CHARGING TO THE FRONT

Tiger Woods catches a toss from his caddy as he gets ready to putt on the 6th hole during the second round of the Masters on Friday. Woods shot a 75 to make the cut, but is 13 strokes back of the lead.

Atlanta Journal-constitution/tns photos Patrick Reed hits from a bunker on the 12th hole during the second round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday in Augusta, Ga. Reed shot the day’s low round of 66, good enough for a two-shot lead over Marc Leishman.

to win as many times (adding two more titles to his PGA Tour stash). Or officially climb to top five status (currently No. 24, he got as high as seventh in the world in 2016).

Part of the reason Reed stalled in the rankings had to be his performance in the majors, where has no top-10 finishes in 12 previous starts. And despite the passing familiarity with Augusta National – as in he passed it all the time in college, and played there on occasion, too – his four previous Masters have been forgettable. Two missed cuts and finishes of 22nd and 49th.

This was some different kind of Reed out there on Friday, mass producing nine birdies on a day when they weren’t obviously that easy to come by. (Ask defending Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who backed up his opening round 81 with a 78 Friday, missing the cut explosively).

It was for Reed his best-ever Masters round, by a whopping four strokes.

The plan for the weekend: “Got to continue to go out and shoot in the 60s and play good golf,” Reed said. Simple as that.