Masterful leaderboard sets up weekend shootout in Augusta

CBS may still be licking wounds from the lower ratings of Monday night’s NCAA Championship game, but network executives will be licking their chops at the leaderboard shaping up for a wild weekend at the Masters.

After two days of wicked pin locations offsetting a softer-than-usual Augusta National course, almost every elite player in the world has congregated under par while nobody has broken away from the crowd in the 83^rdMasters Tournament.

A grand-slam quintet representing wins from every major – Francesco Molinari, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen – share the 36-hole lead at 7-under par with a world-class menagerie including Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson in close pursuit.

“A bunched and glorious leaderboard,” CBS announcer Jim Nantz declared before signing off.

“This is really stacked,” Scott, the 2013 Masters winner, said with a laugh. “I think it’s going to be an incredible weekend no matter what happens now. There are so many great players in with a chance.”

The heavyweight leaderboard includes nine major winners among the top 16. Seven of them with a combined 22 major titles separated by one stroke are in the top nine along with rookie interloper Justin Harding and former Tour Championship winner Xander Schauffele.

Woods, who said he had a “green light to attack” on the course softened by morning and late afternoon rain, awakened after a see-saw start had him spinning his wheels when he three-putted for bogey on No. 8 to remain even on the day.

But the roars and fist pumps commenced in earnest. He poured in a 37-footer for birdie on 9 and a 13-footer on 11 before his momentum was stalled by a 30-minute weather delay after sticking his tee shot to 5 feet on the par-3 12^th.

He missed that putt after the delay, three-putted for par from the fringe on 13, and then snapped his tee shot into the trees on 14 as the rain came down.

Woods, however, lofted a wedge through a gap in the canopy to 28 feet and survived serious injury when a running police officer in his security detail slipped and clipped Woods’ ankle. He hopped away gingerly but shook it off to drain the birdie.

“It is was it is; accidents happen and you move on. … I’m good,” Woods said. “After having a knee surgery and four back surgeries, I’m great.”

Woods however missed birdie chances from 9 and 13 feet on the last two holes to sit one shot behind the leaders.

“It was fun,” Woods said. “I felt like I left a few shots out there but it was a solid day.”

The tail end of the field erupted in a birdie spree late Thursday evening, with a cluster of marquee players led by Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson surging in front on the second nine despite a freshening wind as if they’d suddenly discovered the cheat codes.

Yet on a morning with a course made even softer from early rains, the overnight front-runners couldn’t pad their advantage and opened the door for more notables to crowd into the picture. Reigning British Open champion Molinari had the only unblemished card to shoot to the top of the board with a 67, while first-round co-leaders Koepka and DeChambeau suffered grisly doubles during volatile rounds.

Koepka recovered from his early visit to the creek running through the trees left of No. 2 to rally on the back and birdie 18 to reclaim a share of the lead. DeChambeau shot 75 to slip to 3-under overall.

Molinari – whose first time inside the ropes at Augusta was as a caddie for his brother, Edoardo, in the 2006 Masters – shot his best score in eight Masters starts with a bogey-free gem. Day, despite a sore back that needed treatment on the second hole Thursday, fired his own 67 to join him.

Oosthuizen, a playoff runner-up in 2012, shot 66 and Scott 68 to expand the major class on top.

Xander Schauffele posted the low round of the day (65) to join Woods, Johnson, and Harding at 6-under just a shot back. Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm are tied for 10^th at 5-under while Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Charles Howell III and Patton Kizzire are at 4-under.

Rory McIlroy, seeking to win the missing leg of his career slam, scuffled around in the last group of the day to shoot 71 and heads into the weekend at even par — with 35 players between him and the green jacket he desperately covets.

With so much star power clustered at the top, Saturday becomes as critical as ever heading into a Sunday of uncertainty with forecasted afternoon storms.

“A good front nine over the weekend could go a long, long way in this tournament, and maybe separate some guys from the field,” said Scott, whose eagle on 15 briefly had him in the lead alone at 8-under.

“But if no one’s able to do that, it’s really going to be, you know, a survival of the fittest out there. It is really an incredible leader board. I think it’s exciting to be a part of.

“As a golf fan, I like it. As a player, I’d rather be like six in front or something. But it’s great. Look, at the end of the day, I’m tied for the lead in the Masters. You can’t ask to be in a better position. I don’t really mind who’s there. I believe I’ve got the game to match it with everyone these days, and you know, it’s always a knife edge on who comes out on top of these things.”