The Australian is part of the four-way tie at the top of the Masters standings, as Bryson DeChambeau strays again

The buzz returned Friday at Augusta National, as loud as ever.

It was not from any of the sponsors because they are not allowed in this most common Masters in November. It came from the constant hum of the underwater system’s engines under the soft grass in an attempt to make the field a little firmer, much more like your typical April Masters.

“You have to throw all the past knowledge out the window this week, strange as it may be,” said Justin Thomas, who hit a few short-game shots that required confidence and imagination for the rounds of 66-69.

That gave Thomas a piece of the lead with Dustin Johnson (65-70), Cameron Smith (67-68) and Abraham Ancer (68-67), a Masters rookie who doesn’t know the field any other way.

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“A lot of the history and the things you know about the golf course, it can hurt you sometimes this week for what you’re used to,” Thomas said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a lot smoother and a lot more scoring.”

Progress could be measured on greens that started to gain some pace and scoring that didn’t get out of hand.

Johnson, looking like the No. 1 player in the world, made four birdies in the final nine in the morning for a 65, breaking his best round at Augusta by two shots. He birdieed through Amen Corner early in his second round and quickly hit 10 under.

Johnson was stopped by a three-put bogey at 14 and a 3 iron that caught enough gust to fall short at par 5 at 15 and roll back into the water, leading to another bogey.

He finished with a birdie for a 70 and was at the top of the rankings with the others at 9 under 135 when the second round was stopped by darkness, a product of a weather delay at the start of the tournament that has delayed the Masters.

The forecast for the weekend is favorable, warm and mostly sunny.

“I think he can firm up a bit, but it will be difficult for him to become firm,” Johnson said. “I think it will be soft enough that you have to attack the golf course and play aggressive and keep swinging like me. I like where I am. I like my position. “

What that position will be is yet to be determined. Hideki Matsuyama was at 8 with three holes remaining, while Jon Rahm was at 8 under with six holes remaining, including the two par 5s of the last nine.

Another Masters rookie, Sungjae Im (70), was in the group another shot behind that included Patrick Cantlay (66), who competed for the green jacket last year. Cantlay was one of four players to have 66, the lowest score when the game was stopped for the night.

Among those still on the field was Tiger Woods, stuck in neutral one day when the greens picked up a bit more speed and the fall leaves fluttered slightly in some wind. Bryson DeChambeau was struggling to make the cut after a loose ball that led to a triple bogey.

What they have shown in two days is that the Masters experience only goes so far in a soft field with rye grass that is not grown in the way it is normally grown in April.

Thomas offered an example from Friday morning. It was well to the left of the 15th green in two with the pin to the right, leaving a shot that’s normally nearly impossible to hit close. It was with a low, loud tone that he hit the brakes on the hole and smoothly turned to birdie touch range.

“I had to trust that I had to put gas on it and hit it pretty hard and it was going to spin,” Thomas said. “The balls make pitch marks with chip shots and pitch shots.”

Woods left the field Thursday with just three players left. He was tied for 10th when the first round ended, and tied for 22nd when he left Friday night with two birdies on par 5s and bogeys on third and seventh, the latter from a tee shot. Close enough to the Georgia pines that his only shot was hitting a runner in the front bunker.

DeChambeau, the betting favorite of the week due to his massive volume and power off the tee, took a big swing at number 3 and never found the ball. With the altitude in his shots, he could have buried himself under the soft grass. Either way, he got back to the tee and pushed in almost the same spot, made a mess with his throw on the flop and hit a triple bogey.

He followed up with two more bogeys, but was in good position for a birdie to return to par for the tournament.

The cut is in the top 50 and draws, and among those who will stay are young and old: 23-year-old American amateur runner-up John Augenstein and 63-year-old Bernhard Langer. The two-time Masters champion shot 68 in the morning on a long, smooth run. He followed with a 73 and will be the oldest player to make the cut at Augusta National.

“It actually makes me feel older when I play these youngsters and see how far they hit him and how short I hit him,” Langer said. “I like this golf course. I think I know how to get around it, even though I hit very long clubs. But it’s certainly not easy. “

It was tough enough for Rory McIlroy, who started with a 75 and was in jeopardy on the weekend off until he bounced back with a 66 to at least get back in the mix in his quest for the final stretch of his career Grand Slam.