron Sirak on where this one rates:

Few have. This was a Masters that had elements of four of the greatest. There was 1975 when Jack Nicklaus held off Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf to win by one. There was 1996 when Greg Norman squandered a six-stroke lead with a closing 78, a tragic ending replicated Sunday by Rory McIlroy, who came into the final round with a four-stroke lead and lost all feel for the game in an 80, an outcome made even more painful by the fact he's only 21 years old.

There were also elements of 1997 when Woods, also 21 at the time, won the first of four green jackets by 12 strokes. On this day however, as he sought redemption and his first major win since the 2008 U.S. Open and first Masters since 2005, Woods went out in 31 to jump to the top of the leader board but came home in 36, again missing crucial putts when he needed them most. 

But most fittingly, this memorable mad scramble to the finish line came on the 25th anniversary of the historic win by Nicklaus in 1986 when he shot 65 in the final round -- 30 on the back nine -- to win the last of his record 18 major championships at the age of 46 by holding off Tom Kite, Greg Norman, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Price -- all members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Thomas Bonk quotes Phil Mickelson on the course's ideal vulnerability this week:

Mickelson stated that the course was ripe for scoring; he just couldn't take advantage.

"Greens receptive, pins in spots you can get to, not much wind," the three-time Masters champion said. "But I struggled with the blade again and it was a frustrating week, really. I love these greens, I usually putt them very well, but I struggled this week."

The final course stats are here. It played to a 72.4257 average, with the embarrassing 11th playing as the toughest hole and the first playing as the second toughest hole. The two easiest holes? 13 and 15, as it should be.

I filed a Golf World Monday item about Augusta playing better when it's softer.

Mike McCallister on the wild and wacky day:

With McIlroy falling back and Tiger stagnating, endless opportunities presented themselves for the other contenders to make a back-nine move. 

Geoff Ogilvy reeled off five straight birdies to get to 10 under. 

Van Pelt eagled the 13th to get his name in the mix. 

Angel Cabrera didn't appear to be going away. Neither did steady K.J. Choi (more on that later). Luke Donald's day seemed derailed when he found the water in Amen Corner, but he rallied back.

"I don't think I've ever seen a Masters this close," Donald said. 

Adam Scott was playing beautifully and became the first player to reach 12 under, while fellow Aussie Jason Day -- McIlroy's playing partner the first three days -- kept firing at every pin.  

At one point, Ogilvy, Scott and Day had a share of the lead with Schwartzel and Cabrera. Every heart in Australia began pounding faster. A 60 percent share of the lead on the back nine? Surely this was the day one of their native sons wins at Augusta.

"It's amazing what happens at this place," Scott said.

Bonk reports that Scott is among those earning a return invite:

The top-16 finishers will receive automatic invitations to the 2012 Masters if they are not otherwise eligible. In addition to past champions and other players all but certain to earn invitations under other categories, the top-16 included Jason Day, Adam Scott, Bo Van Pelt, K.J. Choi, Ryan Palmer, Justin Rose, Steve Stricker, Edoardo Molinari, Brandt Snedeker and Ross Fisher.

The money breakdown is here, courtesy of the Augusta Chronicle.

Images

Golf Channel.com with the best of the week.

Golfweek gallery

Augusta Chronicle Green Jacket ceremony, Charl Schwartzel, a Final round gallery, a nice NY Times gallery.

Telecast

Brad Klein actually wishes there were more bathroom breaks in a telecast where it seemed like CBS threw out the playbook and went with the incredible spectacle that unfolded.

And then they manage to let the golf speak for itself, with the first 64 minutes of Sunday’s telecast run commercial-free and audiences enduring the combined sponsorship of IBM, AT&T and Exxon Mobil only 18 times during the entire five-hour show.

For the first time in golf history, I wished they had more ads. I needed more time than they afforded to negotiate the 64 steps downstairs to the refrigerator and back without missing any action.

And the final word goes to Michael Hiestand with this priceless graph in his USA Today review:

And CBS having to switch from shot to shot to keep track of the many contenders, which producer Lance Barrow did masterfully, had an unseen side benefit. Mercifully, it left no time for CBS to be distracted and, say, start paying tributes to Augusta's azaleas. (And OK, we have to admit it. For all the usual maudlin fawning over Augusta National, it's refreshing to watch big-time sports action without feeling pounded by TV commercials thanks to the club's famous limits on ads. Although it is kind of funny to think of Augusta's members insisting that free-market capitalism should be reined in.)

2011 Masters, Your Kneejerk Reactions

If you joined our wildly entertaining chat (thanks to Cover It Live for the great software), you know how I feel. Great event, one for the ages and, well...

Your thoughts?

2011 Masters Final Round Live Chat - 2 pm ET

We start around 11 am PT, 2 ET.

2011 Masters Clippings, Sunday

I've been doing these clippings for a few years now and Masters Saturday typically produces less content due to different deadlines and low Sunday web viewership. That, combined with a peculiar day that saw some great early scores followed by the leaders not doing much, has left us with a little less to chew on heading into Sunday's finale.

Still, there was plenty of good stuff even if writing about the golf course appears to be forbidden!

(Reminder: The live chat here starts at 11 PT/2 ET right after the thrilling conclusion of the 1975 Masters. Weiskopf holds a one shot lead over Nicklaus and sits four clear of Miller.)

Ledes

Doug Ferguson's game story for AP:

It was a roar that defines the Masters, so loud it startled even Tiger Woods.

Rory McIlroy, who already dazzled the crowd with a shot through the pines to the back of the 17th green, raised the putter in his left hand as the birdie putt turned toward the hole, then slammed his right fist when the ball disappeared into the cup.

The cheer was so clamorous that Woods, who had settled over his shot in the 18th fairway, had to back away. After all these years of crushing the hopes of so many others, the four-time Masters champ finally felt what it was like on the other end.

That moment — and right now, this Masters — belongs to McIlroy.

Phillip Reid for the Irish Times:

You don’t get a stampede around Augusta National, it’s much too civil a place for that. Yet, as Rory McIlroy continued his quest for a maiden Major title by retaining his lead after the third round, there were significant moves made by the young and the old to make the 21-year-old Ulsterman cast a glance or two over his shoulder heading into the final day.

James Corrigan, writing for the Independent:

The fist pump said it all. Rory McIlroy has the opportunity to join the legends today when he takes a four-shot lead into the last round of The Masters. Europe's 12-year wait for a Green Jacket looks set to reach a quite glorious conclusion this evening.

 Larry Dorman, filing for the New York Times:

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland moved one step closer to ushering in a new era in golf on Saturday at the Masters, shrugging off the immense pressure of playing with the tournament lead, distancing himself by four strokes from his closest pursuers and closing in on his first major championship.

Lawrence Donegan of The Guardian:

If history tells us anything it is that the course of a Masters tournament can change with the swiftness of a blink. But when the final round of the 75th version of Bobby Jones's annual invitational begins on Sunday, Rory McIlroy will surely never have imagined a more tantalising chance of winning his first major championship.

An ESPN.com highlight video is here and if you are looking to alter your level of consciousness, Andy North is analyzing the highlights.

Rory

Brian Keogh reports that Padraig Harrington sees Rory on the cusp of golfing immortality, with a particularly bold prediction.

Sensing that a victory by his Ryder Cup team mate would open the floodgates to multiple major wins, Harrington said: “I don’t see why he can’t win. And if he does win, there will be another name thrown in [to the debate] about the guy who is going to win the most majors in a career. So, it’s a big step for him at the weekend in that sense.

Steve Elling on Rory's Vincent Chase-like setup this week.

McIlroy is staying in a rented home near the course with three boyhood pals from his home course in Holywood, Northern Ireland, and it seems to be a nice pressure valve for him, Schwartzel said.

"Yeah, I've seen him every night and we have had some good meat at the ISM house," Schwartzel said of the management firm. "Maybe that's the key. He has a couple of mates out there and looks like he's just cruising."

For a bunch of rambunctious boys in their early 20s, it sounds like they have mostly stayed out of trouble, excepting the neighborhood lady who yelled at them for throwing a football in the street.

"We'll probably go back, get some dinner and hang out," said Ricky McCormick, 21, one of the three amigos staying with McIlroy. "He's just really relaxed."

When the menu for the night was posed, one of McIlroy's pals cracked, "Asparagus." 

Hey, it's Masters week, and at least they picked the right color.

Christine Brennan on Graeme McDowell joining Rory's entourage Saturday.

One of McIlroy's best friends, U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, missed the cut here and joined McIlroy's gallery Saturday.

"Actually he just texted me and told me he loves me. I don't know what that means. I don't know if that's him or the beer talking," McIlroy said, laughing.

"No, it's great to see him out there and I appreciate his support. He's going to know how I'm feeling. He's a major champion and he got it done last year at Pebble (Beach). Hopefully I can emulate that feeling and get a major myself."

And now this temporary halt to the Rory coronation, John Strege reminds us that no lead is safe at Augusta.

On seven occasions, those trailing by four or more entering the final round of the Masters have rallied to win, most notable among them Nick Faldo in 1996. Leader Greg Norman was up six on Faldo entering the final round and lost by five.

John Huggan on reasons to root for Rory, if it wasn't apparently enough already that he's a likable fellow who is the object of many UK writer mancrushes:

I mean, what's not to like? McIlroy, the product of staunchly working-class parents who worked a multitude of jobs to give their only son every chance of making it in golf, is immensely amiable and approachable and, despite the riches that have come his way so early in life, refreshingly modest. He knows that, despite his precocious physical talents, his all-round game remains a work in progress.

Chris Gay on Rory's eye-opening stats, none more impressive than 80% of his greens hit in regulation and no three putts.

The Four Backers

Four golfers are four back and each offers reason to think they could hang around and make things interesting Sunday.

Sean Martin on Charl Schwartzel and the strength of his game, as shaped by his father.

George Schwartzel helped his son build a simple, technically-sound golf swing that is lacking in quirks. He remains his son’s only teacher.

“When your dad’s as good as that, you tend to get the basics right very early,” said Schwartzel’s manager, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler. “His basics are great. He’s got a very pure golf swing.”

Charl seeks advice from his father only when he’s home in South Africa. His father doesn’t travel outside their home country often, and they don’t use email to trade tips and video. Schwartzel likes it that way.

“I don’t make it complicated,” he said. “It’s difficult enough as it is.”

Jeff Babineau on Angel Cabrera's shocking return to the leaderboard after a missed cut last week and a four month hiatus to aid an injured wrist.

His lone positive result in six events this season: a tie for seventh at the opposite-field Puerto Rico Open last month, when a majority of the world’s top players were in Miami competing at the WGC-Cadillac Championship. 

But he has kept plugging along, working diligently on his game with mentor Charlie Epps and trying his best to to shake off the rust. On Saturday, he drove the ball well and his power came in quite handy, helping set up short-iron approaches that led to birdies on four holes and helping him overpower the Augusta’s vulnerable par 5s by getting home on two and in a greenside bunker at a third.  

“I didn’t play for about four months, so I’m just getting my groove,” he said. “I’m just practicing a lot.”

Bill Fields on Jason Day:

Day drew a chuckle in the interview room Saturday evening when he noted the youth movement in men's golf, that "it seems every year they are getting younger." Like McIlroy, Day was drawn to golf as a boy when Woods began to dominate the game in the late-1990s.

"When Tiger came along, he pretty much changed the game," Day said. "Everyone turned into athletes. We are not fat slobs anymore. He has pretty much changed the game for the good. It just shows how good the coaching is, the science behind the game, and how confident some of these young guys are coming up now."

Bob Harig on Adam Scott, the other Australian hope vaulting himself into the picture with a long-putter aided 67.

Scott, who has 14 worldwide victories but has never been much of a factor in majors, tied for the day's best round with a 5-under-par 67 despite bogeys on two of the last three holes. That put him in a tie for sixth, five strokes back. Ogilvy, who won the 2006 U.S. Open, is another stroke back, tied for ninth.

All of them, no doubt, have a green jacket on their minds for personal reasons.

"Thinking about the Aussie duck thing would happen after I won," Ogilvy said. "'Oh, I'm the first Australian.' That's probably not what I'm going to be thinking about when I'm out on the golf course. But obviously it would be a really nice thing for Australia for it to happen, for sure."

Rex Hoggard looks at the Aussies besides Scott:

Geoff Ogilvy was next, limping out in 39 strokes but rallying on the second nine to salvage a 73 and a tie for ninth place.

Jason Day, however, may be Australia’s best hope on Sunday. Following birdies at Nos. 2, 3 and 5 the 23-year-old edged into a Grand Slam lead for the first time in his young career.

On Thursday, Day noted he wanted the Masters masses to yell his name like that of playing companion McIlroy. For much of his front nine they wouldn’t stop.

“We’re walking up (No. 6) and he looks at the leaderboard and says, ‘Holy crap, I’m leading.’” Day’s caddie Col Swatton said.

Holy crap, indeed.

 If you saw Day's caddie carrying the bag like a rank amateur Saturday, Rex Hoggard explains why. 

Walking up the second fairway the strap on Day’s staff bag broke, leaving his caddie Col Swatton just one option – carry the 50-pound bag like a suitcase. Day, however, was not affected by the malfunction, birding the second and third hole to take the lead over playing companion Rory McIlroy.

“Jason turned around and asked, ‘What are you doing?’” Swatton said.“He was like, ‘Man that must be heavy, but I’ve got to keep going. I’m playing really good.’”

Billy Byler on amateur Hideki Matsuyama's ridiculously good 68.

 Matsuyama plans to return Monday to Tohoku Fukushi University, where he's a freshman. Matsuyama said his college, in Sendai, Japan, was damaged by the March 11 earthquake, but he didn't know the exact situation.

He will learn more next week. And he will take with him a grand experience.

"I'm very glad to be able to play at this beautiful a place. That's one of my impression," he said. "And I thought the greens are very hard."

Tiger

Ron Sirak says it's all about the putter for Tiger:

Tiger, it seems, is trapped in his own version of Groundhog Day right now: He shows a glimmer of hope; follows that with a disappointing performance and then is asked questions to which he has no answers -- other than coach speak.  "I'm hitting beautiful putts," he said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself of something observation doesn't seem to support.

Gene Wojciechowski likes what he's seeing with Tiger despite Saturday's round. 

To all those who say Woods won't win a major this year -- or win anything this year -- it might be time to tap the delete button on those predictions. Woods is nearer a breakthrough than anyone realized.

I say this with a straight face. I say it despite knowing that Woods was eight strokes worse on Saturday than he was on Friday, when he shot 66.

But the swings look less mechanical than they had from Bay Hill or Doral. For huge chunks of the first three days of this tournament, Woods appeared to be playing golf, rather than giving himself on-course lessons.

This is the course he knows best. And in the last six years, he's finished no lower than sixth. So a Sunday run to Top Five Land is a probability, not a possibility.

Jeff Rude is still wondering about Tiger's swing.

Just when you think his swing is on the verge of being second nature, he hits a block flare as he did on No. 4, short and right, similar to the one he rinsed in a first-round loss at the WGC-Accenture Match Play. Or he pulls a drive like the one on 17 that, of all things, hit the Eisenhower tree.

I didn’t even know the Eisenhower tree was in play for Woods. Short hitters, yes. Woods, no. But he hit it Saturday and the ball fell straight down, onto the pine straw, from where he had to squat and make a flat swing en route to a scrambling par.

When did he start imitating an old president as a golfer? Is the Eisenhower tree even in Steve Williams’ yardage book?

Michael Bamberger on the scene in Tiger's gallery:

A year ago, Phil Knight, the Nike king, was walking the hills here, as part of Tiger's support team, like Tiger needs a support team. A year ago, Saturday Night Live was killing him in a skit. A year ago, he had his own Nike spots. Now he's a supporting player in group ads. A year ago, he was trying to save his marriage. What a difference a year makes. Now he's looking for his putting stroke.

Speaking of that gallery, Thomas Boswell says it's lacking in energy:

When Woods misses putts, and on Saturday he missed every type known to suffering golfus humanicus, he agonizes like a slain lord but the crowd lets out such a tepid moan that, sometimes, you barely hear it.

This isn’t judgment. It is just reportage.

The Other Americans

 Mike Lopresti files a few notes on the unprecedented American showing.

The ugly Americans. Some of their scores, anyway. The highest U.S. player is Bo Van Pelt in eighth place, the first time in history no American was in the top five going into the last round of the Masters.

 And on Phil Mickelson, at -3 after a final round 71:

"I struggled getting the right speed, which historically I've been able to read these greens very well," he said. "And I feel like I know the breaks on most of the putts but I just have struggled getting it going.

"It was there for the taking … The greens are more receptive than they have ever been."

Dave Kindred on Fred Couples salvaging his round after a rough start.

He'd be at McIlroy's throat if he hadn't decided Saturday afternoon, for the first time all week, to try more than he could do. Near enough the eighth green to go for the par-5 in two, Couples "tried to hit some low, hooking wood up there, and I can barely hit a straight wood shot, let alone try that." He pulled it left into junk, after which ensued "a comedy of errors." He hit his third over the green, his fourth short, and three-putted from there for a double. Birdies from 15 feet at the 15th and eight feet at the 16th brought him back to even for the day.

And finally...one more reminder, at 11 PT/2 ET the Live Chat kicks off and the person who correctly guesses Jim Nantz's pun in honor of the champion wins a plant from the Butler Cabin Botanical Conservatory!

2011 Masters, Third Round Comment Thread

Saturday's coverage (US, ET) times:

11:45 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Amen Corner live video coverage
12:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Featured Group 1 live video coverage Featured Group 1 live video coverage
12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Hole Nos. 15 and 16 live video coverage
2:00 p.m. Masters Radio live audio
3:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Live Coverage on CBS
3:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Masters In-Depth live video coverage highlights


And a reminder, Sunday I'll be hosting a live chat for the entire telecast some come join the fun.

2011 Masters Clippings, Saturday

With almost too-good-to-be-true leaderboard after 36-holes, sensational play and the likelihood of a thrilling finish, we've learned something very crucial about the renovated Augusta National: it's best if the course is just slightly soft with healthy rye grass overseed. 

Sure, that would make Bobby Jones furious, but with the reduction in fairway width combined with modern green speeds for contours barely able to remain playable, the first two rounds have shown that a softer, slightly slower golf course just works better. The only thing that could bungle this event is an over-the-top weekend setup designed to rein in scores, but I don't think that'll happen for two reasons:

• The committee seems to have found its footing and setup the course very nicely the first two days. Maybe it was a nod to pace of play disaster looming with a large field and today's turtles, but even if it was that, hopefuly they've gotten over the three days of a "test" before relenting to the demands of a nostalgic public for a Sunday eagle-fest.

• I'm beginning to wonder if this mythical "switch" we hear about exists. The one where they can adjust conditions to their liking with the Sub-Air and mowing brigade. It's been a while since we've seen Augusta super firm, and with all of the turf on the course this year stopping balls from running down hazard slopes combining with years of thatch buildup and soil structure changes, it seems most areas are retaining water just enough to play softer and slower than normal.

But again, after what they've done to the width of the place and where green speeds are relative to the contours, a little softness is a good thing for Augusta National.

Ledes

Lawrence Donegan in The Guardian:

History beckons at Augusta National for Rory McIlroy and so does the most fraught weekend of his young life. The 21-year-old Irishman will begin the third round of the 2011 Masters with a two-shot advantage but he will be pursued by a phalanx of the best talents in the modern game.

Bill Pennington for the New York Times:

The second round of the Masters on Friday might have begun as another chapter in Rory McIlroy’s American coming-out party, but it closed with an event more familiar to the Augusta National grounds as Tiger Woods made another sudden and memorable charge up the leader board.

Doug Ferguson for AP:

Rory McIlroy and Jason Day made the Masters look like child's play over two days, trading flawless rounds that gave them hope of becoming the youngest player in a green jacket since Tiger Woods.

They still face a long weekend at Augusta National and now, a once daunting figure.

Woods came roaring back to life late Friday afternoon with a 31 on the back nine that featured a daring shot off the pine straw and an 8-iron he carved around the trees on the final hole for his ninth birdie of the day, and his best round at the Masters in six years.

 Steve DiMeglio for USA Today:

The kids didn't back up in the second round of the 75th Masters on Friday.Neither did 51-year-old Fred Couples.

And a vintage Tiger Woods reappeared on an electrifying, humid day at Augusta National Golf Club as roars echoed through the mighty pine trees and a slew of red numbers, lined up to the right of some of the game's biggest and brightest names, drenched the white scoreboards peppering the course.

Derek Lawrenson for the Daily Mail:

Rory McIlroy stepped on to the first tee at Augusta National and thrillingly answered the question that lay at the heart of the second round of the Masters.

Would he stumble badly on day two, as he did at the Open at St Andrews last July? On that occasion, he followed an opening 63 with a horrible 80. What would happen this time, following the 65 on day one that led to paeans being sung in his honour? Well, how does a three under par 69 to lead by two strokes at the halfway stage sound?

Kevin Garside for The Telegraph: 

It is a demand we make of mortals later in the cycle. For those who threaten to reset the parameters of what they do, who flirt with another dimension, the question comes with the territory. Can you do it Rory? Are you good enough to walk through the gates of nirvana to claim the biggest prize in golf?

McIlroy takes a two-shot lead into the Masters weekend. The peleton forming behind is gaining marquee riders. Tiger Woods went to six under par with three to play. Lee Westwood, too, is a gathering storm, spearing an eagle at the 15th to go five under.

Phillip Reid for the Irish Times:

How you know when your time has come? Yesterday, as a gentle breeze brushed through the towering cathedral pines at Augusta National Golf Club to whistle destiny’s call to a son of Ulster, Rory McIlroy – determined not to get ahead of himself – sought to orchestrate his own fate. Invariably, it meant hitting one fine shot after another. Putting the pieces together, bit by bit.

And, as this 75th edition of the US Masters provided us with a cast of characters that mixed the old guard with a new breed, it was McIlroy – all of 21 years of age and seeking to become the youngest winner since Tiger Woods made his breakthrough back in 1997 – who assumed the principal role in the quest for the Green Jacket.

The Three Muskateers

Gary Van Sickle on the McIlroy, Day, Fowler show Friday.

One of the cutest pairings in Masters history turned into one of the most efficient as the Musketeers — 21-year-old Rory McIlroy, 22-year-old Rickie Fowler and 23-year-old Jason Day — played together and combined for a 36-hole total of 23 under par. If the Masters were a three-man team event, they'd be running away with it.

"Being around good golf helps," said Fowler. "I was just trying to keep up with those guys. I thought we'd have a great time, and we went out and did that."

Scott Michaux on what the youngsters face this weekend:

Despite 14 major titles , Woods has as much to prove this weekend as anyone. The young guns he inspired with his 1997 Masters win at age 21 were just 7, 8 and 9 when he romped to a 12-shot victory.

Despite their ages, McIlroy, Day and Fowler have all experienced weekend pressure at majors and/or the Ryder Cup, but never with Woods in the mix.

Paul Mahoney on Rory's impressive play:

McIlroy hit 10 out of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation in for a 69. He has not three-putted once and has dropped only one stroke in 36 holes. “It would have been nice to be bogey-free, but I'm happy with where I'm at, and my game feels really good,” he said.

Jeff Babineau talks to Padraig Harrington about his neck and Rory:

“You’re always ready when you’re going to win,” Harrington said. “Yeah, I don’t see why he can’t win. If he does, there will be another name thrown in to that list of players who can win the most majors. He loves being there. At age 21, he should view this as a great opportunity.”

Then, thinking about the possibility of a 21-year-old winning at Augusta, Harrington added, “He could play here for the next 50 years.”

Karl MacGinty says that Fred Couples is certainly high on Rory's chances:

And as Holywood youngster Rory McIlroy raced to double-figures under par by playing the first nine holes of his second round in three-under yesterday, Couples candidly admitted: “He was my pick at the start of the week.

“I love the way Rory plays and he certainly has the game for Augusta National. Looking at that scoreboard right now, he looks as if he’s going to be very hard to beat.”

Julian Linden on a confident-sounding Jason Day:

 Day conceded that his lack of experience in the majors could work against him over the weekend but said he would not change his aggressive approach and the fact he would paired with McIlroy again was comforting.

"I'm not going to back down because I've got lack of experience," said Day, bidding to become the first Australian to wear the winner's green jacket.

"I'm just going to go out there and try and stick to my game plan and not worry about the score. Like Rory said before, you have to play the course, you're not playing the leaderboard."

Rocky Woods

Ron Sirak on Tiger's 66 and his prospects for the weekend. Tiger's, not Ron's.

Maybe so, but Woods has not known success since late 2009, the last time he won a tournament on any tour. He has rarely been part of the conversation as he has adjusted to another golf swing. It didn't hurt that he needed just 26 putts, another part of his game showing signs of life.

Talk of completing his comeback is premature, however, and he knows it.

"I'm three back. So I played myself back in the championship," Woods said. "We have still got 36 more holes. We have a long way to go."

Added Foley: "You're going to start seeing him playing shots that he hasn't hit in a long time. He's already put the pieces together. Now he's going to go play golf, and it will be fun to watch what happens from here."

Jeff Rude on the spring in Tiger's step:

And you could sense a sense of peace. After he flared a drive 35 yards right of the fairway on 11, so far right he had a clear shot on the other side of the pines, Woods noticed a man wearing the same style shirt as his.

“Nice shirt,” Woods cracked, drawing gallery laughter.

As for his current position, Woods refused to get carried away. More than once, he said this: “There’s a long way to go.”

Robert Lusetich reminds us of the competitive friction between Woods and young Rory.

Several times, McIlroy has repeated that Woods “isn’t as dominant as he used to be.”

Before last year’s Ryder Cup, Woods was asked about McIlroy’s comment that he’d like to draw his name in the singles.

“Me too,” Woods said.

They don’t dislike one another, but they’re both competitors.

And in this game they’re playing, there can only be one winner.

The Has-Been Long Bombers

Cameron Morfit on yesterday's news, the Woodland, Quiros, Vegas group. Quiros still has his sense of humor. It helps to be in the third to last group Saturday.

He even smiled about the group’s atrocious play on the par-3 12^th hole. In between clubs from 156 yards, Woodland lost an 8-iron right and into the water, took a drop, hit his third into the back bunker, barely nudged his fourth out of the sand and onto the back fringe, and chipped in for 5. Quiros hit into the same bunker off the tee, left his second shot in the sand, got his third out and two-putted: 5. Vegas, who missed long and left, chipped way past the hole and two-putted for a 4. The three players took a total of 14 shots, five over par, on one hole.

“No, nobody said a word,” Quiros said when he was asked if anyone cracked a joke on the 13^th tee. “But you can see Gary Woodland’s face and my face, too; it wasn’t the proper moment to say a joke.”

If it's any consolation, Tiger had this to say about one of yesterday's news, reports Scott Michaux:

"It's no problem for me hitting over 300 yards, but there are guys who flight it 320," Woods said. "I thought Dustin was long, and I've played a number of times with him, but Dustin, he's got nothing on Gary. When Gary steps on it ... it's like, 'Whoa, are you kidding me?' His ball is flat, when you think it should be coming down it, it just continues to fly."

Woods was most impressed by one shot on the 16th hole at Bay Hill when Woodland's drive failed to carry the lip of a bunker 335 yards from the tee.

"He's all bent out of shape that he couldn't carry it and he said, 'I've lost the ability to carry 340 now,'" Woods said. "Like, sorry, I had never seen that shot. That's the new game. That's what I've said all along, these guys who have played other sports, these guys are both really good basketball players and they both have been able to dunk, and they both have been able to play hoop. And then they decide to play golf instead. So it's neat to see these guys transition into our sport with their power."

The Asians

Nick Masuda quotes K.J. Choi, in third after a 2-under 70, as saying his move to more hybrids replacing his 6-iron on down is typical of his personality.

“I think my personality is that I want to try – whatever is in my mind, I have to get it out. I have to try it and test it out. That’s just the type of person I am,” said Choi. “I think the worst thing you can do to yourself is wanting to do something, but not having the courage to do it. And I don’t want to be the type of person that regrets not testing something out when I feel that it’s right.”

Masuda also with this note on Y.E. Yang's shoulder, which could hurt his chances:

For the second straight day, a poor drive on No. 17 left Yang scrambling to avoid falling further down the leaderboard. Asked if his three-putt on the par-3 16th hole affected him moving onto the 17th tee, Yang wasn't ready to go that far.

"I don't think it affected me psychologically," said Yang. "I have had stiffness in my left shoulder that makes it tough toward the end of the round."

He's also got a food issue, reports John Steinbreder.

Breakfast of Champions? As a rule, Y.E. Yang is a continental breakfast man, having his pre-round repasts at the clubhouse before heading out to the course. "Muffin or a bagel," he said. "No eggs and no meat." But the South Korean tweeted before his second round of the 2011 Masters that he had a rice curry instead.

Why?

"Fortunately, my whole family is here this week, and a few friends, too," he says. "My wife brought over a lot of Korean food and cooked for us. We are a big family, and I eat quite a lot. So, we ran out of Korean food yesterday. My wife had to improvise as a result and made some curry with some rice, sort of an Eastern-Oriental type of breakfast."

The Other Aussie

Jim McCabe, in a notes column, on Geoff Ogilvy's second straight 69 that included a double bogey at the par-5 second hole. 

 On the scorecard, the secret would be the birdies at six and seven and the bogey-free 33 coming home, but truthfully, the tall and lanky Aussie owes it to a personal comfort zone.

“I’ve worked out the golf-life balance,” Ogilvy said.

Having outplayed playing competitor Phil Mickelson (70-72 – 142) for two days, Ogilvy is just four off of Rory McIlroy’s lead, his best-ever standing through 36 holes in this major. But Ogilvy isn’t looking too far ahead, and that includes putting any thought into the chance to become the first Aussie to win the Masters.

“That’s probably not what I’m going to be thinking about when I’m out on the golf course,” Ogilvy said.

Other Players

Dave Shedloski on the bizarre situation involving Matt Kuchar's ball disappearing in the bank on 12, followed by the post round pre-scorecard signing video review of where his caddy touched the grass, even though he'd already been given the green light to do so by TWO on site officials.

 Kuchar and Bennett were whisked to Masters Tournament headquarters before Kuchar signed his card to determine if a two-shot penalty should be assessed. After more than 20 minutes of videotape review and discussion, it was decided that Bennett was merely trying to help identify the ball, not test the ground or improve the lie if Kuchar might choose to hit it.

"I was pretty confident with two rules officials there," Kuchar said later. "My caddie and I may not know all the rules, but we know what to do and not do in a hazard."

Rex Hoggard also reports on another incident in which Ryan Moore was cleared.

Mark Lamport-Stokes shares some advice Charl Schwartzel received from Jack Nicklaus about playing Augusta.

 Asked what sort of advice he had gathered from the 18-times major champion, Schwartzel replied: "He told me that some flags we used to go for were ones he never went for.

"But conditions also change those sorts of things. On (hole) 12, he said he never went outside of the bunkers. Always aim it at the bunkers and if it's long, you're never going into the bush so that was his line.

"That was a particular hole that always sticks with me so that is always my line."

Doug Ferguson talks to Amy Mickelson about her appearance walking with Phil.

"We love this place," she said. "This place has been a part of some of the most special days of our lives. And it feels normal to be back, which is even better. I'm trying not focus on how I feel because I still have some ups and downs. But when I look back to year ago and see how far I've come, it's just tremendous."

As for her man, he drove the ball better but the short game let him down, blogs Randall Mell.

After deciding against putting two drivers in his bag Thursday, Mickelson did just that on Friday. He put the longer-shafter driver back in his bag and said he relied on it heavily. After hitting just four fairways in the first round, Mickelson hit nine on Friday. He needed 33 putts on Friday, four more than Thursday.

Legends Division

Bill Fields  on 51-year-old Fred Couples at -5 following at 68 Friday.

"It's not out of the realm of possibility," Watson said of Couples' chances. "It can work... Freddie know the golf course very well. It's just ... Jack [Nicklaus] said it right, he said this a young man's golf course as far as nerves and putting on the greens. Length has its advantage, though. That makes some of the par 5s into par 4s. Freddie's got the advantage."

When Couples won at Augusta in 1992, he turned back 49-year-old Raymond Floyd, about which Couples quipped Friday, "I'm glad I won. I'm glad he's not the oldest winner of this thing."

What if Couples could pull off the improbable over the weekend?

"I'd be gone," Couples said. "It'd be the biggest upset in golf history."

Bob Harig quotes Joe LaCava about what makes his boss so good at Augusta.

 "He's still got plenty of length. He can step on it if he wants to. And he's got a good attitude. I think you have to have an easy- going attitude around here."

Couples made a run at the Northern Trust Open title earlier this year at Riviera, another of his favorite tournaments and courses, actually holding the lead early in the final round before tying for seventh.

A four-time winner last year on the Champions Tour, he's played just two 50-and-over events this season, his best finish a tie for fifth at the Toshiba Classic.

"He's a great lag putter which you have to be here," LaCava said. "He can hit it high and soft which is big on these greens."

golf.com posts video of Freddie's post round interview.

In his media watch column, John Strege notes these comments from Curtis Strange about the prospects of a Couples win.

 Strange on Fred Couples again contending, at 51: "That doesn't surprise me at all. Jack Nicklaus won at 46. That's like 56 now. The players are in better condition. The equipment is a whole lot better than it was in '86. I think the senior tour has helped. They stay in the game. They stay competitive. They stay sharp. And Freddie Couples has done just that."

That was a generic answer to a specific question, this one about Couples. Is Couples, with an ailing back that prohibits him even from practicing, in better condition at 51 than Nicklaus was at 46? Does Couples play and practice, given the constraints of a chronically ailing back, more at 51 than Nicklaus did at 46? The answers are probably no and no.

Michael Buteau points out that Couples and Ryan Moore--with Ecco and True Linkswear shoes respectively--are the only players to have gone to "street" style shoes despite the trend Couples ignited last year.

Many professional golfers, who swing their clubs as fast as 125 mph, have been reluctant to switch to spikeless shoes for fear of losing traction while hitting shots. Other players are also under contractual obligations, limiting their choice.

“Guys are wearing what they’re told to wear,” Moore, who is tied for 14th after an opening-round 70, said in an interview. “You don’t get to choose as much as people think.”

Ian Woosnam, battling a rheamatic disease, may have played his last Masters according to this unbylined BBC item.

As he waited to take his tee shot on the eighth, Woosnam was forced to sit down and on a small portable seat he carries that helps to alleviate his back spasms.

"The seat is not a bad thing to have because it does not weigh anything, especially yesterday when it was five-and-a-half hours to get round," he added.

"I think we were almost five hours today - it's too slow really."

Dave Kindred says Ben Crenshaw is thinking of ending his Masters playing days.

Crenshaw's 77 on Friday, after his first-round 78, wasn't good enough to make the cut. At age 59, he may decide his playing time is done here. In the moments after the round, it seemed clear he could leave the work done as it has been done and have no regrets. "I've had a wonderful life just here at Augusta," he said. "My God, I spent a lot of my life here and have had a lot of great moments that are life-giving to me."

Alex Miceli on the conclusion to Crenshaw's round:

With the wind blowing his pant legs, Crenshaw made what could be his last putt as a competitor in the Masters. As the relatively straight 8-foot birdie putt hit the bottom of the cup, Crenshaw smiled and the two – player and caddie – walked up the green to the scoring hut, the 5-foot-9-inch Crenshaw with his hand on the shoulder of the 6-5 Jackson.

“The people were so gracious today and so sweet to Carl,” Crenshaw said. “They’re so heartfelt. They’re seeing something that’s not going to happen again. He’s a huge part of this place.”

The Lone Amateur

Ryan Herrington said it was close, but Hideki Matsuyama is the lone amateur to play on the weekend. 

While guaranteeing himself the low amateur medal, Matsuyama didn't do it without some angst. Bogeys on his last two holes to finish at one over after two rounds forced him to spend a restless afternoon watching to see if leader Rory McIlroy would cause the cutline to move lower and end his week early. Thankfully for Matsuyama it never did.

Sean Martin says that Matsuyama's performance as the only amateur to make the cut validates the Asian Amateur event started by the Lords of Augusta, not that this was on Matsuyama's mind in light of world events.

Like the rest of the Japanese players at Augusta National, Matsuyama is playing in the shadow of the unthinkable tragedy in his homeland. He is a sophomore at Tohoku Fukushi University in Sendai, one of the country’s hardest-hit cities.

Matsuyama was with his university’s golf team at a camp in Australia when the quake hit. His second year at Tohoku Fukushi was scheduled to start in April, but postponed until next month because of damage from the earthquake and tsunami.

He said the damage to Sendai is “indescribable,” which made him unsure if he should play the Masters. He decided to play, “not only for myself, but for the people who have made me who I am. Doing my best here is my obligation to them.”

Flora, Fauna, Wagering And Blinding White Spruce Pine Quartz

Rex Hoggard on the badly-defaced, double fairway 11th hole playing as the toughest on the course, and also the goofiest. 

The 505-yard par 4, which was lengthened by 35 yards in 2002 and 15 yards four years later, is playing the toughest this week with a 4.415 stroke average. In fact there have only been six birdies there all week compared to 10 double bogeys or worse.

“It’s a par 5 length then it’s probably a par 5 green,” said David Toms, who hit driver 4-iron into the 11th on Friday. “It’s a tight hole, you just can’t beat it off the tee. It’s like making four birdies if you make four pars. It’s a great hole.”

Toms is halfway home to his goal this week following back-to-back pars at No. 11.

Guy Yocom looks into some of the online bets you can place and finds that not only can you bet on the Masters in America, the always intriguing head-to-head matchups popular at the Open are also available here.

The odds on the Woods vs. Graeme McDowell matchup on Friday was interesting, if only to belie the notion that Woods has fallen adrift as a "public team" -- one who drew a lot of reflexive betting action in his direction. For Friday's second round, Woods was listed at -170, McDowell +135.

A bit of Googling reveals that the legality of online sports wagering within the U.S. is up in the air. Some say yes, some say no, but all agree there has been little enforcement. And credit cards do clear at the site we looked in on.

Mike Walker explains how Augusta gets its bunkers so white.

The Spruce Pine Mining District in northwestern North Carolina is famous for its feldspar and quartz, and since the 1700s feldspar has been mined there. When they mined the feldspar for aluminum, they just discard the quartz. That's the stuff Augusta National uses for its bunkers. What we call feldspar sand is a waste byproduct of the feldspar mining process, Coleman said, and there's likely not any feldspar in it.

But just because it's a waste product doesn't mean it's junk. The quartz created by this mining process is extremely pure, which is why those bunkers really pop on your HDTV.

"That's why the bunkers are so white," Coleman said. "Spruce Pine quartz is the best in the world, and the quartz created from the feldspar mining process is so white and so pure."

And finally the media seems it is receiving appropriate treatment in some parts of Augusta, reports James Corrigan:

Chris Evans is here for Radio Five Live. The golf fanatic had an interesting experience when he returned to the rented house he is sharing with his fellow commentators after the first day.

His colleagues were asleep when Evans came in, but were soon woken by the burglar alarm. But that was nothing compared to the recorded voice which followed.

"Freeze!" it bellowed. "The police are on their way. Do not try to escape or you will be shot..." Evans went to bed and it was left to the producer, Graham McMillan, to sort it out. He found all his men, but one wasn't in bed. "I think he was in the panic room," said McMillan.

Butler Cabin Nursery Loses Some Key Foliage On Friday**

Yesterday it was noted that Butler Cabin had gone all Pandora and it seems that Friday, perhaps after Curtis Strange nearly tripped on a jumping fern, the set saw a little less green. Or maybe the fire marshal drew the line?

Thursday:

Update on 2011-04-08 22:32 by Geoff

**Reader Mulligan has a great eye: not only did we lose ferns, but palms disappeared in the process. Let's hope they are okay.

2011 Masters, Second Round Open Comment Thread

Coverage times:

10:45 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Amen Corner live video coverage
11:45 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.Hole Nos. 15 and 16 live video coverage
12:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.Featured Group 1 live video coverage Featured Group 2 live video coverage
2:00 p.m.  Masters Radio live audio (along with Sirius/XM)
3:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.Live Coverage on ESPN
3:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.Masters In-Depth live video coverage highlights
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.Masters 3D live video coverage
8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.Replay of the telecast on ESPN