Masters Leaderboard 2013: Complete Overview of Standings Heading into Day 3

The Day 2 tournament action at the 2013 Masters is in the books, and the cut line (four over) has been established to set the field for the final two days of play at Augusta. 

Leading the way on Friday was Jason Day, a golfer who finished tied for second at Augusta in 2011 and was the runner-up at the U.S. Open in the same season. He withdrew from the Masters in 2012 but won't have the same outcome in 2013, holding a one-stroke lead over 53-year-old Fred Couples and Thursday's leader, Marc Leishman. 

Tiger Woods checks in at three under after an unfortunate end to his afternoon, including an impressive shot on the 15th hole that ended up hitting the flagstick before trickling down the green and into the water. 

Woods would settle for bogey and bogeyed the 18th to finish his day three back of the leader. 

Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy finished with a handsome two-under, quite impressive after his end to Day 1 and a slow start on Friday, and the British trio Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and David Lynn all managed to stay in contention with solid rounds on Friday. 

The big story of the day again belonged to 14-year-old Tianlang Guan, a young man who did not make a birdie on Day 2 but managed to make the four-over cut despite a one-stroke penalty for slow play on the 17th hole. 

Two notable absentees from the top of the list include Bubba Watson, the 2012 champion, and Phil Mickelson, the three-time green jacket winner, both of whom were sweating as the cut line came in and Day was finishing up. Both men will play the next two rounds, but things will be tough going forward. 

Stories have been bountiful at Augusta this year.

In that spirit, here's a complete look at the golfers who are either in the lead (Day) or chasing the pace within two strokes after a good finish on Friday.  

Jason Day (68, -6)

The Australian joined countryman Leishman atop the leaderboard on Friday, and he was brilliant during the late stages of his second round. 

Along with two bogeys on the round, Day had four birdies on the back nine and two on the front nine for a four-under finish and the sole lead heading into Day 3. 

While his afternoon clearly was the most consistent among the field, most of the viewing population was checking in on his final two holes to see whether the cut would include Watson or Guan—both of whom would have been eliminated at four over had Day managed a birdie on either 17 or 18. 

After it looked like he had a shot to do so on both holes, Day finished with a quiet round of 68—the best score of the afternoon—and will take the lead into Saturday morning's action. An Australian has never won the Masters, but Day, Leishman, Adam Scott and John Senden are all lurking within striking distance. 

Fred Couples (71, -5)

What more can you say about Freddy Couples?

The veteran and one-time Masters champ (1992) continues to play like he's out on the course with his friends, avoiding nerves and any kind of pressure by coming through with a one-under 71 on a very tough day to gauge the wind. 

It's clear Couples still has the same ball-striking ability and strength he did as a young golfer, but now he has the added bonus of years of tournament experience at Augusta. 

He survived a slow start that included a bogey on No. 1 and a double bogey on No. 7 by playing error-free golf down the back nine, adding a birdie on the final hole to cap what was a stellar performance by a man who has become one of Augusta's favorite sons. 

The biggest question moving forward will be his stamina. As spoofed by Chris Sprow of ESPN, Couples might need some of that MLB juice to hang for two more rounds:

It's not as if he hasn't been in this position before. Couples always seems to hang around the top of the leaderboard until Sunday. Respect these first two rounds for what they are, but recognize he has much to prove before gaining true contender status. 

Marc Leishman (73, -5)

The big Australian didn't have the low score he posted on Thursday, but staying in contention with a one-over 73 was just as big of an accomplishment with the conditions extremely tough on the back nine. 

Several times it looked like Leishman would give way to the surging Woods, Couples and Day, but he stayed true to his game and survived a late bogey to end up with a share of second place heading into Friday. 

As mentioned before, an Australian has never won the Masters, but Leishman and Day are making it tough to keep saying that. With a big stick off the day and an improved short game, the consistency Leishman has shown through two rounds is promising for both the final two at Augusta and any future majors he plays in during the 2013 season. 

Jim Furyk (71, -4)

Like Couples, Furyk continues to defy the odds. 

He has done so by hitting a remarkable 23 of 28 fairways through the first two rounds, making up for the fact that his short game has been spotty (a Furyk trademark), like on a double bogey at No. 15. 

Still, he's taken advantage of the par-fives and continues to push for a green jacket in what is his 18th career appearance at Augusta. 

By all accounts, the 2012 Ryder Cup team member has worse odds to win than Couples, especially with his lack of success here over the years. However, flying under the radar is always a good thing at Augusta, and that's exactly what Furyk is doing in this current group of six guys at the top of the board. 

Angel Cabrera (69, -4)

As former pro Mark Allen noted on Twitter, all Cabrera does is win:

Cabrera hasn't done anything particularly well in the 2013 Masters, falling right in line with the tournament average in greens hit, fairways hit and putts per hole, but that doesn't really tell the whole story of his rise back into contention. 

Cabrera hit five birdies and played bogey-free golf on the back nine, catapulting him into a tie for fourth with the other men on this list. The back nine was favorable to him on Thursday too, and if he can avoid another slow start, we might be talking about a second green jacket for the big fella. 

Winner of the Masters in 2009, Cabrera always seems to find a way to stick around. Despite not playing his best golf over the past three seasons, there are few safer bets than a healthy, motivated Cabrera at Augusta—the most favorable course of his major career. 

Brandt Snedeker (70, -4)

Like Cabrera, Snedeker hasn't overly impressed, but the back nine has been favorable to him during this tournament. 

The front nine has produced most of Snedeker's birdies, but he's one under on the front nine and three under on the back nine through two days of action. 

His best finish at the Masters was a tie for third, so improving upon that mark will be a big personal motivating factor over the final two days. 

Like the rest of the field, all six of these guys are still in the hunt. Look no further than Woods' great-turned-poor shot on No. 15 to prove that anything can happen at Augusta, and expect these six to be in the thick of that action the rest of the way. 

For a complete look at the leaderboard, check out PGATour.com.