AUGUSTA -- Much of Friday belonged to the young, a threesome of barely 20-somethings frolicking at Augusta National, turning the second round of the Masters into a movable game of beer pong.
But as the daylight dimmed and it became time for the kids to run on home, one familiar middle-aged cat crept up the leader board.
Tiger Woods is in legitimate lurk mode now. Like he hasn’t been for seems like forever (or one year in Tiger time).
With a confident fist pump on No. 18 -- one of those symbolic punches to the gut of the field like he used to deliver -- Woods closed with his ninth birdie of the day Friday. That finished off a second-round 66, his lowest round at the Masters since the last time he won here, 2005.
Woods stands at 7 under for the tournament, tied for third, three strokes back of 21-year-old Rory McIlroy and two back of Australian Jason Day, just 23.
This is a Masters demanding a deft scoring touch -- the cut of 1-over 145 ties for lowest in tournament history. And mass producing low scores is something that Woods has not been able to do on a consistent basis since his life unraveled at the close of 2009.
For anyone who wanted to know whether this is the round that will get him back to the business of legend building, whether he is now capable of stringing together good rounds rather than just popping out a pearl here and there, Woods had the same cautious answer.
“I’m looking forward to [the weekend]. I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Woods said. “I played myself back in the tournament. We have got a long way to go. It’s going to be fun.”
Woods’ back-nine 31 was like a retrospective of all the shots he used to hit. There were laser-sighted approaches: An 8-iron to three feet on No. 10. There were attacks on the par-5s that left them begging beg for mercy: routine two-putt birdies on Nos. 13 and 15. There was creativity: carving an 8-iron to 12 feet on No. 18 from the so-called rough.
Friday also was a time to officially re-classify Woods as a wizened Masters veteran. Just look at some of his companions on the leader board.
One threesome was enough to make anyone feel ancient. That was the playing group of McIlroy, Day and 22-year-old Rickie Fowler (at 5 under). Playing together the first two days, they were a composite 23 under. They are sure to be a formidable combination when they make this a best-ball event.
How much pressure were the kids feeling, especially Day and Fowler playing in their first Masters? Well, Day threw up the day’s best round, a 64. It tied for the lowest round ever by a Masters first-timer (David Toms, in 1998, was the most recent of three others). And as the two of them stood around the green at No. 18, they engaged in the kind of conversation that usually is found at the mall.
“I was joking with [Day] about his putt and I said, ‘You know, this is a pretty cool place to be,’” Fowler said.
“We had fun out there, chatting it up a bit on the fairways and when we had some down time. Other than that, we were trying to hit it inside and make more birdies than the other guy.”
The fun part of their week is about over. Any weekend at the Masters is going to be trying for the leaders, but now these in particular find themselves in the mix with the man who was their Masters template. They were between the ages of 7 and 9 when Woods won his first of four Masters in 1997, blowing away the field by 12 strokes. They all say he was the guy who turned them on to this tournament.
How does that make Woods feel?
“A little older now I guess,” he said.
“It’s the next generation. It’s good to see these guys out here playing with that much enthusiasm, that much zest for the game. There’s a whole crop of guys that age. That generation is going to be a fun one to watch over the next 10, 15 years.”
McIlroy said he will not be intimidated by any challenger.
“I don’t really care what anyone else does,” he said. “I don’t need to know. It will be great for the tournament if [Woods] is up there. But I’m two shots ahead and I’m in a better position.”
Woods certainly adds a little heft to the American presence on the leader board. Granted, this isn’t some knock-off Ryder Cup they’re playing at Augusta National. Flag-waving is sternly frowned upon here at golf’s Epcot.
Still, it was good to add another Yank of Woods’ stature to a group that otherwise included Ricky Barnes (5 under), Rickie Fowler and Rickety Couples (5 under). That would be 51-year-old Fred Couples, whose bad back always seems to feel a little better on these grounds, at least briefly.
It seems every demographic is pretty well covered for the Masters weekend, from the young and funs to the AARP set. With one very notable former champion in between.
“I’m just trying to put myself in the mix come Sunday,” Woods said. “It’s irrelevant who [else] is there. My whole job is to get myself there with a chance with nine holes to go. I’ve been successful at it in the past by doing it that way.”
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