LEFT-HANDED 2012 WINNER IS IN THE ZONE AGAIN

• • • BUBBA WATSON LEADS BY THREE AFTER WINDY SECOND DAY AT MASTERS
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    • FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
    •   By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM
  • Bubba Watson stood out among the crowd after shooting a 68 on Friday at the Masters. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
  MASTERS, RD 2: Daily Wrap-up | Scores | Tee times | TOUR Report | Photos | Leader's bag | Projected FedExCup
  PLAYER REPORTS: Bubba Watson | Adam Scott | Phil Mickelson | Jordan Spieth | John Senden | Louis Oosthuizen
  AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Bubba Watson was in the zone Friday. He correctly guessed the winds. He took advantage of his length. His putter remained airtight until the final hole. As a result, he has a 3-shot lead heading into the weekend at the Masters.
  If he stays in the zone, does anybody else have a chance?
  Probably not.
  "None of us can stop Bubba," said Fred Couples, the 1992 champ who's five shots back. "If he goes out and does what he did yesterday and today, he's the guy to beat."
  "Going to be tough to catch him if he keeps playing like that," added Luke Donald, who played with Watson the first 36 holes.
  The only saving grace for the rest of the field was that it's not a 4-shot advantage. An errant second shot at the final hole and a short missed par putt cost Watson a stroke, leaving him with a 4-under 68 and a 36-hole total of 7 under.
  Aussie John Senden, who won the Valspar Championship four weeks ago in Palm Harbor, Fla., is the closest pursuer. Senden also shot 68, bettering his previous Masters low round by two shots. He'll now be in the final group with Watson.
  Four players are four shots off the pace, including defending champ Adam Scott, who bounced back from a tough front nine to salvage an even-par 72, and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth. who shot a 2-under3 71. Scott and Spieth will be paired on Saturday.
  "It's good to be within shouting distance," Scott said. "But tomorrow's a big day for everyone."
  Like Scott, Watson is seeking his second Green Jacket, having broken through two years ago with his first major win. His string of five consecutive birdies on the back nine Friday showed that when he gets on a roll, he can be unstoppable on a course that obviously suits his game.
  His task now? "Just got to keep my head down, same thing I've been doing the last two days, same thing I did earlier this year," said Watson, who won the Northern Trust Open in February. "Trying to stay level, not too energized, not too excited."
  As for the contenders, well, they must hope for a Watson stumble. Otherwise, someone must find a way to go really low in difficult firm and fast conditions.
  "If you were to script it, you would rather it be somebody else than a major or a Masters champion up there," said Justin Rose, eyeing the leaderboard. "That's definitely going to be a big help for him on the weekend."
  And a big hindrance for everybody else.

  
  

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  AGE IS JUST A NUMBER: Among the top nine players on the 36-hole leaderboard is 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, who could become the youngest winner in Masters history, and 54-year-old Fred Couples, who could become the oldest.
  Every age group, it seems, is represented at the top.
  Joining Spieth in the young guns 20-something brigade is Jonas Blixt (29).
  Among the in-our-primes group of 30-somethings are Bubba Watson (35), Adam Scott (33) and FedExCup points leader Jimmy Walker (35).
  The grizzled 40-somethings are counting on John Senden (42), Thomas Bjorn (43) and Jim Furyk (43).
  And of course, the ageless Couples is doing the Champions Tour proud. In total, seven players in their 50s made the cut.  

  
  

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  ABOUT THOSE WINDS: Playing partners Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson were nearly in the same spot on the fairway at one point during their second rounds. Els opted for 5-wood. Mickelson went with 5-iron. The decisions were based on the winds.
  "It just switched that quickly," Els said. "180 degrees."
  How players dealt with the winds partly determined their fate Friday. Marc Leishman figured it out for his first three holes and made birdies, the 64th time in Masters history a player has started his round with a three-birdie streak. Then just like that, he couldn't figure it out and played his last 15 holes in 10 over.
  "Actually hit quite a few good shots throughout the day," the Aussie said. "Just the wind caught me on a lot of holes."
  Mickelson saw "some birdie pins" on Friday but was undone by a triple bogey at the 12th -- his second triple-bogey of the week. He missed the cut by one stroke, his first missed cut at the Masters since 1997.
  "The wind is what made it tricky," he said. "I thought it was really a fun challenge."
  If anybody else agrees with Phil about the fun part, please raise your hand. Anyone? Anyone?

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  ODDS AND ENDS
  Lee Westwood has yet to birdie any of the par 5s this week. Instead, he has eight pars on Augusta National's scoring holes. "Need to make a few birdies on them over the weekend and I'll be right in there, I think," said Westwood, who starts the weekend at even par, 7 shots back. ...
  Brian Tam, who caddied for Guan Tianlang last year when the 14-year-old from China became the youngest player to make a Masters cut, is on the bag this week for 19-year-old amateur Oliver Goss of Australia. "He's been invaluable for me the whole week," said Goss, who made the cut at 3 under and will finish as low amateur, since he was the only one to make the cut. ...
  On Thursday, Jason Day four-putted from 25 feet on the 10th hole. On Friday, he suffered a four-putt on No. 3, and a three-putt on 17. "Little disappointing with how the putter is going," said Day, who shot a 1-over 73 despite his problems. ...
  Zach Johnson started his round with 10 consecutive 4s on his scorecard. That's the 10th time it has happened at the Masters since the World War II era, and the first time it's happened since 1996, when Ernie Els did it in the final round. Bo Wininger started hs first round in 1965 with 14 consecutive 4s to set the longest "4" streak to start a round at the Masters ...
  Lucas Glover shot a 3-under 69. That's his first round in the 60s at Augusta National in 20 career rounds.
  SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
  Par 144 (2x72) Players from USA unless stated
  137 Bubba Watson 69 68
  140 John Senden (Australia) 72 68
  141 Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 73 68, Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 70 71, Adam Scott (Australia) 69 72, Jordan Spieth 71 70
  142 Fred Couples 71 71, Jimmy Walker 70 72, Jim Furyk 74 68.
  SELECTED SCORES
  143 Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 73 70, Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 71 72 (T10)
  144 Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 75 69, Lee Westwood (England) 73 71 (T15)
  145 Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 73 73 (T21)
  146 Justin Rose (England) 76 70, Ian Poulter (England) 76 70
  (T26)
  147 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 71 76, Martin Kaymer (Germany) 75 72 (T37)
  148 Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 76 72, Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 71 77 
  MISSED THE CUT (148 and better qualified)
  149 Luke Donald (England) 79 70, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 74 75, Ernie Els (S Africa) 75 74, Phil Mickelson 76 73
  150 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 72 78
  152 David Lynn (England) 78 74, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 71 81.
  
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