Patrick Reed, Marc Leishman seize control of Masters at midway point

On a day when most of the field backpedaled, Patrick Reed and Marc Leishman put their feet on the gas and didn’t let up.

Reed’s relentlessness and Leishman’s steady climb produced rounds that took the Masters Tournament by storm Friday, and they find themselves in a position they’ve rarely experienced at Augusta National Golf Club.

Reed, the Augusta State product without a top-20 Masters finish, shot 6-under-par 66 in the second round to sit alone in first place at 9-under, two shots ahead of Leishman.

The 27-year-old Reed posted three birdies in a row on three separate occasions to total nine. A day after producing his best Masters round with 69, he blew away his own number and most of the field.

An All-American at Augusta State, Reed helped the Jaguars win two national championships, and the trophies are across town at the program’s golf house to prove it.

PHOTOS: Second round at the Masters Tournament

Leishman was the exception to falling behind Reed as the Aussie shot 67 to sit 7-under.

The 34-year-old Leishman had four birdies and an eagle to earn a spot in the final pairing with Reed for the third round Saturday. He has a history of going low at Augusta National after shooting an opening-round 66 in 2013 en route to a tie for fourth.

“It was a tough day out there, and I’m happy to get off to the start I did and then not make too many mistakes, which is very important on a day like today,” Leishman said.

Henrik Stenson is in solo third after shooting 2-under 70. 

The stalemate around even par for many of the world’s top players created a logjam of notable names a little lower on the leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth spun their wheels for the most part but are only a few shots back at 4-under in a tie for fourth.

McIlroy shot 71 with four birdies a day after posting 69. He settled in from a rollercoaster first nine of three bogeys and two birdies to go 2-under for the final 12 holes.

PHOTOS: Reed's Round 2

“I'm pretty happy with how I started,” McIlroy said. “There was a few birdies and a few bogeys thrown in there, but I steadied the ship after the sixth hole. I didn't make a bogey after that. I made a couple birdies. I feel like I could have shot another round in the 60s.”

The 28-year-old, who’s going for the career Grand Slam, has trended well at the Masters by getting into the top 10 every year since 2014, including a fourth-place finish in 2015. He’s trying to take the next step by donning a green jacket this weekend.

“Being up there around the lead going into the weekend, it's a good position to be in,” he said. “But I think I'm happier with how I've felt and how I've handled certain things and how my thought process has been. That's been a pleasing thing.”

Spieth already owns a green jacket from a Masters victory in 2015. After shooting 66 in the first round Thursday, he appeared to find his form atop the leaderboard at Augusta National.

A double bogey on No. 1 Friday, however, set the tone for a second-round 74 that also featured two bogeys and two birdies, and his lead was gone within minutes of the start of his round. He settled in after the tough start by going 2-under for the final 11 holes to stay within striking distance.

“To come back from 3‑over through two holes and only shoot 2‑over with a limited number of looks, it's not so bad,” Spieth said. “I'm still in this golf tournament. With the way the back nine was played today, the wheels could have come off there, but I made some nice par saves and was able to grind out some phenomenal second‑shot iron shots and good two-putt birdies.”

Dustin Johnson, the top-ranked player in the world entering the week, made his first move of the tournament by shooting 68 to sit 3-under. He’s tied for sixth with Justin Thomas, who carded 67.

PHOTOS: Leishman's Friday Round at Augusta

Tiger Woods, playing in his first Masters since 2015, drew the typical large galleries Friday but failed to make a move on the leaderboard, shooting 75 to sit 4-over for the tournament.

Woods made double bogey on 5 and bogeys on 12 and 16 around a couple birdies, but it was enough to make the cut by two strokes in his return.

“I’m going to have to shoot a special weekend and need help,” Woods said. “I’m not in control of my own destiny, I’m so far back.”

Former champion Charl Schwartzel was among a host of players including Jason Dufner, Thomas Pieters and Wesley Bryan who didn’t make the cut at 5-over. Schwartzel finished 6-over to end his tournament by a stroke.

A day after making tournament history with a 13 on the 15th hole to shoot 81, defending champion Sergio Garcia followed up with 78 to finish 15-over and just outside of last place.