Masters 2017: Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler Headline 4-Way Tie After 2nd Round

The stage is set for a memorable finish in the 2017 Masters Tournament with Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler, Charley Hoffman and Thomas Pieters all tied for the lead at four-under par following the second round Friday at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.    

There are 11 other players within five shots of first place heading into Round 3 on Saturday. It's a star-studded chase pack featuring Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Justin Rose and Fred Couples.

One thing's for sure: Reigning champion Danny Willett won't defend his title, as he was among the golfers to finish Day 2 below the six-over cut line. Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed were some other notable names to miss the cut.

Here's a look at the updated leaderboard through 36 holes at the season's first major:

Hoffman, who started the day in the lead at seven-under par, was eight-under through five holes before a brutal six-hole stretch dropped him back to the pack. He posted five bogeys, only salvaging a par on the ninth.

The 40-year-old American had an otherwise solid round with two birdies and no bogeys across the other 12 holes. Alas, he failed to earn himself a sizable advantage heading into the third round, which is an even bigger concern with the suddenly crowded leaderboard.

Dan Jenkins of Golf Digest noted the four-time winner on the PGA Tour shouldn't be overlooked amid more high-profile names at the top:

Garcia came out firing on all cylinders with three consecutive birdies to open his second round. He only played even-par golf over the remaining 15 holes, but a six-birdie day in Friday's conditions is encouraging with better weather expected starting Saturday.

The Spanish veteran is one of the best active players without a major title. He's finished fourth or better at each of the sport's biggest events and registered a pair of top-five results in the U.S. Open and The Open Championship last year. A career-defining victory has eluded him, however.

Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post passed along post-round reaction from Garcia, who said the wind played a role in being unable to build off his strong start.

"I felt like I struck the ball better today, but it was tough," he said. "It's the kind of course you have to get to know and try to make peace with it. But the way the wind is blowing, it's very tough."

Fowler got the spark he needed with an eagle on the second after starting Friday one-over par. He added three birdies before dropping his first shot of the day at the 15th, and he rebounded with a birdie on the next hole to keep himself among the leaders after two days.

The Masters Tournament highlighted the turning-point shot from the bunker:

Meanwhile, Mickelson kept himself within striking distance of his fourth Masters title, which would tie Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods for the second-most all-time.

It was a typical up-and-down round from Lefty, who tallied five birdies and six bogeys. His willingness to take risks to create birdie chances is what makes him so dangerous at Augusta, but it also gets him into trouble, like it did late Friday.

The Golf Channel showcased a vintage moment from Mickelson:

The Masters Tournament spotlighted some of the day's other top shots:

Looking ahead, scores should improve over the weekend with more favorable conditions. The Weather Channel forecasts the wind, which gusted over 30 mph during the first two days, should drop to around five mph to finish the tournament Sunday. There's also no chance of precipitation.

That should bring even more golfers into championship contention because the opportunity to post a super-low round will be available. Fowler or Garcia may be considered a slight favorite, but the battle for the coveted Green Jacket is wide-open.