Jimmy Walker, one of this season's in-form golfers, is all finished on two under and he will be handily placed from Saturday on.

Meanwhile Jamie Donaldson nails his tee-shot on the par-three 16th, sliding up to the hole with perfect length and the help of the slope.

Image source, Reuters

Ian Poulter, who finished two over: "That was one of the best rounds I have had at Augusta in terms of ball striking, but I finish disappointed because I left shots on the course.

"I three-putted at 10 and at 14. I know I am playing well, my scores are not reflecting that but they are coming and I need to stay patient."

Jay Townsend
BBC Radio 5 live summariser

Rory McIlroy is struggling after that one in a few hundred thousand break. Amazingly bad luck.

Image source, Reuters

Rory McIlroy is trudging off the 13th green, ruing modern irrigation methods. That deflection of the sprinker head proves too much of an obstacle to overcome. His par putt sneaks low of the hole and he adds another stroke to the total.

Four over with five to play and the Northern Irishman is in real danger of not meeting the demands of the cut.

Freddie Couples with a dribbly little five-footer to get a birdie on the last to round of his day. Nope, that was limp from the veteran American. He will sign off with a two-under total for his first two days.

Rory McIlroy chips up, but he will have a 15-foot putt or to get down in regulation. He hasn't looked like making one of those all day either.

-7 B Watson (US); -4 Senden (Aus); -3 Bjorn (Den), Blixt (Swe), Walker (US) 14; -2 Couples (US) 17; -1 Donaldson (Wal) 14.

Selected others: -1 Gallacher (Sco); E Westwood (Eng); +2 Rose (Eng), Poulter (Eng) 17; +3 McIlroy (NI) 12; +6 McDowell (NI) 17.

Projected cut: +4 and better (top 50 + ties and all within 10 of lead)

Check out the latest leaderboard,, external the tee times and BBC Sport coverage

Boing! Rory McIlroy, three over, with his second shot on the par-five 13, plenty of green to aim at, but he lands it on a sprinkler head on the fringe. The ball hops eagerly into the azaleas and he will have plenty to do from there.

He has repaired some of the damage, hacking out from waist-deep in the flowers to the edge of the green. A decent chance of getting up and down and saving a par here.

Ian Poulter is back home for a two-under 70 for the day, which eats away at some of the fat he laid down yesterday. He is two over all over.

Angel Cabrera will not be joining him for the final two rounds though. The Argentine is eight over.

Lee Westwood on his one under 71 which leaves him level par at halfway: "I didn't play the par fives well enough again. I was the same yesterday. Over two days, I've made eight fives and that's where you make your scores. You need birdies over the weekend on them.

"I'm always relaxed on this course but it's getting harder. There's good scores if you play well and disasters if you start hitting a few wild shots. I'm comfortable out there and can see a way around it.

"It's do-able out there, you can shoot a good score. I think the course is playing perfectly. It's not getting any easier out there though and there's a chance to push on. Shoot a couple of good scores over the weekend and see where that gets me."

Bill Haas within a whisker of chipping in on 14th. The overnight leader must content himself with a birdie three which boosts him to one over.

Beneath all those fancy trews and frozen tips, Ian Poulter is a cunning fox. The Englishman reads the runes on the 16th green almost perfectly, his putt snaking back in from stage left, but rolling just past.

Freddie Couples lets a shot slip on 17 to drop back to two under.

Mark Houston, external: No, I'm not missing Tiger Woods at the Masters. I'd be quite happy to never see him on a golf course again.

humphiebackit, external: Miss Tiger Woods' shot making ability and threat to anyone in front but not missing the media hysteria

Michael Rogers, external: The problem is no one is dominating like Tiger to get everyone on their side, you need a winner

Image source, Getty Images

Freddie Couples has finished in the top 15 in six of his last eight appearances at the Masters.

Rory McIlroy's tee shot on the par-three 12th scrapes over the greenside bunker by the skin of its teeth. He cannot convert though, prodding a tentative birdie attempt wide. The Northern Irishman's putter has gone chilly.

Image source, Getty Images

Clubhouse leader Bubba Watson on Twitter:, external It's been a fun 2 days at The Masters! Cool to birdie 5 in a row on the back 9 today!! #MadeCut

Graeme McDowell chalked up a level par opening round which has plenty of promise, but he is looking like he is heading the wrong side of the halfway chop.

The Northern Irishman is six over after a birdie on 15. Double bogeys on one and 11 did the damage to his round.

Freddie Couple has given that every chance at 16, his long birdie putt steering a line just around the trapdoor. He remains on three under.

Rory McIlroy is losing touch though. He misses from five feet on 11 and is out to three over - a full ten shots behind Bubba Watson. He is not so much in the leader's slipstream as a whole horizon behind.

Image source, AP

Rickie Fowler has come in azalea-camouflage pink today. Stealthy. He is one over through 14.