There was a moment on Friday night when it looked like this could have been the most boring golf major in a long time.
Jordan Spieth just birdied to get to eight under par and was cruising. In the same breath, all of his challengers were faltering.
I happen to like Spieth, but his struggles from that point are good. They are good for the game of golf, for this year's Masters, and more importantly my betting account.
It now means that there are several storylines and things to watch out for this Masters weekend, and probably more exciting things to look out for than usual.
The Main Event: Rory McIlroy v Jordan Spieth
In difficult conditions, @JordanSpieth stood strong and held the lead at #themasters for a sixth consecutive round.https://t.co/Bf07uZqb84
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2016
The golfing world has been bigging up the Spieth v McIlroy rivalry. The big two talents in the golfing world are both very young in their careers, and have the talent to win the majority of the next majors in the following decade.
This weekend is the first time that the pair will be in direct competition at the business end of a big tournament. This will be a pivotal moment in their rivalry, and a big chapter in the documentary of the next ten years in golf.
Of course, they aren't the only big guns still in contention...
Big contenders on the edge: Jason Day & Justin Rose
Watching from within striking distance are two of the world's best - Jason Day and Justin Rose. A good Saturday for either Day (+1), or Rose (+2) would leapfrog them into contention and make things even more interesting.
If McIlroy and Spieth start getting into a mental grind with each other - both Day and Rose are good enough to sneak in the backdoor.
Irish Interest: Shane Lowry
Shane Lowry was so good on Thursday, and there were flashes of that on Friday despite his +4 round. He's not too far back, and having Lowry stay in contention would add another element of entertainment for all of us Irish fans.
Next wave: Hideki Matsuyama
Given that I've backed Matsuyama in almost every major for the last 18 months - he would count as one of my favourite golfers. We all have them, players who are good but not good enough to be counted as a main challenger but always seems to be there in the business end hanging on.
Maybe your favourites are Dustin Johnson (E), Angel Cabrera (+2), Brooks Koepka (+1), 0r Bernd Wiesberger (+1) - our favourite random golfers are right there and will get a lot of coverage in the next two rounds.
Old favourite: Bernhard Langer
All majors benefit from a past legend playing well. Whether it's Fred Couples, Tom Watson - or for this 2016 Masters - the two time Masters champion Bernhard Langer.
A dominant player on the senior tour, Langer is playing fantastically well lying at +1. With the weather as bad as it is, it could take a wily veteran to show the young guns how it's done.
A Surge From Nowhere: Bubba Watson & Louis Oosthuizen
Imagine how exciting things would be on Saturday afternoon if two time Masters champion Bubba Watson fired off three or four birdies in a row. A major charge from Bubba would ignite the tournament before McIlroy and Spieth head out onto the course in the final pairing.
We've seen it from Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson to have the lowest score of the day on moving days, and it carries the excitement and momentum into the later hours of play.
Exciting Amateur: Bryson de Chambeau
One of the best things about the 2016 Masters so far has been the ballsy-ness of the young amateur Bryson de Chambeau. Complete with a cap that wouldn't look out of place in an old-style Irish country pub - deChambeau was one of the best performances in the tough conditions on Friday.
He's the Masters version of Paul Dunne's heroics at the Open, and it gets all the more exciting when you think that deChambeau's dream as a kid was to win the Masters - as an amateur.
The American golfer will turn professional next week, let's hope he's someone we hear from in the not too distance future.
