The Masters Golf Tournament: Second Day Observations

 Friday provided more thrills, chills, and spills at the Masters, as the field was cut to 49 for the weekend. As predicted, the leaderboard didn't dip under par as spectacularly as the first day, although there were still some spectacular scores posted by the likes of veteran Fred Couples, mid-career Tiger Woods, and youngster Jason Day. The leader now has a daily score average of five under par, not seven under. Scores should continue to retreat towards a slightly below-par average.
 First-day leaders Rory McIlroy and Alvaro Quiros did not collapse as cynics expected, with McIlroy having a terrific front nine of 33 before returning to mortality with a back nine 36. He leads with a 134 total, 10 under par. Quiros struggled at times, but finished with a one over 73 and 138 total.
 Australian Jason Day lit up Augusta National with an 8-under 64, leaving him only two behind McIlroy at 136. K. J. Choi missed an easy putt on the 18th, leaving him with a 137 total, three behind the leader, and a pairing with Tiger Woods today.
 The two big American stories were Woods and Fred Couples. After a dodgy front nine, where he had three bogies after seven holes, Woods found his old short game groove. Several birdies later, he finished with a 66, tying him with Choi at 137. Couples had a hot start to the day, but had a rougher back nine to finish with a 68 and 139 total: not bad for a 51 year old.
 Skilled veterans working themselves into contention while slipping under the media radar included Geoff Ogilvy, Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, and Steve Stricker. At least one of them will make things hot for young McIlroy and Day.
 Some lifetime-exemption status former Masters champs, including Craig Stadler, Jose Maria Olazabal, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Sandy Lyle, and Mike Weir, did not make the cut. Other big names finding a premature end to Augusta in 2011 were Graeme McDowell, world number one Martin Kaymer, Vijay Singh, Rory Sabbatini, Padraig Harrington, Sean O'Hair, Hunter Mahan, Zach Johnson, and Retief Goosen. 
 Questions for Saturday:
 1) Will average scores continue to retreat towards par   
      golf?
 2) Which golfer or golfers will have the hot hand in 
      round three?
 3) Which of the steady veterans will emerge as a legit 
      Sunday contender?
 4) Which of the young guns will have the biggest fall?
 5) Will Fred Couples remain a contender, despite the 
      middle-age ailment of a bad back?
 6) Will Tiger Woods emerge from his bachelor cave 
      rut and take control of the tournament?
 7) Will Phil Mickelson find driving consistency and a
      putting touch before it's too late?
 8) Will Ernie Els be able to survive a round where he 
      plays alone, the odd man out of the Saturday 
      pairings?
  There are many deserving players out there, and it's not too late for a Japanese golfer to shoot his way into contention. That would still make the best story and the best aftershock Japan could ever imagine.