Well that was fun wasn't it? The Masters always seems to deliver and it's happened again this year. Everyone thought this tournament was sunk when Tiger was out and Phil got cut. But that's not the case. Here are some notes and observations after Saturday as you get ready for Sunday.

FRONT NINE

1. Of the top 15 players in contention, the two with the highest scores on Saturday came from the last group. These things happen at Augusta. Bubba Watson shot a 74 to fall back to five under par. John Senden remembered he was John Senden and shot 75 to fall four off the pace.

2. Watson says you can't get upset when you are tied for the lead, but he should be pretty upset. He's the longest hitter out here but he played the Par 5s in two under par on Saturday. Normally that's fine. But he got both of those shots with an eagle on two. He three putted both par 5s on the back. Can't do that on Sunday.

3. Here's what's at stake for Bubba Watson on Sunday: Win two green jackets in three years. Basically immortality at Augusta. The list of players to do that is Horton Smith ('34 & '36); Ben Hogan ('51 & '53); Sam Snead ('52 & '54); Arnold Palmer ('58, '60, '62, '64); Jack Nicklaus ('63, '65, '66); Nick Faldo ('89 & '90); Tiger Woods ('01 & '02); and Phil Mickelson ('04 & '06). So no pressure.

4. Everyone said Jordan Spieth was the next "it" golfer. Well maybe they are right about the 20-year-old. He's tied for the lead after shooting another round of 70. He hasn't broken 70 yet in his first Masters, but he hasn't needed to.

5. Bubba Watson said earlier this week that the key to success here was to hit greens. Jordan Spieth leads the field in that category. Watson is third.

6. Speith front nine scores this week are 35, 35 and 35. His back nine scores are 36, 35 and 35. Not sure what this means, but it looks cool

7. What's at stake for Jordan: At 20 he would be the youngest major champion ever, five months younger than Tiger Woods when he won in 1997. Spieth would also be the first rookie to win here since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

8. Georgia Tech's Matt Kuchar is one shot back at four under. His 68 on Saturday ties for his career low round at the Masters.

9. The first time Kuchar shot 68 here was when he was an amateur in 1998. People predicted then he would win one of these. It hasn't happened yet. But he finished eight last year and third the year before.

BACK NINE

10. So what's at stake for Kuchar? Win his first major and first Masters. Become the second Georgia Tech player to pull it off. Larry Mize was the other in 1987 (Mize made the cut this week, but he's in last place).

11. Jonas Blixt is getting lost in the shuffle. He played one under on Saturday to get in the next to last paring at four under.

12. Blixt has had 54 putts so far this week and is first in putts per greens in regulation. That's how you win here.

13. What's at stake for Jonas? Become the first Swedish player to win a major. And the first game named Jonas. And the first guy named Blixt. So the whole country is at stake. And everyone named Jonas.

14. While we are on the subject of Europeans, how about Miguel Angel Jimenez? The mechanic has the low round of the day of 66. The only other time he did that was in the final round in 2008.

15. It seems like "The most interesting man in golf" is always in contention here, but he's never finished in the top five.

16. What's at stake for  him? Become the oldest man to win a major.  "Because you are 50 does it mean you can play golf?," he joked in the press room afterwards. No it doesn't.

17. Of course Fred Couples could sneak in there and steal that title. He's four off the pace at 54 years old and is tied for 10th. It would be his 12th top 10 finish if it stays that way.

18. Rory McIlroy shot one under on Saturday. He lost to a guy they pulled out of the gallery (ok it was the club champion and a non-competing marker to help keep the pace, but still).