Francesco Molinari's putter sends him into share of the lead in clubhouse

Francesco Molinari followed up a steady Thursday with a spectacular Friday to move atop the leaderboard.

The 36-year-old from Italy put together a bogey-free 67, bring him to 7-under heading into the weekend. He’s currently tied at the top with Jason Day and Brooks Koepka.

Molinari shot 33 on the first nine, with birdies on Nos. 3, 8 and 9. On the second nine, he added birdies on Nos. 12 and 15, which came on a 15-yard chip that landed within two feet from the pin.

Photos: Francesco Molinari's Friday Round

“Started playing well from the beginning. Made a couple nice putts towards the end of the back nine. Yeah, didn’t really get in trouble at any point,” he said. “Really happy the way I played and the way we managed the strategy with my caddie. But yeah, obviously still a long, long way to go, so let’s see what we’ll be able to do on the weekend.”

Molinari hit 12 of 14 fairways, but only 12 greens in regulation. He was in jeopardy of his first bogey on No. 18 before he hit a 25-yard putt to 3 feet and made the last shot for par.

“It’s one of those putts that you actually practice during practice rounds because you know the flag is going to be there, and if you put it in the top tier, that’s pretty much the only way to get it close to the hole,” he said. “I think it looks more spectacular than it actually is. You hit it in the left fringe, and it goes, usually, within five feet of the hole, depending obviously on the speed of the greens.”

In his eighth Masters start, Molinari’s putting is carrying him. Besides the putt on the 18th, he hit a 14-footer on No. 9 and a nine-footer on No. 8. He took only 25 putts Friday.

Molinari’s putting has improved since he made drastic changes. Working with his putting coach, Phil Kenyon, he changed his stance and swing path and went through several models of putters. Now he’s more comfortable on the course, which translates to other aspects of his game.

“I think that’s what’s making the difference so far, that on the greens and around the greens, I feel more comfortable,” he said. “There’s still shots that are going to make you feel uncomfortable at times, but I definitely feel I have a lot more control of my pace on the greens and in general with the chipping, the trajectory, the spin. I think that feeds into the long game as well, knowing that I can hit the irons without being completely terrified of missing a green in the wrong spot.”

Photos: 2019 Masters Round 2

Molinari’s highest Masters finish was a tie for 19th in 2012. With a thinner field and crowded leaderboard on the horizon, he will have an opportunity to create some separation Saturday.