The Ghost of Masters Past struck Friday as Charley Hoffman proved once again that no first-round lead is safe in the season's first major, not even for 24 hours. 

    After his masterful 7-under pounding of Augusta National on Thursday, giving him a seemingly comfortable four-stroke lead, Charley bolted right out of the gate yesterday with a birdie at No. 2 to go 8 under, then collapsed under the pressure and the wind and the chill to finish with 75 and drop into a deadlock with Sergio Garcia, Thomas Pieters and Rickie Fowler at 4 under. And, as the man said long ago, the battle is joined.

     Sergio had a chance to distance himself from the field after birdies at the first three holes, but he, too, couldn't sustain it for 18 holes, taking three bogeys and three birdies the rest of the way.

    Within hailing distance of the leaders at 1 under are ageless Freddie Couples (73-73-143), Justin Rose (71-72) and Adam Scott (75-69), while Phil Mickelson had it to 3 under at one stage but wound up at even-par 144 (71-73). Both Seminoles made the plus-6 cut, Brooks Koepka with 74-73-147, 3 over, and Daniel Berger with 77-73-150, 6 over. There were 53 players left for the weekend.

    Emiliano Grillo righted himself after an opening 79 with a 2-under 70 for 149 and is tied for 35th. Aside from Couples, three others from the Champions Tour made the cut, Ernie Els (+3), Steve Stricker (+4) and Larry Mize (+6). The rest of the aged set will be watching on TV today, along with such stalwarts as Jim Furyk, Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson and Patrick Reed.  

        

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