Ben Coley's daily bankers have both won this week, so make sure you find out where his money is going ahead of day three at Augusta.
The Masters couldn't possibly serve up the dream scenario - something had to give, because something always does. In the end, it was the veterans who exited as first Phil Mickelson and then Tiger Woods gave themselves virtually no chance of contending, their respective bids for more green tailoring ended by the iconic 12th hole.
But virtually all others who came here boasting outstanding credentials have kept their names in the conversation. For Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson, moving day had to come early and it did, their respective rounds of 67 and 68 enough to earn places inside the top 10. For Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, it was a case of clinging on and fighting back to ensure that they enter the weekend inside the top five.
Out in front is Patrick Reed, who has to this point been outstanding. Reed birdied half of the holes at Augusta yesterday, an astonishing feat given some impossible pin placements, and so far has done what most Masters champions do: taken care of the par-fives and got hot, more than once, to earn a two-shot advantage. He's made 14 birdies, four more than anyone else, and under fairer conditions might even be a bet at 3/1.
Reed is joined in the final group by Marc Leishman, who produced a shot which left even Tiger Woods gobsmacked. Leishman's approach to the 15th was audacious and brilliant, made even more so by the fact that he's rarely audacious, rarely brilliant. The Australian is a quiet, solid performer who gets the job done without ruffling feathers; the contrast in styles with Reed guarantees and enthralling final two-ball.
What's most fascinating, though, is the depth to the challenge. While the final group shows no major wins, even if Leishman has gone very close in the past, each of the preceding five boasts at least one major winner, all this decade. The top of the leaderboard is upside-down and richer for it, some serious cats and mice ready to fight.
Throw in a wet and wild forecast and it's easy to understand why Reed, a front-runner who is usually so hard to reel in, can be backed at 3/1. The job is only half done and he'll need to improve hugely on a disappointing effort when last he held a share of a lead in a major, which came three summers ago at Chambers Bay. It may be that all he needs to retain his advantage is a 72, but such numbers will be hard to come by.
Leishman is arguably better equipped to deal with mother nature and certainly more hardened to this type of situation, so of the two he's much preferred at 7/1. However, I wouldn't even rule out 200/1 compatriot Cameron Smith at this stage and there's little temptation to get involved, especially with Thomas, Louis Oosthuizen and Hideki Matsuyama all within striking distance.
Instead, let's try to crack the two-ball coupon before re-assessing the state of play again in the morning.
Banker
Two names stand out, and they've already done us a favour this week. Russell Henley is 10/11 with a couple of firms to beat Hao-tong Li, while Ryan Moore can be backed at 5/6 to see off Jhonattan Vegas just as he did on Thursday.
The fact that Moore and Vegas are paired together of course demonstrates that Vegas levelled the scores yesterday and he did so thanks to one of the few sub-70 rounds, his first at Augusta. Given that his ball-striking improved markedly from one round to the next while Moore's depreciated, perhaps we should cut and run and hope that Moore does enough to secure a top-20 place come Sunday night.
Henley, on the other hand, looks an excellent bet at 10/11 to beat Li, who hit just six greens on Friday. The Chinese yet again displayed the fabulous attitude which will help him go far in the game, but his is one which relies on quality iron play and it was disconcerting to see him struggle so much from tee-to-green.
Meanwhile, Henley ranks T7 for greens hit at the halfway stage at a course where he boasts a proven, progressive record, and providing his energy levels don't suffer after he became a father earlier this week, there's every hope he can do the business.
Henley shot 73 on Thursday and 72 on Friday and I suspect a repeat of either score will be enough. He also ended on a high, playing the last four holes in four-under, and his victory in the Honda Classic a couple of years ago tells us all we need to know about his ability to cope with difficult conditions.
Back the local man to beat the debutant at 5/6 and upwards.
Next best
As mentioned above, Marc Leishman might be better equipped than Patrick Reed to deal with today's weather conditions and at 6/5 looks a solid bet to produce the lower score.
Leishman has much more experience contending for majors, hasn't had to sleep on the lead, and on each of the three previous occasions he's been paired with Reed, he's outscored the American.
With the better course history to go with the above factors, plus more recent winning experience, he's probably entitled to be favourite despite the fact that Reed has shaded things to this point.
Others to consider
It's risky taking on a player like Fred Couples, who knows every inch of Augusta, but reports suggest his back is a serious problem which may even force his retirement and as the week goes on, we may see more evidence of that.
Colder weather could also be an issue so 5/4 about Satoshi Kodaira, who played well yesterday and should've won his three-ball against Vijay Singh and Daniel Berger, is worth considering. The Japanese is playing well and could win this one by default.
Zach Johnson won the 2007 Masters under foul conditions and is therefore shortlisted against Hideki Matsuyama at 13/8, while Charley Hoffman's Augusta expertise may entitle him to be shorter than evens to beat the inexperienced Cameron Smith.
