Jonas Blixt sits tied for third

Despite the wild ride through Augusta National that everyone in the field experienced Friday – especially in the afternoon when the wind kicked up – Masters rookie Jonas Blixt is content with his position, if not his score.

“This is all you want,” Blixt said after posting 71 to tie for third at 3-under-par 141 with defending champion Adam Scott, Thomas Bjorn and Jordan Spieth. “You want to be in contention come Saturday and Sunday, so I’m very happy with where I’m at now. It’s right where I want to be, unless I had a 20-shot lead, but that’s not going to happen.”

Blixt and the others at 3-under are four shots behind leader Bubba Watson and one behind second-place John Senden.

Blixt and Spieth led the 24 Masters rookies through 36 holes. Twelve made the cut.

Blixt, a two-time PGA Tour winner, birdied Nos. 2 and 3 to get a share of the lead, but slipped with a bogey at No. 7 and a double bogey at No. 11.

He was flawless after that, making easy birdies at the par-5 13th and 15th and parring the rest. He nearly holed out a chip for birdie at No. 17.

“It was a little windier today and the greens were a little firmer,” he said in comparing his afternoon round Friday to his morning round Thursday. “It’s baking up. It’s going to be a fun test this weekend.”

Blixt, a former Florida State player, is one of three Swedes in the field, along with Henrik Stenson and Pe­ter Hanson. Stenson has never finished higher than a tie for 17th in eight previous starts and at 1-over is on the fringe of contention.

Hanson missed the cut Friday at 15-over. He tied for third in 2012 after holding the 54-hole lead, then tied for 50th last year.