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Mark O'Meara turns back the clock, turns up the heat

Tiger Woods, left, hugs, Mark O'Meara after their practice round for the Masters golf tournament Monday, April 6, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Tiger Woods, left, hugs, Mark O'Meara after their practice round for the Masters golf tournament Monday, April 6, 2015, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

AUGUSTA, Ga. — It's been a good couple of days for Mark O'Meara, Masters champion and soon-to-be Golf Hall of Fame inductee.

The 58-year-old O'Meara made his first cut at Augusta National since 2005 on Friday, posting a 4-under 68 to move to 3-under for the tournament.

O'Meara has been so far under the radar in these parts that he only showed up in photos at the Masters this year while in the company of Tiger Woods. There's a reason for that: O'Meara has played every year here with the exception of 2012, but simply hasn't come through.

O'Meara is one of those Masters champions who got hot once, exactly at the right time. He has only one top-3 finish and two top-5 finishes, his best being that 1998 win.

But in Augusta, one green jacket grants you immortality.

O'Meara finished Thursday's round at 1-over, leaving him in decent position but nothing spectacular. However, he crafted a fine round on Friday, recording early birdies on 5 and 6, then 12 and 15 late. He finished out the round at 3-under, good enough for a tie for fifth at the time he walked off 18.

Sure, Jordan Spieth is about three miles and almost four decades ahead of him, but so what? For the first time in a decade, Mo has to free up a weekend to play at Augusta.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.

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