Justin Rose's triple bogey on the par-5 15th hole, followed up by another bogey on No. 16, sealed his scorecard's fate for the round. (How/Getty Images)

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WEATHER FORECAST: It's supposed to rain on Saturday. Maybe a lot. Or maybe just a little. Either way, it could affect the schedule, as well as give the "foul-weather" guys a chance to move up the leaderboard.

A weakening cold front is expected to move through the Augusta area on Friday night and Saturday morning. Light showers are expected much of the morning, although a thunderstorm is not out of the realm of possibility as the third round tees off at 10:50 a.m.

Defending champion Zach Johnson was even asked about the possibility of playing 36 holes on Sunday if the weather wipes out all of Saturday's action.

"Well, no one wants to play 36 holes on this course in one day, period. It's not any bargain, regardless of who you are or where you are," he said. " We're all going to have to go through it. I guess the weather is coming in tonight, they're saying. If it stays, I've heard it's a pretty significant band of junk."

Ah, junk weather. Doesn't sound very good.

But it may not be as bad as some people were making it out to be. The skies are expected to clear around 2 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon, with the temperatures rising into the 70s. It will be windy, too, with gusts to 20 mph. That should lend spice to the proceedings as Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker leave the No. 1 tee in the final group at 2:40 p.m.

Mother Nature appears to be more cooperative on Sunday as the rain is well to the East. It will be cool, though, with highs in the low 60s and winds gusting to 25 mph. -- Helen Ross (8:56 p.m.)

Gregory

ENTER D.J. GREGORY: D.J. Gregory, who has been following a different player each week on the PGA TOUR, is walking with Bubba Watson this week at Augusta National. One of Watson's playing partners, Sergio Garcia, had never met Gregory, who has cerebral palsy and walks with a cane. The Spaniard gave the 29-year-old Gregory one of his golf balls and came away impressed.

"Sergio (didn't) know who he is," Watson said. "So I explained to him who he was and he was following me this week and doing a story on me. ... And he said, man, sometimes when I hit bad shots and I get mad, you just got to look over and say like, man, this guy's fighting it every day.

"Every day it's hard for him and he keeps doing it every day. And to play the golf and to walk these golf courses, you know, I mean trying to do every one, it's unbelievable."

Gregory also writes a blog for PGATOUR.COM that is published every Wednesday. He writes about his experiences, as well as his interviews each week with the player he follows.

One of the sportswriters wondered aloud if Gregory's questions were good. Watson said, "Yeah, and I just lie, lie as much as I can. Same thing I do to y'all." -- Helen Ross (8:45 P.M.)

ROYAL MELTDOWN: Justin Rose called it simply a "20-second lapse in concentration." And about 10 agonizing minutes later, the young and forlorn Englishman walked away from the 15th hole with a triple-bogey 8.

Rose, who had started the second round in a tie for the lead, admittedly was struggling a bit when he came to the tough and tempestuous par 5. He was 2 over for the day and 2 under for the tournament at the time. "In hindsight, I should have gone for the green," Rose said. "But one of those things, I laid up way too close to that green, and the way they grow the grain into you, I had a bit of a tricky lie and no yardage at all. So that was hard."

Rose hit his wedge fat and watched dejectedly as the ball plopped into the pond which guards the front of the green. He took a drop and hit his fifth well over the green, chipped on and two-putted for the triple. "That just proved I struggled with my concentration today," he said. "It was such a long round. Coming in (the) last (group) is tough, and there's a lot of noise going on. That's what I found really tough coming in. I don't know if I didn't quite work my way around, but I was struggling out there.

"It was a tough finish." Rose had chances at the 13th and 14th holes, but he didn't make a birdie all day, and the 78 he shot was 10 strokes higher than his opening round. The man who contended until the 71st hole last year is now tied for 26th at 2-over par.

"Obviously, I come in and there's plenty to play for sometimes, even if you're not meant to win," Rose said. "But yeah, obviously, it's not going to be the exciting weekend I was looking forward to -- exciting Saturday, anyway -- I was looking forward to." -- Helen Ross (8:40 p.m.)

Thompson

BAD BREAK FOR THOMPSON: Amateur Michael Thompson, grinding to make the cut, couldn't cut himself any slack Friday at the Masters Tournament, and missed playing on the weekend by three shots after shooting a 6-over-par 78.

Thompson, the U.S. Amateur runner-up, was addressing a birdie putt on the par-5 15th hole when his ball moved. Because he had grounded his club, he was deemed to have caused the ball to move and had to call a one-shot penalty on himself. He ended up with a bogey. Then he bogeyed the next two holes. Thompson ended up at 7-over 151, three over the cutline.

"It definitely affected me a little," said Thompson, 23, a senior at the University of Alabama. "It really turned my round, turned the momentum against me. It was very unfortunate, but I'm sure it's happened many a time before here. These greens are super fast."

Thompson was asked if he should be lauded for his honesty. It happened to him once before in high school and he did the same thing. It's part of the game, he shrugged.

"That's just the part that brings out the best in people and also brings out the worst when people don't obey the rules," he said. "It's just a part of any game. You've got to follow the rules, especially out here in front of all these people. I don't want to create a bad image about myself, and that's just something that you just have to do."

Ben Crenshaw said he had a lot of respect for the young amateur as a player and person.

"He handled himself beautifully," said the two-time Masters champion, who played two days with Thompson and Nick O'Hern of Australia. "I turned away. I was trying to get out of his line when he was putting. But he claimed that he grounded the club. And it was at a very critical juncture too. Because he had hit a beautiful approach shot in there. He's looking at birdie, and he knows he's right on the cut line too. -- Dave Shedloski (7:30 p.m.)

THE 60S CLAUSE: History says never count out Tiger Woods in any major. But history at the Masters says that Tiger never wins if he doesn't post at least one of his first two rounds in the 60s.

Check out the chart below. Of his four wins, he has always managed a second round in the 60s. But unless he turns it up a notch down the stretch this afternoon -- he was 1 over on his round through 10 holes -- he won't get into the 60s today.

In fact, Tiger is staring at his 11th consecutive round at Augusta National in the 70s. He hasn't been in the 60s since shooting 65 in the third round of 2005 -- a round that positioned him for his fourth win here. -- (5:48 p.m.)

UPDATE (7:32): Tiger did indeed fail to get into the 60s, finishing up Friday with a 1-under 71. That leaves him nine shots out of the lead heading into the weekend.

'WHITE' KNIGHT WILL RETURN: Dressed head to toe in white, golf's Black Knight, Gary Player, promised another joust with Augusta National Golf Club.

Playing in his record 51st Masters, Player said Friday after missing the cut that he would return next year as a competitor.

"I didn't say anything to anybody, but I said it to myself that if I broke 80, I would come back to play again," Player, 72, said after shooting a 6-over-par 78 Friday for a 17-over 161 aggregate score, last among the 94 players in the field.

Player didn't make a birdie Friday, but he also didn't score worse than bogey on the 7,445-yard course. "For me to shoot 78, it's a tough golf course, and I'm happy with that result," he said. "Next year, I will come back a little stronger. -- Dave Shedloski (5:45 p.m.)

Singh

"IN THE SHADOWS: Vijay Singh is lurking.

He's at 1-under for the tournament, seven shots off the lead after rounds of 72-71. And lurking -- staying in touch with the lead -- is one of the best parts of his game. "I could have made a lot more birdies today,'' he said. "I had a lot of chances from inside 10 feet, and I converted maybe one of them out of seven. So I needed to make one or two more today.

"I hadn't been putting badly. It's just that in your head, you know the greens are so fast, but obviously they're not, so you're not putting a perfect stroke on it.''

Singh backed up his 2000 win here with a tie for 18th in 2001, then finished no worse than eighth here the following five years.

"I'm not overly excited about 1-under (start), but I'm not disappointed either,'' he said. "I know this golf course. I know what it can be like, but I need to play well on the weekend, I cannot go out there and shoot a par score. " -- Melanie Hauser (5:35 p.m.)

MENTAL ERRORS: Tom Watson was impressed with playing partner Brandt Snedeker, who is one stroke off the clubhouse lead at 7 under after two rounds. "He has wonderful imagination, and you have to have that here," said the man with two Green Jackets.

Watson wasn't, however, as pleased by his own performance at Augusta National. A pair of 75s sent him packing for the 11th time in the last 13 years.

The third hole may have epitomized the frustration of the 58-year-old Watson. He received a penalty there for playing his ball from the wrong spot, a violation of Rule 20-7C.

"I am getting old," said the 58-year-old Watson. "Last year I hit the wrong ball by mistake and today I forgot to move my ball back when I moved the coin for a two-stroke penalty. So I'm getting old. I'm losing strokes the easy way by doing stupid things."-- Helen Ross (5:02 p.m.)

Wagner

NOT SHELL-SHOCKED: The smile hasn't left Johnson Wagner's face since he closed the deal on his first PGA TOUR win last Sunday at the Shell Houston Open and received his invitation to the Masters.

He finally saw his winning putt on TV and admits he got "teary-eyed." Same deal when he opened up Golf World and Golfweek magazines and saw Titleist's full-page ads congratulating him on the victory.

So far, the week's been a dream. From Monday and Wednesday practice rounds with David Toms and Drew Weaver -- he played with Brandt Snedeker on Tuesday -- to skipping it across the pond at 16. "I was only successful on one of five tries,'' he said.

And now he may have a spot in the field for the weekend. At least that's the way it was looking early this afternoon after he finished at 2-over for the first two rounds.

No matter what, he never wants "to miss another one,'' Wagner said. "I want to keep coming back until they say I can't play here anymore." -- Melanie Hauser (4:51 p.m.)

CORNER CHAOS: Trust us. Mark Calcavecchia wasn't shouting "Amen!" after exiting the famous corner.

Calc went bogey, quadruple-bogey, double-bogey on the famous 11th, 12th and 13th holes Friday to shoot himself out of the weekend. That's 7-over in three holes -- from 1-over to 8-over in a blink. Then for good measure, he bogeyed the 14th to go 9-over.

At the 12th, he hit two in the water, then after he got what would be his fifth shot to stay up, he reached for his ballmarker. He couldn't get it out of his pocket and was so mad, he ripped the pocket.

Calcavecchia was in good shape entering Friday after an opening 73, but the 80 sent him to the locker room to pack his bags. -- Melanie Hauser (4:44 p.m.)

Cink

TOUGH 16TH HOLE: Stewart Cink's only bogey on his 3-under 69 card came on the 170-yard par-3 16th. The pin placement didn't exactly sit well with the three-time Presidents Cup player who's still seeking his first major championship.

"It's tricky to figure out the distance, and then if you just bail by five feet, you have what I had -- which is the putt from the upper shelf that's impossible to get within 10 feet," Cink said. "It's almost a questionable pin placement, but you know it's there. I didn't handle that one too well. There will be a lot of three-putts from up above that hole."

Brandt Snedeker shot a 4-under 68, and like Cink, his only bogey was at 16. He blamed the miscue on poor club selection, as he used a 9-iron.

"Should've been an 8-iron," he said. -- (4:40 p.m.)

"BOO," SAID THE HAWK: Just as Boo Weekley was about to draw back on a shot on the par-4 17th, he had an unwelcomed visitor -- a hawk flying above, casting a distracting shadow. Fortunately for Weekley, it happened early enough that he could stop, step back and regroup.

"The moment was right when he came over, so I just figured I should back away now," Weekley said. Then he added: "If it was an eagle, it would have been great. Last year I needed a couple of eagles."

Weekley parred the hole on his way to a 2-over 74 that left him 2 over for the tournament. -- 4:22 p.m. ET

LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT: Steve Flesch is one of six lefthanders playing in the Masters this week. Like that other famous lefty, Phil Mickelson, Flesch started playing golf because his father did. Mickelson, though, is naturally right-handed but began playing golf from the other side because he'd stand across from his dad on the range and mimic him.

Flesch's story is the opposite -- in more ways than one. He started out playing right-handed, as his father did. When he played baseball, though, he batted left-handed and Flesch started wondering why he didn't play both sports the same way.

"Finally when I was ten years old, we were playing (golf) with my uncle who was left-handed and I said, "Hey, let me hit one of yours," and I hit it and it just felt more natural," Flesch said. "That's when it started. I switched over then. But nobody has tried to change me since." -- Helen Ross (4:17 p.m.)

BREAK OUT THE PELZ-O-METER: Dave Pelz, the short-game guru who works with Phil Mickelson, brought along his Pelzmeter to Augusta National Golf Club this week to help the two-time Masters champion prepare for the speeds of the famed greens.

Pelz broke out his own contraption for measuring green speeds at last year's U.S. Open at Oakmont, rather than rely on the antiquated Stimpmeter, which was invented in 1935 by Edward Stimpson, a Harvard graduate. Pelz, a former NASA scientist who now runs a series of short-game schools bearing his name, invented a device that measures both the speed and slope of the greens to better calibrate speeds.

He knows how fast Augusta's greens are running, but he wasn't saying.

"I can't tell you that," Pelz said Friday afternoon as Mickelson made the turn in 3 under par for the round and 4 under for the tournament. Because he works exclusively with Mickelson, he doesn't divulge the information he collects.

Pelz said he is planning on opening a seventh short-game school this summer, this one in Dublin, Ireland. It will be the first Dave Pelz Short Game School based outside the U.S. Pelz plans to visit Dublin for the grand opening June 15 before flying to San Diego for the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. -- Dave Shedloski (2:02 p.m.)

Woods

TIGER MOMENTS: Just after noon, caddy Stevie Williams was relaxing under the veranda at the clubhouse, chatting with Greg McLaughlin, president of the Tiger Woods Foundation, and other friends dropping by.

An hour later, he and a very focused Tiger Woods headed back across the lawn -- from a short stint on the putting green -- and headed for the driving range. Those chatting on the lawn moved aside as he's escorted by deputies.

He didn't get what he wanted during Thursday's round. The look on his face said he's ready to change that today. -- Melanie Hauser (1:43 p.m.)

TREE TALK: The talk under the tree this morning? The pollen.

With the wind blowing up, it was hailing those squiggly pollen filled things from the trees. In fact, you had to put your hand up to shield your face when a gust hit. It's as much a part of Augusta as the deals done under the tree and the people you see.

And, yes, everyone -- players included -- are brushing them out of their hair all day long. -- Melanie Hauser (1:43 p.m.)

SEEN ON THE VERANDA: LPGA Hall of Famer and one of the LPGA founders Louise Suggs, sitting quietly by the door waiting for legendary writer Dan Jenkins. Suggs was honored Wednesday night by the Golf Writers Association of America with the organization's William D. Richardson Award. The award is given for outstanding contributions to golf. -- Melanie Hauser (1:43 p.m.)

Flesch

FLESCH'S CLIMB: Steve Flesch was quietly climbing the leaderboard on Friday -- but he really made his presence known when he eagled the 13th hole after a precise 3-iron settled 30 inches from the pin.

Taking a page from Zach Johnson's winning strategy last year, Flesch hadn't planned on going for the green on any of the par-5s. When his drive left him with only 200 yards to the front, though, he couldn't resist temptation.

"So I hit a 3-iron, aimed it right at the pin," Flesch said. "The hard part being left-handed is the lie is hanging so much there off that side hill. So yeah, I made a good swing, I hit it flush and I actually thought when it landed on the green it went over because I gave my club back to the caddie and then all of a sudden you could hear the crowd kind of groaning a little bit and I saw it roll down there a couple feet from the hole.

"But I actually thought it was over the green. That pin was so is far back there I didn't realize you could get it back there and still have it where I did.

That eagle on the aptly named "Azalea" boosted Flesch to 4 under for the day, and for the tournament, and moved him within two strokes of leaders Brandt Snedeker and Trevor Immelman. A birdie on the 15th hole, called Firethorn, brought the 40-year-old from Kentucky even closer to the top spot.

Flesch, who is competing in his fourth Masters, played the par-5s in 5-under on Friday. He only made one birdie on a par 5 during the first round. -- Helen Ross (1:36 p.m.)

WORK AHEAD FOR COUPLES: Fred Couples has made 23 consecutive cuts, the longest active streak at the Masters. In fact, if he makes the cut today, he'll break a tie with Gary Player for most consecutive cuts of all time. But after a disappointing 76 in his opening round, he'll have plenty of work to do this afternoon to reach 24.

Couples came into Augusta National with a hot hand after a T4 finish at the Shell Houston Open, including his final three rounds of 69, 67 and 66. And considering this is a place that generally serves him well -- not only did he win in 1992, but he's had two top-10 finishes the past four years -- some people even had him as a sleeper pick to win the tournament.

But Couples said he misclubbed several shots Thursday, leading to his "mediocre" round. As for Friday? "I hope I'm not back on the same drag where I don't feel good," Couples said. -- (1:50 p.m.)

Marksaeng

MARKSAENG WITHDRAWS: Despite battling an ailing back, Prayad Marksaeng had hoped to complete his second round at his first Masters. Unfortunately, the pain became too intense and Marksaeng withdrew after shooting 42 on the front nine Friday.

"If this wasn't the Masters, I wouldn't have teed it up," Marksaeng said.

Marksaeng was practicing in Atlanta last week when he felt a twinge in his back. The pain started in his abdomen and went through to his lower back. He was only able to play nine holes on Monday and Tuesday, and he didn't play at all on Wednesday.

By Friday morning, he was having trouble bending over to address the ball.

"I tried to get some relief by soaking in a hot tub and using ice packs the last few days, but on the golf course, it's not good at all," Marksaeng said. -- Helen Ross (1:29 p.m.)

WAGNER'S COMEBACK: Johnson Wagner might be a first-time competitor in the Masters, but he hung tough Friday like a veteran after a horrendous start to his second round.

Wagner pumped his opening drive so far right that he nearly hit the media center some 40 yards off the course. "Someone, I can't remember who, said they had never seen a ball so far right before," Wagner said with a laugh.

The ball was not out of bounds but was amid numerous trees, and it took him two strokes to punch out to the fairway. After reaching the green with his fourth, he three-putted.

"I think I have five three-putts on the first four holes in two days," noted Wagner, who earned a last-minute berth in the Masters when he won last week's Shell Houston Open. "I mean, that's where I've been losing shots this week so far."

But he didn't, on balance, lose any more strokes. Wagner played his last 11 holes in 3 under par, and scraped out a 2-over-par 74 -- a stroke better in relation to par than what he scored on the first hole. When he putted out on 18 he stood in 35th place at 2-over 146.

"It was a pretty good effort after I got going," Wagner said. "After the first hole, I did OK." -- Dave Shedloski (1:22 p.m.)

THE NEXT PLAYER? Now that Gary Player has passed Arnold Palmer for most Masters starts at 51, is it possible somebody could one day supplant Player atop the record book? Most definitely. Raymond Floyd made his 44th start this week, and at age 65, he's seven years younger than Player. Ben Crenshaw (37) and Tom Watson (35) also should have plenty of Masters starts left.

Asked if he had 14 more starts in him, Crenshaw replied: "I don't know. I hope so."

Player himself thinks that "somebody will come along and break 51 one day, I guess." Of course, that's assuming he'll end his playing career at Augusta National. Considering how fit he is at age 72, that may not happen anytime soon. (1:08 p.m.)

AMATEUR UPDATE: Alabama's Michael Thompson, who has just teed off, appears to be the lone amateur with a shot to make the cut, win the Sterling Silver Cup and make an appearance with the winner in the Butler Cabin on Sunday.

Thompson shot a 73 in his first round, while Drew Weaver, the reigning British Amateur champion from Virginia Tech, shot a 76 and U.S. Mid-Am champion Trip Kuehne opened with a 78. Weaver and Kuehne teed off early on Friday, with both going backward on the leaderboard.

Not since Ryan Moore tied for 13th in 2005 has an amateur made the cut at the Masters. -- Helen Ross (12:25 p.m.)