His former school, the University of Florida, won its first NCAA basketball title earlier this week.

Kevin Marsh stares at his ball under a tree in the rough on No. 11. The U.S. Mid-Amateur winner shot double bogey on the hole, one of two he had during Friday's round. He finished tied for 85th. No amateurs made the cut for the first time since 2002 (Ross Taylor/Staff)

That was the extent of Chris DiMarco's good fortune. The final-round escort of the past two Masters Tournament champions carded 2-over-par 74 in Friday's second round to add to an earlier 76.

Later, Gator.

DiMarco missed the cut by two shots, failing to play on the weekend for the first time since 2003 at Augusta National Golf Club. Forty-seven players advanced to the third round with totals of 4 over or better.

Fred Couples kept his consecutive cut streak alive with rounds of 71-70. He owns the longest active run with 22 cuts made at the Masters and can tie Gary Player's all-time record next year.

Eight former Masters champions made the cut, including two-time champion Ben Crenshaw and 1987 winner Larry Mize. Crenshaw (1 under) advanced to the weekend for the first time since 1997, while Mize (3 over) extended his stay for the first time since 2000.

Other players weren't as fortunate. Reigning U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell missed the cut by a stroke, along with Augusta resident Vaughn Taylor. Campbell and Taylor each shot rounds of 75-74.

David Toms was the highest-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking (No. 8) to exit. DiMarco (No. 10), Henrik Stenson (No. 12) and Colin Montgomerie (No. 13) also waved goodbye.

Toms, fourth on this year's PGA Tour money list, shot 78 in the second round to finish at 6 over.

DiMarco entered as one of the favorites. In five previous Masters, he recorded three top-10 finishes.

After an opening 76, he appeared to be getting back on track. He birdied the first two holes Friday, but his round came unraveled with a double bogey at No. 9 and bogeys at Nos. 10, 11, 14 and 16.

Fred Couples holds the record for longest active cut streak; this year makes 22 times in a row he's made it. (Ross Taylor/Staff)

Despite holing out a 6-iron from 177 yards on the 18th, DiMarco was gone.

"It just wasn't meant to be," he said.

The same can be said for other big-name golfers, including John Daly, who took a nine on the par-5 15th and finished at 9 over.

Ben Crane bogeyed the final hole to miss the cut by a shot, and Montgomerie and 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam each bogeyed No. 17 to fall short by one.

For the first time since 2002, no amateurs will be playing on the weekend. With rounds of 80-75, British Amateur champion Brian McElhinney was the top amateur at 11 over.

Edoardo Molinari, the 2005 U.S. Amateur champion, shot 80-77 to finish three ahead of U.S. Amateur runner-up Dillon Dougherty (82-78). U.S. Mid-Amateur winner Kevin Marsh shot 79-81, and U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Clay Ogden shot 83-76.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.