Day's play, Guan's slow play highlights of Friday's second round

With so much movement Friday at the top of the leaderboard in the Masters Tournament, there was nothing slow about the second round, except Tianlang Guan’s pace of play. That most assuredly will pick up for the third round.

Guan, the deliberate-playing 14-year-old sensation from China, nearly missed the cut in the 77th Masters after being hit with what is believed to be the tournament’s first-ever slow-play penalty.

Guan, who has shot 73-75–148, made the cut on the number despite being slapped with the one-stroke penalty on the 17th hole.

While everyone was talking about the incident involving the youngest-ever Masters participant, a new Australian took the lead.

On a blustery day that featured an unfavorable westerly wind that made the par-5s on the second nine play into the wind, Jason Day seized the spotlight from fellow Aussie Marc Leishman, a first-round co-leader.

With 4-under-par 68 on Friday, the best round of the day, Day moved to 6-under 138 for the tournament and into the second-round lead.

“It’s a great honor to have the lead,” said Day, who had to withdraw from the 2012 Masters after seven holes of the second round with an injured left ankle. “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to win the Masters. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

In a postround interview, Day brought up the fact no Australian has won the Masters before any reporter could.

“There is lot of pressure on my shoulders being from Australia,” he said. “I’ve got to get that out of mind and plug away.”

Chasing Day are Leishman (73 on Friday) and 53-year-old Fred Couples (71), who are one shot back.

Day will play with Couples in the final pairing today. They go off at 2:45 p.m.

Golfers two back are 2009 Masters champ Angel Cabrera (69), former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk (71) and Brandt Snedeker (70).

Heading a group of seven players three back is Tiger Woods, who bogeyed two of his final four holes and shot 71.

In all, there are 25 players within five shots of the lead. Of that group, 17 are in the top 30 in the world ranking. Eight of those are ranked in the top 10.

Day, 25, is playing in his third Masters. He took to Augusta National right away, shooting 64 – one off the course record – in the second round of his debut in 2011. He tied for second that year.

He calls the Masters his favorite tournament and welcomes the challenge Augusta National brings.

“It just feels like every shot is like the biggest shot you’ve ever had in your life,” he said.

Couples, the 1992 Masters champ, shared the lead last year at this point with Jason Dufner. But Couples shot 75 in the third round and ended up finishing tied for 12th.

“That was really not much fun,” Couples said Friday. “I was 4-over pretty fast on Saturday, which was a real bummer. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a little different and I will play well and have a shot at Sunday.”

Couples reiterated his vow of last year that if he won the Masters again, he would retire.

“I would quit,” Couples said. “I’m going to quit when I win this thing. I swear to God. I’m going to retire. It’s probably not ever going to happen, but I’m going to retire.”

Couples would be the oldest winner in Masters history – seven years older than Jack Nicklaus was when he won in 1986.

“Am I good enough to play four good rounds in a row on a course like this?” Couples asked. “It didn’t happen last year.”

Leishman, a 29-year-old journeyman who has one career PGA Tour win, has refused to go away after being a first-round co-leader.

“To be up there with those guys is really cool,” he said. “It’s probably going to be hard the next two days with where we are.”

Leishman was asked specifically about the presence of Woods, the world’s No. 1-ranked player.

“This is a good chance to prove myself,” Leishman said. “He’s the best player in the world at the moment. Obviously, I’d have to play good to beat him. But I think it’s doable. He’ll probably get annoyed now and shoot 62 tomorrow.”

Woods was making one of his charges until he was slowed by a bad break on the 15th hole. His third shot hit the pin and rolled back into the water, leading to a bogey. His approach shot to No. 18 covered the pin, took a big bounce and rolled up the slope of the green. Putting down to the pin, Woods three-putted for his 71.

“I felt like I played really well today; I should have been in the 60s,” Woods said. “My score doesn’t quite indicate how well I played.”

A day after Carl Jackson, who is the caddie for Guan’s playing partner, Ben Crenshaw, said Guan was “a little methodical,” the hammer fell. Guan was assessed a one-shot penalty for his second slow time after being put on the clock. It came on No. 17, turning his par-4 into a bogey-5. He did par No. 18 from the left greenside bunker for 75 to make the cut.

Augusta National said it was not aware of a slow-play penalty ever being assessed in the Masters.

“I respect the decision they make,” Guan said afterward.

Guan will tee off Saturday with Thorbjorn Olesen at 9:55.

At the time he finished, Guan was still in danger of missing the cut. At 148, he was not going to make it by being among the top 50 finishers, plus ties. However, he could make it on the 10-shot rule as long as no one finished at 7-under for the tournament. No one did, thanks to Day’s missing a short birdie putt on No. 17 and not birdieing the final hole to finish at 6-under.