By David Kraft
 ESPN.com
 Friday, April 6
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The 12th at Augusta National is legendary. Friday, it was decisive in shaping up the weekend at the 65th Masters.

No. 12 at a glance
Average 3.000
Rank 9
Eagles 0
Birdies 21
Pars 53
Bogeys 13
Double-bogeys 4
Others 0

Chris DiMarco came to the 12th hole and made birdie for the second straight day. So did Steve Stricker and David Duval.

Lee Janzen made bogey. So did Angel Cabrera.

Phil Mickelson made double-bogey after spinning his ball back into Rae's Creek.

Tiger Woods just settled for par.

The usually demonic par-3 played easy on Friday. It gave up 21 birdies; last year, it gave up only 32 over four days. It was the ninth-easiest hole on the course on Friday -- something that's almost unheard of at Augusta. The field average was an even 3.00.

But the hole known as Golden Bell was especially costly for Mickelson, who had recovered from an early bogey with four front-nine birdies. He'd bogeyed the 10th, however, before standing up at 12.

"I think that having the mistake happen on 12 was important for me," Mickelson said. "It opens my eyes to how challenging that hole could be."

Mickelson had 154 yards and hit an 8-iron. The slight wind didn't help his shot as it hit on the front edge of the putting surface and trickled back.

DiMarco used a 7-iron and dropped a 30-foot putt for his second birdie in two days at the 12th. And he isn't about to get greedy.

"I've been extremely lucky to play that hole in four shots the first two days," he said. "I'll take two 3s the rest of the week, I'll promise you that."

There is no gallery around the 12th green. Instead, fans are back around the tee. So the players get some peace and quiet -- and a delayed reaction when something goes right.

"I saw it go in and it was cool, like a two-second delay," DiMarco said. "I had raised my putter and it was in and then two seconds later, everybody roared."




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