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-7: DeChambeau
-6: Scheffler
-5: Hojgaard, Homa
-4: Davis (4), Willett
-3: Shipley -a- (3), Fox
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… and we’re back. Twelve hours and six minutes ago, the hooter went for close of play at the end of a rain-delayed first day at Augusta National. Now all of the lads who weren’t able to finish their opening round are out again early doors; meanwhile back on the 1st tee, we’ll have the start of the second round. Friday promises to be another Homeric odyssey, but if Tiger can make it around 23 holes in 24 hours so can we, therefore we’ll be blogging ♫♪ all day looooooonng♫♪. Today’s second-round tee times can be found by perusing the far right-hand column of this, while here’s how the leader board looks going into the day …
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-7: DeChambeau (F)
-6: Scheffler (F)
-5: Hojgaard (15)
-4: Willett (F), Homa (13)
-3: Fox (F), Davis (F), Hatton (14)
-2: Conners (F), An (F), Niemann (F), Zalatoris (F), Reed (14), Pavon (14), Aberg (11), Fleetwood (10)
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It’s on!
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It’s been an awful day for Viktor Hovland. That farcical tree-bothering two-penalty triple-bogey at 2 set the tone, and though it looked as though he’d saved himself from the cut with birdie at 13, he handed the shot back on the very next hole and now at 15 … oh dear. A short par putt lips out on the left and stops behind the hole. He then goes to flick the one coming back into the hole, only to whip it wide right from an inch or so. A double bogey, and at +8 his week is over. He allows himself the briefest of wry smiles, before a crestfallen look consumes him. A few lessons learned the hard way today.
Scottie Scheffler’s tee shot into 16 is grabbed by the slope, his ball running downwards, the pin at the top of the green. He leaves his first putt six feet short, but makes good with the second to save his par. Xander Schauffele finds the bunker at the top of the green, and needs a work of art if he’s to hold his ball anywhere near the pin, shortsided at the apex of a treacherous slide. But he elegantly splashes out onto the fringe, taking all the sting out of the dropping ball, which rolls serenely to kick-in distance. That’s a work of minor genius. And a third par in the group goes to Rory McIlroy, though given the way his day has gone, of course it’s the most disappointing. The best of the three tee shots, eight feet from the flag, but the putt never looks like dropping. He’s not made a birdie all day. Scheffler, Schauffele and McIlroy are -6, +1 and +4 respectively.
Jon Rahm has responded well to that double-bogey outrage on 14. That birdie at 15, and now a monster raked across 16 to move back inside the cutline at +4. He holds a defiant fist in the air, determination rather than delight. Par meanwhile for his partner Matt Fitzpatrick, who remains at -1.
Scottie Scheffler’s putt from the fringe at the back of 15 is uncharacteristically weak. A fine chance for birdie goes by. Par. He remains in a share of the lead at -6. A sense that everyone out there just wants this to be over with. The likes of Max Homa and Ludvig Aberg will demur, but this hasn’t been a banner day at the Masters. One for the purists.
-6: Homa (F), DeChambeau (F), Scheffler (15)
-4: Hojgaard (F)
-3: Davis (F), Morikawa (F)
-2: Aberg (F)
McIlroy opts to putt from the back of 15. He lags it to kick-in distance, and that’s par, but he’s now gone two rounds at Augusta without picking up a single stroke at any of the par-fives. That’s almost criminal for a player with his length, and one of the big reasons he’s floundering at +4 and sure to go another year without bothering the winner’s circle here.
A disappointing bogey for Matt Fitzpatrick at 15, his first of the round. He slips back to -1. Coming behind, Rory McIlroy lays up then sends his wedge over the back of the green. Just. He’ll still fancy his chances of making the chip coming back. He needs something to happen. Meanwhile Scottie Scheffler sends his wedge over the flag to 12 feet. A similar spot to Jon Rahm a few minutes ago.
A bogey-bogey finish for Phil Mickelson. He signs for a 75, but the 53-year-old Californian – three times a former champion – will nevertheless make the cut. Speaking of which, Jon Rahm’s chances of competing this weekend have just taken a positive turn, as he sends his third into 15 over the flag, and rolling in the 12-footer that remains. The defending champ is back to +5; the projected cut is currently +5.
On the subject of slow play, Tyrrell Hatton has been telling it as he sees it. Patrick Reed, Im Sung-jae and Kurt Kitayama are in his sights.
The pace of play is not the quickest. Understandably so, given the blustery conditions, but here we are. We should get everyone back in the big house by sundown – an hour and 20 minutes time, give or take – though it’ll possibly be nip and tuck.
A three-putt bogey for Cameron Smith at 13. He slips back to -1. Meanwhile up on 14, Rory McIlroy chips up from the back of the green only for his ball to take a sharp left and travel off down the Jon Rahm Highway. There goes that dream another shot. He’s +4. Scottie Scheffler meanwhile dinks his chip from the back to kick-in distance and remains at -6.
The conditions are hellishly difficult, but Scottie Scheffler is nevertheless getting a little ragged. His second into 14 disappears over the back. He’s not a million miles away from the flag, so will fancy getting close with the chip, but a look of vague concern washes across his face nevertheless.
Meanwhile our old pal Gary Naylor has clearly been watching too much 50th-anniversary-of-Abba’s-Waterloo programming on BBC Four, as you’ll see.
“In the always thrilling Eurovision voting,” he begins, “Albania or Montenegro or somebody always get a couple of big scores early and the camera picks them out in the Green Room, gurning and flashing Vs for victory. Ten votes on, they’re back in the pack and we catch a glimpse of them again, heads down, counting the minutes until they can get away.
“I think Majors have a similar deal. Early face on the leaderboard, plenty of TV even for big standard two putts. But we hear of a double-bogey, and the next we see of them, they’re missing a three-footer on the 18th and signing for a 76.
“Let’s hope it’s not Danny Willett’s fate.”
For the second time today, the defending champion Jon Rahm is made to look like a rank amateur by these absurdly difficult greens. He’s already putted off the 3rd green, his ball ending up 25 yards back down the fairway. Now a seven-foot par putt on 14 takes a sharp left turn and, grabbed by a ridge, rolls 18 feet away! Two putts later, that’s a double. As things stand, Rahm is +6 and will miss the cut.
Scheffler looks to have made his par saver, but it drifts to the right on the final turn. He grimaces in irritation; that’s his third bogey of the day. Par for McIlroy.
-6: Homa (F), DeChambeau (F), Scheffler (13)
-4: Hojgaard (F)
-3: Davis (F), Morikawa (F)
-2: Aberg (F), Fitzpatrick (13), Smith (12)
Scheffler drops and chops onto the green at 13. Not the perfect wedge, off the downslope near the creek, but he’s got it to ten feet and will have half a chance of escaping with par.
A huge unforced error by Scottie Scheffler on 13. Having battered a huge drive down the middle of the track, he sends his approach into Rae’s Creek for the second day in a row. However today it doesn’t ping out and stick on the bank. He’ll have to take a penalty drop. And meanwhile, who’s this coming up on the rail? It’s the 2022 Open champion, is who! Cameron Smith follows birdie at 9 with another at 12, and oh-so-quietly the 30-year-old Aussie is right in the mix at -2.
Matt Fitzpatrick nearly drains a 40-footer for birdie on 13. It drifts by the edge and he remains at -2. Meanwhile Ryan Fox pars the last, and signs for a 74 having dropped strokes at 11, 12 and 14 on the way back. He’s -1.
The destiny of the Silver Cup for low amateur has already been decided. Neal Shipley will be awarded it as the only amateur who’ll make the cut. He shot 76 today, after yesterday’s 71 put him comfortably above the line at +3.
Scottie Scheffler elects to putt from the fringe at the back. He sends a hot one eight feet past the hole. That’s not the greatest effort. But no matter! The one coming back drops into the plumb centre of the cup. He remains at -7. Rory McIlroy makes his missable par putt to complete a staunch up and down. He stays at +3.
The projected cut has moved out to +5. If that makes the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm feel any better. Which it probably won’t. Then Rory doesn’t get the rub of the green An got on 16, his chip from the back of 12 hitting the flag but cannoning four feet off to the left. He’s not played well but he’s not had much luck either. It just doesn’t feel like his year (part 16 in an ongoing series).
The new sole leader Scottie Scheffler sends his tee shot at 12 over the flag, the ball resting in the first cut behind the green. Rory McIlroy meanwhile watches his ball topple off the back-left of the dancefloor. Meanwhile up on 16, An Byeong-hun sends a chip from the back of the green scampering into the cup at warp speed. Goodness knows where that would have ended up had it not hit the flagstick and disappeared. Probably not the water, but … well, you never know. It’s a birdie, and the Korean moves into red figures at -1.
McIlroy can’t make his bogey putt. He thinks there’s right-to-left break, but it’s bang straight. It’ll be a double, and as he slips to +3, the cut heaves into view. Par for Scottie, who now has the sole lead, because up on 18, Bryson balloons his second 65 feet past the flag. He leaves his first putt six feet short, and the next one is always staying on the high side. A bogey to close, his third in the last eight holes, and that’s a 73 to go alongside yesterday’s best-of-round 65. Still, while he no longer holds the overall lead, he’s joint leader in the clubhouse with Max Homa.
-7: Scheffler (11)
-6: Homa (F), DeChambeau (F)
-4: Hojgaard (F)
-3: Davis (F), Morikawa (F)
-2: Aberg (F), Fitzpatrick (12)
Scheffler lags a putt up from the fringe at 11 to a couple of feet. He’ll surely tidy up for par. McIlroy meanwhile drops and wedges to six feet, from where he’ll have a decent chance of salvaging bogey. “Your description of the high winds playing havoc with the scoring is taking me back to my Sega Mega Drive PGA Tour days,” begins Simon McMahon. “The wind arrow at the bottom of the screen would suddenly change direction, and increase, without warning, at the top of my backswing, resulting in me dumping my approach to the 18th at Sawgrass in the water. So I know exactly how these elite golfers feel.”
Rory McIlroy watches Scottie Scheffler send a low approach at 11 under the right-to-left wind and into the green … then sends his approach high into the air. The ball’s grabbed by the wind and flung into the drink to the left. He responds to a what-did-you-do-that-for-style question from his caddie with short shrift. The career slam looks at least another 12 months away.
The defending champion Jon Rahm is in danger of missing the cut. He only just gets onto the front of the 11th green with the pin tucked at the back. He’s left with a 72-foot putt … and leaves it 25 feet short. He nearly makes the par saver, but it stops on the lip. He’s now +4, right on the current cut line. Did the wind put Rahm off that first monster putt? There’s a case to be made. On Sky, Wayne Riley doesn’t think we’ve got to the stage of suspending play quite yet. But it’s close.
Bryson DeChambeau hits a 372-yard drive down 17. He chips up to six feet, but snatches at the straight birdie putt. The wind gets the blame. To be fair, it is blowing. But there goes a chance to take sole ownership of the lead. He remains at -7.
A dismal end to Danny Willett’s round. He gets a huge break after sending his tee shot into the trees down the right of 18, his ball almost making it to the 10th fairway, giving him a shot in. But he tugs at his second and sends it into the big bunker at the front of the green. His first effort to escape it hits the face and springs back. His second is a clean pick, and his ball sails 55 feet past. Running hot, he sends his bogey putt seven feet past the hole. True disaster looms, and two more putts later, that’s a triple-bogey seven. All of a sudden a decent second round is a three-over 75, and he ends the day at -1. The dream of a second Masters to go alongside his surprise 2016 victory has moved significantly to the “pipe” end of the scale.
The wind continues to whip around Augusta. The flagsticks are going through some proper stress tests. If play is suspended, it’d be a huge boost to the players out there, as they’d be coming out to finish their rounds, presumably tomorrow morning, in much better scoring conditions.
Here’s an instructive stat that illustrates how the high winds have done a number on the field today. Yesterday’s cumulative score by the field was +75. Today’s, including the conclusion of the first round, is +272. And on the par-three 16th, Gary Woodland prepares to putt, only for a gust of wind to take the ball 60 feet away! He replaces and makes his par. The conditions aren’t quite unplayable yet, but if this gets any worse the committee might have a decision to make.
McIlroy is up and out of his right-to-left swinger immediately. He’s sent it five feet past the hole. That’s an awful putt. He remains at +1. Scheffler however rolls his birdie effort in with ease. This is absurdly good. Meanwhile over at 16, DeChambeau flies the green and whistles his ball upside some poor patron’s nut. Thankfully no serious harm seems to be done, to either patron or player; Bryson nearly guides the chip from the fringe into the cup, but will settle for a par that seems about right all told.
-7: DeChambeau (16), Scheffler (10)
-6: Homa (F)
-4: Hojgaard (F), Willett (17)
-3: Davis (F), Morikawa (F)
-2: Aberg (F), Fitzpatrick (10)
Scottie Scheffler booms a 350-yard drive down 10. That’s 13 yards longer than anyone else has managed today. He then sends his second pin high from 137 yards to five feet. His playing partner Rory McIlroy is ten feet from the flag after two magnificent shots of his own; under normal circumstances he’d be within his rights to start doing laps of the Butler Cabin. But Scottie’s stuff is on a different level completely.
Bryson plays the 15th in atypical fashion. He lays up for a better angle to wedge across the water. He chips to eight feet … only for his birdie putt to somehow lip out. Let’s see how he plays it tomorrow, then. “The theme song!” cries Hans. “Where is it? I’m watching Swedish national broadcast and not once has the syrupy notes of ‘Augusta’ been heard. Is it the same for you? There’s no surer sign of spring than a disgruntled Rory to the tune of that lovely melody.” We aim to please, Hans. Here it is, for your leisure and pleasure, on a one-hour loop.
Rory McIlroy has been going slowly backwards today. Bogeys at 5 and 7. He’s got a great chance to snatch a shot back at 9, after wedging to eight feet, but he prods with great uncertainty at the ball, which is always heading right. Just a par, and he remains at +1. Subsequent theatrics suggest he thinks the extremely brisk wind affected the line, but Scottie Scheffler then steps up to make one from similar range and under similar conditions without too much fuss. Scheffler escapes the hole with a par, having earlier succumbed to the famous Greg Norman-bothering false front.
A strong finish to Tommy Fleetwood’s round. Birdie at 15 followed by another up the last, reward for an excellent approach to three feet, and Southport’s finest is -1 for the tournament. Nicely placed for Moving Day. But hold on! What’s happened to poor old Viktor Hovland? Having shot an opening one-under round of 71, he’s crashed down the standings to +6 after a mere seven holes of his second. Ah, the spirit broken by farcical events at 2, it would seem: a drive into unplayable filth down the left, then after taking relief, his next shot caroming off a tree and back into the oomska. He ended up with a triple-bogey eight, and has since taken four to get down from the fringe at 4. Throw in another couple of garden-variety bogeys, and there you have it. Why make changes to the swing, Viktor? Did Sandy Lyle’s career nosedive for nothing?
Collin Morikawa will enjoy his supper tonight. He creams his approach at 18 from 150 yards to 12 feet, and makes the birdie putt. He signs for a 70 to go alongside yesterday’s unheralded but highly decent 71. The former PGA and Open champion is in good position to take a tilt at part three of his career slam. He’s -3 going into the weekend.
DeChambeau nearly drains his par saver! A lovely putt that somehow horseshoes out. No idea how that didn’t drop. Just the one clear at the top now.
-7: DeChambeau (14)
-6: Homa (F), Scheffler (8)
-4: Hojgaard (F), Willett (15)
