History was against Justin Rose as he attempted to win a second major title in the 85th Masters.
Adding a second round of 72 to his opening 65 meant Rose was the eighth player since 1980 to lead outright after each of the first two rounds at Augusta National, but only one of the previous seven went on to win.
That man was 2015 champion Jordan Spieth, who went into the third round two shots off the pace following a 68 on Friday, with Will Zalatoris and Brian Harman the closest challengers to Rose on six under.
Defending champion Dustin Johnson, who shot a tournament record of 20 under par to win in November, missed the halfway cut along with Rory McIlroy.
Tweet of the day
Putting with your 3-wood. 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/ksHbVHqLno
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 9, 2021
Si Woo Kim's putter became the victim of his temper during the second round, leaving him needing an alternative on the greens.
Quote of the day
75-71 for Jose Maria Olazabal, who will make the Masters cut for the first time since 2014.
— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) April 9, 2021
"It's like winning the event" – Two-time winner Jose Maria Olazabal reflects on making the cut for the first time since 2014 at the age of 55.
Shot of the day
Bryson DeChambeau makes birdie from the trees on No. 18. He finishes the day at one under par for the Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/Y1iKOPfHI7
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2021
Bryson DeChambeau recovered from a wild drive on the 18th to make an unlikely birdie and complete a 67.
Worst shot of the day
Hell yes. The putter break 3 off the lead with 3 holes left on Friday. I love this game. pic.twitter.com/ZLgJCgpliv
— Riggs (@RiggsBarstool) April 9, 2021
Strictly speaking not a shot, but Si Woo Kim's flash of temper on the 15th bent his putter out of shape and saw him use a fairway wood on the greens for the rest of the round.
Round of the day
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 9, 2021
Bernd Wiesberger and Tony Finau both shot 66, but Wiesberger edges it on the basis of carding just one bogey compared to Finau's two.
Statistic of the day
Zalatoris shot 31 on the back 9 without making birdie on either of the par 5s.
— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) April 9, 2021
Will Zalatoris birdied the 11th, 12th, 16th, 17th and 18th in his 68.
Easiest hole
The par-five 13th played to an average of exactly 4.5, yielding four eagles and 48 birdies and being played in 44 under par.
Toughest hole
The fifth hole took over from the 11th as the hardest on the course, playing to an average of 4.445 after yielding just three birdies and being played in a total of 40 over par.
Weather forecast
A weakening line of rain and thunderstorms approaches from the west during the day on Saturday and is expected to move through Augusta between 4-7pm before shifting east for the evening. Winds pick up Saturday afternoon, likely the strongest of the tournament, when gusts of 20-25 mph are expected for a three-to-four hour period.
