Masters 2013: 3 Veterans Who Will Challenge Jason Day This Weekend

Jason Day sits atop the Masters leaderboard after 36 holes at Augusta National. It's somewhat familiar territory for the 25-year-old, who finished in a tie for second in 2011. 

Tiger Woods charged up the leaderboard on Friday as well, but found the water on the 15th hole and made bogey on 18. He's still very much in the hunt, just three strokes back of Day at three under.

An Australian has never won the Masters, but with Day, Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and John Senden all in contention, maybe this is the year.

With that said, there are also a few veterans near the top of the leaderboard at Augusta National. Three experienced golfers over the age of 40, who know their way around the course.  

Perhaps one of these three will be wearing the green jacket come Sunday evening.

Fred Couples

The 1992 Masters champion continues to perform well at Augusta at the age of 53. Couples shot a four-under 68 Thursday and managed to finish one-under on Friday, despite two bogies and a double over the first seven holes.

At five under he's in a tie for second heading into the weekend.

Couples has been remarkably consistent at the Masters over the years, holding the third lowest career scoring average behind only Tiger and Phil Mickelson. He also made the cut 23 consecutive times between 1983 and 2007.

Couples has continued to play well at Augusta since turning 50, as he and Lee Westwood are the only two golfers to finish in the top 15 in each of the last three Masters.

With a high-level of confidence and significant Masters experience, Couples is poised to stay in contention throughout the weekend. 

Angel Cabrera

Cabrera played fairly well on Thursday, finishing one under with three bogeys and four birdies on the scorecard. It was much of the same on Friday, until he made his way through Amen Corner and caught fire on the 13th hole.

Cabrera birdied five of the last six holes and made par on the 17th to finish with a three-under 69 on the round and four under for the tournament.

The 43-year-old Argentinian donned the green jacket back in 2009, after defeating Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a playoff. 

Jim Furyk

The 42-year-old’s best finish at the Masters is fourth, something he accomplished in both 1998 and 2003.

Furyk got off to a strong start Thursday, with four birdies and just a single bogey to finish with a three-under 69. He continued to play well in the second round, making just one major mistake, scoring a double-bogey on the par-five 15th.

In the first two rounds he had just two bogeys in addition to that double.

Furyk, who is fifth in driving accuracy this year, sits at four under heading into the weekend. He is still searching for his second major championship, having won the U.S. Open in 2003.