Masters 2016: Leaderboard Scores, Analysis, Highlights and More from Friday

Jordan Spieth is halfway there as he looks to be the first golfer since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002 to win back-to-back Masters titles. The 22-year-old sits at four under after 36 holes of the 2016 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club.

Spieth holds a one-shot advantage heading into the weekend. Rory McIlroy owns sole possession of second place, while Danny Lee and Scott Piercy are tied for third at two under:

Despite the fact he maintained the lead, Spieth will not remember Friday fondly. He couldn't find a groove on the front nine, double-bogeying No. 5 and picking up a bogey on No. 9 to cancel out his three birdies. He ended his round on a sour note with back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17.

Spieth's frustration was visible when he complained to a tournament official timing him before one of his shots, via The Cauldron:

"

Jordan Spieth is NOT happy he's in a group being timed https://t.co/eBPf5rIeAT

— The Cauldron (ICYMI) (@CauldronICYMI) April 8, 2016"

The Press Association's Phil Casey thought the official was well within his right to speed up play:

The second round wasn't completely devoid of positives for Spieth. He unleashed one of the day's best shots, landing his approach on No. 3 to within inches of the hole, via the Masters' official Twitter account:

Plus, as bad as things were, the two-time major champion is still setting the pace. The PGA Tour noted it's a position he knows well at Augusta:

Saturday's third round should have lots of drama—at least as much as any third round can have. Golf fans are finally getting the head-to-head clash between Spieth and McIlroy they've eagerly anticipated ever since the former broke through at the 2014 Masters.

McIlroy made a big push on the back nine to finish at one under for the day. He started off the round with birdies on the second and third holes but followed with a double bogey on No. 4 and a bogey on No. 5. The back nine looked to be more of the same after he bogeyed No. 11, but three birdies between the 13th and 16th holes moved him back up the leaderboard.

That final birdie didn't come easy:

McIlroy has historically performed well on Augusta's par fives, and that continued Friday. After birdieing three of the four holes, he dropped his score to 21 under on par fives over his last six rounds, per ESPN Stats & Info.

The four-time major champion was one of just four golfers who finished with a second-round score under par, putting his performance in perspective. The Guardian's Ewan Murray was impressed with McIlroy's composure Friday:

It looked like McIlroy would have company in second place with amateur Bryson DeChambeau sitting at three under heading onto the 18th tee. Then, he triple-bogeyed the final hole to fall to even par for the tournament.

Before that hole, DeChambeau demonstrated a poise well beyond his amateur status. He got his round off to a good start, chipping in from the rough to card a birdie:

The 22-year-old also dropped his approach on No. 12 to within a few feet of the cup:

Even after his underwhelming finish, DeChambeau is still tied for eighth, making him the first amateur since Ryan Moore in 2005 to be in the top 10 at the conclusion of a Masters round, per ESPN Stats & Info.

With the close of the second round, the Masters field trimmed to the top 57 golfers. Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Jason Dufner, Charl Schwartzel and Graeme McDowell are among those who missed the cut. Tom Watson also bowed out after shooting eight over in what is his final Masters. The tournament provided a replay of his par on the 18th hole:

The final two rounds are shaping up to provide some excitement, with 13 golfers within four shots of Spieth and another eight (including Jason Day) within five shots. Last year, Spieth owned a five-shot lead at this stage of the Masters.

If Spieth has a similarly rough day on the course Saturday, then he'll almost assuredly start slipping down the leaderboard.

Post-Round Reaction

ESPN.com's Jason Sobel noted how DeChambeau isn't lacking in confidence:

"His game is very well suited for, not just this golf course, but professional golf," said McIlroy, per USA Today's Nancy Armour. "Look, he's playing with Jordan the first two days and he's keeping pace with him and he's doing a great job. There's no reason to think that he shouldn't do that over the next couple of days, as well."

Spieth chalked up his poor round in part to the course conditions and less than hospitable weather.

"Really tough conditions for where the pins were located, and the greens got really crusty in the end," he said in an interview with ESPN (via the New York Times' Christopher Clarey). "It was a battle."

Spieth also alluded to his issues with the time limit: "Tough too when you're put on the clock in Amen Corner and trying to battle gusting winds but have to hit the shot fast; otherwise there's a potential of getting strokes"

McIlroy's two-round score is his best start to the tournament since 2012.

"It's only the second day; there's still two days to go," he said, per BBC Sport. "But it's a great round and it's nice to be up there near the lead going into the weekend, instead of on the cut line and having to battle back from where I found myself the last couple years. I'm happy with where I'm at."