 Harrington has a best Masters finish of fifth in 2002 |
Ireland's Padraig Harrington maintained his fightback from a poor start to be just five off the lead at Augusta. Harrington, 34, was five over after seven holes of his first round but was six under for the next 29 holes and is now one under for the tournament.
Sergio Garcia is three behind his Ryder Cup colleague after a 74, while Jose Maria Olazabal is another shot back.
But Bernhard Langer, Thomas Levet, Henrik Stenson and Paul McGinley all missed the weekend cut.
Garcia, the top-ranked European at sixth in the world, mixed four birdies with four bogeys and a double-bogey.
 |  I'm swinging the club better than I've ever swung it |
Harrington holed a good putt at the last for birdie and was rightly pleased with his effort on Friday.
"After I went to five over I started shooting for birdies, not pars and I stuck to that today," said the Dubliner.
"I tried to stay aggressive. I'm not being ridiculous or anything. It's just picking your shots wisely and playing them.
"I drove it well and got myself into position on every hole. It feels like I could have made more.
"I've worked (with American sports psychologist Bob Rotella) on dealing with adversity. I should have been feeling down at five over, but I stayed positive and came back very strongly. He's very pleased with that.
"I'm swinging the club better than I've ever swung it."
Other Europeans to make the weekend cut, which came at four over, were former Ryder Cup man Thomas Bjorn, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez and US-based Swede Carl Pettersson.
Bjorn, of Denmark, posted a 75 to make the cut on the number, while Pettersson carded a 74 to match Garcia and Jimenez at two over.
No European player has won a major since Scotland's Paul Lawrie won the 1999 Open at Carnoustie, and Olazabal was the last European winner here when he claimed his second Green Jacket also in 1999.
MMIX
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