Larry Mize has a Masters memory he'd love to relive. Greg Norman and Dan Forsman have ones they'd like to erase.
Tom Lehman had a pretty memorable day himself.Mize, the Augusta native who beat Norman with a 140-foot chip-in in a playoff here in 1987, took a one-stroke lead at the halfway point Friday with a 71, finishing 36 holes at 5-under-par 139.
Norman shot 70 and was at 140 along with Lehman and Forsman, who made seven birdies on his way to a 66.
A win here would remove any doubts about Mize's 1987 victory.
"I never should have picked up the paper the next day because I kept reading that it was a fluke shot and that can play on your mind." Mize said.
"All I know is that I beat two great players and now I am very comfortable with being the champion here."
Seve Ballesteros was also in that playoff.
Norman certainly is in a great spot to win his first Masters and make up for that playoff loss to Mize and other Masters disappointments.
"I feel very comfortable about my position," Norman said. "Very relaxed. I hope I can play on the weekend like I know I can.
"I have no feeling about being in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said about his past failures here.
And Provo resident Forsman would like nothing better than to have a chance to redeem himself for last year, when he was just one stroke off the lead on the last day before dumping two balls in the water on the 12th hole.
"I suffered a horrendous blow last year at No. 12," Forsman said. "And I hope someday to have my chances there again. I guarantee I'll be aiming left." He made a par there today.
Lehman, who finished tied for third last year in his first Masters, shot a second-round 70.
The wind died down from Thursday's opening round.
And the scores were lower.
Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and Ernie Els of South Africa played themselves back into contention with 67s to finish 36 holes at 3 under par, two strokes off the lead. Hale Irwin posted a 68 and was also at 3 under.
Tom Watson, who won the Masters in 1977 and 1981 but hasn't won a U.S. tournament since 1987, birdied the 18th hole for a 71 and 3-under 141. Also at 3 under was Tom Kite, who bogeyed No. 18 for a 72.
Jim McGovern, with a 70, and Chip Beck, Hajime Meshiai of Japan and Ian Baker-Finch of Australia, all with 71s, were 2 under par after 36 holes.
Norman, who also had a chance to win here in 1986 only to bogey the last hole and miss a playoff with Jack Nicklaus, was much steadier Friday than he was in the first round, when he made six birdies, six bogeys and an eagle.
He made two bogeys and four birdies in the second round, three on the back nine, including a gimme on No. 17 after a brilliant iron shot to within a foot of the hole.
Forsman shot 34-32, making birdies on Nos. 10, 13, 15 and 16 down the stretch. Lehman birdied 12 and 13 to get to 4 under and then parred in.
Missing the cut at 149, were three former Masters champions: Gary Player at 150, Nicklaus at 152 and Arnold Palmer at 155. Johnny Miller missed the cut by a stroke, shooting a 73 to finish with a two-round total of 150.