The possibility of a Big Four showdown remained in play as three members of the hyped quartet kept themselves in contention after completing the suspended second round Saturday.

But Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson were all looking up at Chris DiMarco, who continues to show that the Augusta National Golf Club layout suits his game. DiMarco shot his second straight 5-under-par 67 to give him a four-shot lead over Thomas Bjorn.

DiMarco and 90 other players returned to the course at 8:30 a.m. Saturday to complete the second round, which was suspended Friday afternoon because of bad weather. Fifty golfers made the cut of 4-over par.

Those not so lucky included Sergio Garcia, Davis Love III and Augusta native Charles Howell. Also not making the cut was Jack Nicklaus, who later announced that this was his last competitive round at the Masters.

For DiMarco, the competition is just heating up, something he is very much aware of.

"There's a lot of holes out there and a lot of great players behind me, so I have to stay patient, stay focused," said the University of Florida grad.

Among those great players chasing him are three of the top four players in the Official World Golf Ranking - Singh (No. 1), Woods (No. 2) and Mickelson (No. 4), who have won four of the past five green jackets.

After a first round that saw him putt off the green into the water and hit an approach shot that caromed off a pin and bounced into a bunker, Woods shot the low score of the competition through the second round with a blistering 6-under-par 66. He finished the round in third place at 4-under par, six shots off the lead.

Singh and Mickelson kept themselves in the hunt, finishing the round in fourth- and sixth-place ties, respectively. Only Ernie Els, ranked third in the world, is on the outside looking in at 4-over par.

But it was DiMarco and Bjorn who stole the spotlight in the second round. Bjorn, at 6-under par, made eagles on Nos. 13 and 15 - only the ninth player to make two eagles in the same round - on his way to 5-under-par 67.

Taking the early lead at the Masters is old hat for DiMarco, who led after 18 and 36 holes in 2001. He eventually finished tied for 10th, but hopes for a better outcome this year.

"I like that up there," DiMarco said, looking up at the leaderboard on No. 18. "Obviously, I feel good. I just have to go out and control myself and stay focused and control my nerves and try to do what I've been doing."

Reach Mike Wynn at (706) 823-3218 or mike.wynn@augustachronicle.com.