Defending champ Bubba Watson steady with another 71

Earlier this week, Bubba Watson kept saying he felt better as defending champion this time than he did as one in 2013.

He certainly has made that clear, even if he’s not chasing down Jordan Spieth’s huge lead just yet.

Watson, a two-time Mas­ters Tour­nament champion, shot 1-under 71 for the second day in a row to be 2-under for the tournament. It was a strikingly better start than two years ago, when Wat­son shot 75-73 in his first defense.

“The last two days have been great ball-striking-wise, but I just have to make the putts. I had three three-putts, which would put me at 5-under, which is not too far off the other guys,” Watson said, finishing with a laugh, knowingly omitting Spieth, who is 14-under. “Jordan, he’s just playing great right now, but you know, it’s two more days, so, if I just had those three-putts back, I’d be right in the thick of this thing.”

Through two rounds, the long-hitting Watson tied for fourth in the field in driving, averaging 296.5 yards. He also tied for third by hitting 28 greens in regulation.

But he has needed 64 putts, leaving him toward the bottom. Watson, who crushed the par-5s a year ago, going 8-under, had a rare miss at No. 8 on Friday with a bogey.

Watson earlier bogeyed No. 4, but he also birdied Nos. 2, 13 and 17. He got on the green in two on 17, sinking a short putt to get to 2-under for the tournament.

“I’m not as scared or nervous as I was a couple years ago,” Watson said of his first Masters defense, when he was 55th after two rounds. “The golf course is still very difficult. I just haven’t executed the way I needed to on the greens.”

In his two Masters wins, Watson was in third place after two rounds in 2012 and in first in 2014. He would need a big comeback this year to get a third green jacket.

“If I come out to a hot start (Friday), have a great weekend, you never know what can happen,” Watson said.