If you live beyond the Asian Rim and find yourself wondering who Toshi Izawa is, you're not alone.

Judging by the contingent of Japanese media who lined up five deep to interview him behind the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, the 32-year-old Izawa appears to have quite a following in the Far East.

For the rest of the world, round two of the 65th Masters Tournament was Izawa's coming-out party, and don't be surprised to learn more and more about the Japanese PGA Tour veteran in the coming days.

Entering today's third round of the Masters, Izawa is tied with Steve Stricker, Lee Janzen and Angel Cabrera for fourth place after shooting a 6-under par 66 Friday, a number he shares with two others for the best round of the day.

``It was a tremendous round today and quite exciting,'' Izawa said through an interpreter. ``My tee shots were good and my second shots were good, too.''

After finishing at 1-under in his Masters debut Thursday, Izawa found a groove in the early stages of the second round and it carried him for most of the day.

Izawa followed four birdies on the front nine with birdies at the back nine's two par-5 holes - Nos. 13 and 15. His lone setback came when he made bogey at No. 17, but he finished strong with his seventh birdie of the day at No. 18 to go to 7-under for the tournament.

After seven years and seven career victories on the Japanese PGA Tour, Izawa made his PGA Tour debut last season with a tie for 39th at the PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Ky.

Izawa's first big splash on American soil actually came in February, when he finished tied for second at the Nissan Open, where he and four others lost in a playoff to Robert Allenby. He earned his first trip to Augusta by virtue of a spot in the top 50 in the World Golf Ranking four weeks before the Masters.

At 5-foot-7, 155 pounds, Izawa never will be confused with his larger Japanese contemporary, Jumbo Ozaki, who has 19 Masters appearances to his credit. But with another round like Friday's, the nickname ``Junior Jumbo'' can't be too far behind.

``I feel like I will be relaxed tomorrow and perform as well as I did today,'' Izawa said. ``(The course) is a lot of fun, but very difficult.''