The buzz was back at Augusta National, loud as ever.
It came from the constant humming of motors of the sub-air system beneath the soft turf in an attempt to make the course a little firmer, a lot more like a typical Masters in April.
"You have to really throwall the past knowledge out the window this week, as weird as it is," said Justin Thomas, who hit a few short-game shots that required trust and imagination for rounds of 66-69. That gave Thomas a share of the lead with Dustin Johnson (65-70), Cameron Smith (67-68) and Abraham Ancer (68-67), a Masters rookie who doesn't know this course any other way.
"A lot of the history and things that you know about the golf course, it can sometimes hurt you this week because of what you're used to," Thomas said.
Progress could be measured in greens that began to pick up some pace and scoring that didn't get out of control. Johnson, looking every bit like the No 1 player in the world, had four birdies on the back nine in the morning for a 65, breaking by two shots his best round at Augusta, and was atop the leaderboard with the others at nine-under when the second round was halted by darkness, a product of a weather delay at the start of the tournament that has put the Masters behind schedule.
The forecast for the weekend is favourable, warm and mostly sunny.
"I think it can firm up a little bit, but it's going to be tough for it to get firm," Johnson said. "I think it's going to be soft enough to where you're going to have to attack the golf course and play aggressive and keep swinging like I am. I like where I'm at. I like my position."
Still to be determined is what that position will be. Hideki Matsuyama was at eight-under with three holes remaining, as was Jon Rahm, with six holes left, including both par fives on the back nine. Another Masters rookie, Sungjae Im (70), was in the group another shot behind that included Patrick Cantlay (66), who contended for the green jacket last year. Cantlay was among four players who shot 66, the lowest score when play was stopped for the night.
Among those still on the course was Tiger Woods at four-under, stuck in neutral on a day when the greens picked up a little more speed and the autumn leaves shook slightly with some wind. Bryson DeChambeau was struggling to make the cut after a lost ball that led to a triple bogey. He followed with two more bogeys but was in good position for a birdie to get back to even par for the tournament.
The cut is top 50 and ties, and among those who will be sticking around are young and old — 23-year-old US Amateur runner-up John Augenstein and 63-year-old Bernhard Langer. The two-time Masters champion shot 68 in the morning on a long, soft course. He followed with a 73 and will be the oldest player to make the cut at Augusta National.
"It actually makes me feel older when I play with these young guys and I see how far they hit it and how short I hit it," Langer said. "I like this golf course. I think I know how to get around it, even though I hit very long clubs. But it's certainly not easy."
It was plenty hard for Rory McIlroy, who opened with a 75 and was in danger of the weekend off until he rallied with a 66 to at least get back in the mix in his pursuit of the final leg of the career Grand Slam.
