So of course the second day of the 79th Masters Tournament, like the first, is all about the phenomenal Jordan Spieth. His 66 today was arguably better than yesterday’s 64, a little more controlled, a little less hectic and reliant on the odd lucky bounce. The young man’s a genius. And most likely this year’s champion. But there are enough big names hovering around in case of any dramatic slip. You never know in golf. You just never know. Join me tomorrow for Moving Day, moves which may or may not segue into a procession.
-14: Spieth
-9: Hoffman
-7: Rose, D Johnson, Casey
-6: Mickelson
-5: Els
-4: Na, Streelman, Haas, Moore
-3: Cabrera, Oosthuizen, O’Meara, Day, Scott, Matsuyama, Schwartzel
-2: Woods, Garcia, Willett, Henley, Blixt, Reed, B Watson, McIlroy
Moore, to the left of the green, uses the bank on the right, bumping the ball into it and sending the dappled orb u-turning to within six feet. That’s a glorious stroke, and clever too. A great chance to save par. And he takes it, signing for a 66. He’s -4. Mickelson tickles a well-judged putt down the treacherous green to 18 inches; that’ll be a par, and a four-under round of 68. He’s sitting nicely in sixth place at -6. And Rory tucks his birdie chance away. He ends with back-to-back birdies, and having turned in 40, he’s come back in 31 to sign for a sub-par 71! That’s simply brilliant. Why didn’t this Rory turn up a few hours earlier? Damn damn damn. Ah well, he’s learned a lesson for next year.
A sorry end to an otherwise perfect round by Charl Schwartzel. He bogeys 18, unable to guide a downhill dribbler into the hole from ten feet. He signs for a 70, and is -3 overall. Coming up behind, Moore, Mickelson and McIlroy. Moore pulls his approach into the sea of patrons on the left. Mickelson’s ball stays stuck on the back portion of the green. McIlroy’s ball bites close, leaving a 12-footer for birdie. “If Speith keeps this up he’ll finish -28 for the tournament!” notes Simon McMahon. “So, a two stroke win for Sergio then.”
Missing the cut this year: Bernhard Langer, Jim Furyk, Shane Lowry, Luke Donald, Stephen Gallacher, Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker, Padraig Harrington, Victor Dubuisson, Martin Kaymer, Thomas Bjorn, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Fred Couples, and Tom Watson, who yesterday shot 71 to become the oldest man to card a sub-par round at Augusta, but followed it up with an 81 today.
Mickelson is behind a tree down the left of 17. So he gets out his wedge, whips it up and down, and drops the ball six feet from the flag! That is astonishing. And so is this: McIlroy off the back of the green, wedge out, ball dropped on the fringe and released towards the hole, ten feet onto the green. And in! He’s -1 now. This is some back nine: he’s only taken 28 shots on the eight holes he’s played! Too late now, of course. Where was this Rory when this tournament needed him? But at least the reigning Open and PGA champion will be spared the indignity of missing the cut. Moore makes his birdie too, moving to -4. And Mickelson follows the pair in! Birdies all round! Lefty’s up to -6; that approach deserved some reward.
Two holes for Mickelson to make a dent into this leaderboard: Though can he finish his round before this storm arrives? The wind’s picking up big time, and thunder’s rumbling away in the distance.
-14: Spieth (F)
-9: Hoffman (F)
-7: Rose (F), D Johnson (F), Casey (F)
-5: Els (F), Mickelson (16)
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Lefty pulls his tee shot at 16 to the right of the green, then undercooks his chip. He’ll have a ten-footer left to save his par. And he makes it! Air punch! He stays at -5. Rory sends his tee shot over the flag, but his putter’s not hot, and his birdie effort from 12 feet dies to the right. Par. Their playing partner Ryan Moore, meanwhile, has birdied 13, 15 and now 16 to rise to -3. Up on 18, Matsuyama, from the back of the green, races his birdie putt 12 feet past, but knocks in the return for a 70. He’s -3. Casey then nearly rolls in a 25-foot left-to-right breaker for birdie. He’ll settle quite happily for a par, and will sign for a blemish-free 68. Alongside his excellent 69 yesterday, he’s -7. Just the one bogey in 36 holes! Another player who’ll be cursing Jordan Spieth.
Mickelson managed to scramble an unlikely par on 14 after a wild tee shot that’d shame Tiger, and the importance of that save is soon amplified as he birdies 15. He’s -5! McIlroy birdies too, moving back to level par. This’d be a fascinating tournament were it not for Spieth’s 64 and 66. Is it wrong to be slightly annoyed at the young man’s sheer brilliance? Yes, but that’s the nature of major championship golf for you.
The storms thought to be arriving earlier might be heading in soon. It’ll be interesting to see if everyone gets in before they arrive. But before the clouds weep, the turn of mere mortals, as Ben Crenshaw, Masters champion in 1984 and 1995, comes up the 18th for the very last time. Dufner taps in for his par; he’ll be here for the weekend at +1. Bill Haas makes birdie to move to -4. And the stage is set for Gentle Ben to make his exit. A bogey and an 85, but who cares about that. Carl Jackson, his long-time caddy, has been too ill to carry his employer and friend’s bag, but he shuffles onto the green, and the pair embrace warmly. Everyone round the 18th is in floods, but the legend himself keeps it together, soaking up the love that’s cascading down from the galleries. What a moment. One from the ages. Godspeed Ben Crenshaw. Godspeed Carl Jackson. Thanks for everything.
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McIlroy misses a tiddler on 14, dropping back to +1. That come out of nowhere, he had traversed the hole in fairly fuss-free fashion, with just the formalities left to deal with. But once again, the cut looms large. He can afford to drop one more stroke. That it’s come to considerations like this! But Jason Dufner is clearly determined to stay for the weekend. He was dead and buried not so long ago at +4, but birdies at 15, 16 and 17 have lifted him to +1. He’ll be safe, unless something dreadful occurs down the last.
Scott manages to limit the damage at 18, splashing to 12 feet and draining the bogey putt. He ends the day at -3. Dustin bogeys too, faced with the same putt Jordan Spieth had a few hours ago, with similar results. It stays out on the left, and it means he’ll be signing for a 67. Given that he started with a double bogey, that’s quite an effort! He’s -7, seven shots off the lead. As is Paul Casey, who pulls his tee shot at 16 quite severely, but then so nearly drains the 40-footer he left himself from the bottom-left corner of the green. An outstanding effort. He smiles broadly despite the close miss. He’s enjoying his golf again.
-14: Spieth (F)
-9: Hoffman (F)
-7: Rose (F), D Johnson (F), Casey (16)
-5: Els (F)
Matsuyama has followed up that birdie at 12 with others at 13 and 15. He’s moved up to -4, as has Bill Haas, with birdies at the same two holes. Dustin’s flop over the bunker flies over the flag, stops on the ridge running through the middle of the green, and rolls back to ten feet. He’ll have a tricky downhill one for his par. Scott, however, who has been going well, duffs his chip from the right of the green into the bunker. This is a potentially shabby end to a couple of fine rounds.
The defending champion Bubba Watson, who went out in 37, flirted with the cut, but he’s back in 34 with a couple of birdies at 13 and 17. His second 71 of the week, and he’s -2 for the tournament. Rose can’t drain his birdie putt, but that’s a par and a 70, a very fine score seeing he started with three bogeys in four holes, and shanked one on 11. Birdie for Mickelson at 13; he’s -4. Eagle for Rory, as expected. A birdie for Casey on 15; he’s -7. And on 18, Dustin tries to cut too much off the corner on the right with his drive, and slams it into the trees. He fashions an escape, but he’ll need to get up and down from just in front of a greenside bunker to save par. Oh Dustin!
Scott fizzes his second into 17 pin high to 12 feet, then strokes in the birdie putt. He’s -4 for the tournament now. Dustin, having banged a monster down the same track, overhits a sand wedge, putting it through the back, but he gets up and down for his par to stay at -8. Meanwhile up on 18 Rose caresses his second into the heart of the green, leaving himself a 15-footer for a final birdie. And on 13, McIlroy, for whom missing the cut remains a very real possibility, bombs a drive down the left of the fairway, then dispatches an 8-iron to two feet. That’ll surely be an eagle that’ll take him back to level par!
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Pars for Casey on 13 and 14, but he’s been close with birdie putts at both holes. He remains at -6, in very good nick. A par for Rose on 17, and his drive down 18 holds the fairway, but only just, on the right-hand side. He’ll not have a clear route to the green, but he’ll be able to shape something round the corner.
The wild weather we were promised hasn’t arrived. In fact, it’s very calm. An unexpected chance for a few of the lads out there to make up a shot or two, then. And here’s Dustin Johnson, whose tee shot at 16 was distinctly average, 25 feet from the flag. No matter! He rolls the putt straight into the cup! He’s -8! We might still have a Masters fight over the weekend after all! Meanwhile Mickelson can’t drain his birdie effort on 12; he stays at -3. And Rory manages to get up and down from filth - as much as Augusta National has filth - at the back. He’s still +2.
-14: Spieth (F)
-9: Hoffman (F)
-8: D Johnson (16)
-7: Rose (16)
-6: Casey (13)
-5: Els (F)
Rose makes his birdie putt on 16; he joins Dustin in third place at -7. McIlroy nearly drains his long birdie effort on 11, but it stops just short. Par, and a rare smile this week, albeit a wry one. Mickelson’s grin is broad, though, as he strokes in his birdie effort to move to -3. And he’s clipped his tee shot at 12 to ten feet. McIlroy’s in the azaleas at the back. In other Northern Irish news, G-Mac shot 74 today and at +1 will survive the cut. As will Darren Clarke, who adds a one-under 71 to his opening day 74. But will Rory make it too? He’s currently right on the cusp at +2, and away gardening at 12. It’s not certain.
This is beginning to come to the boil, despite Spieth’s absurd -14 mark. Rose has arrowed his tee shot at 16 to three feet. Scott has followed Dustin into eagle territory at 15. Bill Haas was an inch or so away from converting an eagle effort on 13, but his birdie took him to -3 anyway. On 18, Patrick Reed splashes out from a bunker at a right angle, his ball breaking to the left and dropping in for a birdie that takes him to -2. Ben Crenshaw makes his birdie on 13. Then Scott makes his eagle at 15; he’s -3 now. And so does his playing partner Dustin; he’s -7. He’s played the par fives today in seven under: three eagles and a birdie! And now the leaderboard looks like this:
-14: Spieth (F)
-9: Hoffman (F)
-7: D Johnson (15)
-6: Rose (15), Casey (12)
-5: Els (F)
Casey joins Rose at -6, rolling in a 15-footer on 12 for another birdie. Rose nearly pulls away from his compatriot again immediately, chipping up from the back of 15 to ten feet, his birdie effort staying high on the right by the width of a dimple. Rory dices with the water to the left of 11, but his approach finds the middle of the green. He’s obviously decided he may as well go for everything. On 13, Ben Crenshaw raises the temperature by sending a wedge to six feet, setting up his second birdie chance in two holes. And on 15 Dustin creams a long iron to three feet, an astonishing heatseeker that really should result in an eagle.
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Rose fires a fairway wood through the back of 15 and very nearly into the water. His ball snags on the thicker stuff framing the drink. That’s a lucky break, though as Jordan Spieth found yesterday, it’s not easy to get in for par from there, never mind up and down for birdie. More H2O-based shenanigans on 12, where Hideki Matsuyama’s tee shot grabs the bank around the front of the green. He then bumps his chip straight into the hole for birdie. He’s -2. And up on 18, Kevin Streelman’s signing for his second 70 of the week. He’s -4.
Rose scrambles a brilliant birdie from just off the back of 14. He remains at -6. McIlroy, visibly livid with himself and his dismal performance on that last hole, responds by lashing a 3-wood down the 10th, then finding the heart of the green and sinking the birdie putt. He’s back to +2, and with his head above the waterline. Just. The cut’s projected to send everyone +3 and worse homeward bound. Rory has the look of a man determined to stay for the weekend. He means business.
It’s going to get emotional with Ben Crenshaw later, the 1984 and 1995 champion playing his last-ever round at Augusta this afternoon. He struggled to a 91 yesterday, and he’s struggling again today, 11 over par through 11, but he’s just hit his tee shot at 12 to 12 feet, causing the gallery to erupt. His resulting smile - so broad, sparking, modest and genuine, this man really is Gentle Ben - would melt the hardest of hearts. Mild disappointment when he misses the birdie effort, but then that’s not really the point. Goodness knows what it’s going to be like up on 18 in an hour or two.
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Na makes his par saver! And he signs for his six-under 66, going into the weekend at -4. That’s a magnificent round, the equal of Spieth. Meanwhile a couple of up and downs from the side of 13. Dustin Johnson first; he’s registered another birdie and joins Els and Casey at -5 again. Then Adam Scott follows him in, after a stunning Mickelsonesque flop from high up the bank on the left. The 2013 champion is -1 for the tournament, having never quite got himself involved at the business end of the leaderboard. But a decent effort nonetheless. These outlying lads Spieth and Hoffman really are warping all perspective here!
Kevin Na is in a bit of bother down 18, having larruped his drive into the trees on the right. He’s forced to hack out. He’s six under for his round as things stand, so this looks like being an unfortunate end to his day. But he gives himself a chance to save his 66, lifting a wedge to ten feet. Meanwhile on 10, Schwartzel’s charge continues as he rakes in a 30-footer for another birdie. He’s -4 for the tournament, and smiling broadly.
Disaster for McIlroy! On 9, he misses the green to the left, then opts to putt from the thicker stuff - and doesn’t hit it at all. His ball snags, stays off the green, and then his second attempt - the par putt - flies three feet past. And he misses the return. Effectively a four-putt double-bogey, he’s out in 40 strokes, +3 overall, and now needs to pick up at least one shot to make the cut. Could the pre-tournament favourite, the reigning Open and PGA champion, be going home tonight?
Rose goes for the green at 13 with a long iron. He misses on the left, but chips up to three feet and knocks in another birdie putt. He’s -6 now. Given that awful start today, this is a response of rare brilliance. Such a shame he dropped those three early strokes, though, or we might have a Masters Tournament this weekend. As it is, a procession’s most likely. But you never know.
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A birdie-birdie finish for Danny Willett, and he’s carded his second 71 of the week! That’s a fine showing by the Masters debutant. He’s -2 for the tournament, and in good position to enjoy himself this weekend. The 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel is going about his business quietly, too; birdies at 2 and 8 and he’s out in 34 strokes, two under par for his round, and -3 for the tournament.
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Na is the latest player to bounce straight back from a bogey, knocking his tee shot at 16 to six feet and stroking in the birdie putt. He’s back to -4! A birdie finally for Phil Mickelson, his second finding the front of 8, his eagle putt from distance stopping a ball’s width short. He’s back to -2. Meanwhile the par-three winner Kevin Streelman nearly holes his wedge at 15 from 100 yards, but settles for a tap-in birdie. He’s -4 for the tournament, and going very nicely indeed.
-14: Spieth (F)
-9: Hoffman (F)
-5: Els (F), Rose (12), Casey (9)
-4: Na (16), Streelman (15), D Johnson (11)
Bogey for Na at 15, as he’s unable to knock in a tricky downhill 12-footer. He’s back to -3. Casey meanwhile is through the back of 9. His chip up from an almost impossible spot is inventive, firing his ball past the hole and using the slope on the far side of the green to guide it back to 15 feet. The best that he could do. And he rattles in the par saver! He stays at -5, out in 34 strokes! That’s as good an up and down as there’s been all week. Meanwhile on 12, Rose responds to that shank on 11 by stroking a gorgeous tee shot at 12 to six feet, and knocking in the birdie putt. He’s back up to -5. That’s a very impressive show after the farce at the previous hole.
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Rose, coming down 11, hoicks a ball into the patrons sitting miles to the right of the green. That came off the hosel. Shank! His lob back onto the green nearly rolls straight through the putting surface and into the water on the left, but it holds. But he’ll be facing a long putt for par. Nope. That’s him back to -4. Another dropped shout for McIlroy meanwhile, this time at 7, and he’s back to +1. And he’s just whistled his drive down 8 into a fairway bunker. He momentarily considers launching his club into the air, but wisely checks himself as he shapes to cock his arm back into Dispatch Mode. The frustration of knowing the jig is up. But to be fair, the jig was probably up before he hit a shot today. Such is the pain Jordan Spieth is inflicting on this field.
A bogey for Charley Hoffman at the last, his first of the day. He was always chasing par after driving into trees down the right. Even so, that’s a magnificent 68 to go with his first-round 67, and he’s -9. Any other year, and he’d be leading this tournament. But this is the pain Jordan Spieth is inflicting on this field.
-14: Spieth (F)
-9: Hoffman (F)
-5: Els (F), Rose (10), Casey (8)
-4: Na (14), D Johnson (10)
A fine fightback by Justin Rose is underway here. After that abysmal start, shedding three shots in the first four holes, he’s hauled himself back to where he started. A birdie at 10 now, and he’s -5 again. But Dustin can’t help himself; out in 33 strokes, but the minute he’s round the turn, a shot’s dropped at 10. He’s back to -4, and anything could happen around Amen Corner.
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Sergio - once precocious, now preposterous and pusillanimous - clacks his second at 18 to two feet, the best approach of the day, and taps in for his fourth birdie over the closing five holes. Of course he’s still signing for a two-over 74, having capitulated along the front nine. He dropped five shots in seven holes! For goodness sake. This man is beyond frustrating. He’s -2. His playing partner Jason Day also cards a 74; he’s -3, very disappointingly. And completing that trio is Rickie Fowler, who should make the cut by a shot, and how! He birdied 13, 15, 17 and 18 to make sure of weekend participation.
Tiger signs for a three-under 69. It could have been even better: having put his second pin high at 18, 12 feet to the left of the flag, he’s a dimple away from the birdie. But par, and a 69, it is. He’s -2 at the halfway mark, and would be right in the mix were it not for the crazy outliers Spieth and Hoffman. And there was everyone worrying that he’d not make the cut, or spend the first two days blading shots out of bunkers! This has been a brilliant performance by Tiger, who really does look in the mood to start competing again seriously at the top level. This is insanely good news. Here’s hoping he can keep this up, because it’d be quite something to see the likes of Spieth, McIlroy and Woods battling for majors over the next few years.
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Kevin Na creams his second at 13 to ten feet, then curls a very missable short right-to-left curler into the cup for his eagle. Continued brilliance from Na, who is six under for his round now, and suddenly -4. Rory goes backwards again, sending his approach at 5 straight through the green and failing to get up and down from the back. He’s level par. His playing partner Phil Mickelson nearly drains a 20-footer for birdie, but the ball stays out on the left and he can’t snatch back the shot he dropped at 4. He’s one over for his round, and -1 for the championship.
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Paul Casey has just rolled a monster up the 6th green and into the cup for birdie! Another fist pump, and he’s -5. As is Dustin Johnson, who fizzes a long 250-yard iron into the heart of 8, 12 feet from the hole. He knocks it in for his second eagle of the day. A couple of players unwilling to give up the chase quite yet!
-14: Spieth (F)
-10: Hoffman (16)
-5: Els (F), D Johnson (8), Casey (6)
-4: Rose (9)
Tiger Woods has been quiet since that birdie at 11 brought him to -2. A string of pars - fives at 13 and 15 must have felt like bogeys to a man who is roughly 125 under par for the par-fives in his Augusta career - and he’s now through 17, still at -2. But that last par will feel pretty good: he raced his first putt 14 feet past the hole, but nailed the return. Fist pump, and he keeps a very good round going.
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Hoffman sets his birdie putt off in the right direction, aiming for the lip on the right, but he clacks it too hard and it doesn’t curl in as it should. Par, but one that’ll feel like a bogey. He stays at -10. Meanwhile the defending champion Bubba Watson - so weird that it’s been easy to forget about him - birdied 2, but has since bogeyed 4 and now 8. He’s back at level par. And news of Lee Westwood, who sent his 3-wood at 2 straight at the flag and so nearly matched Louis Oosthuizen’s albatross of 2012. Sadly the flagstick kept the ball out, and eagle had to suffice. He’s since dropped strokes at 4, 6 and 9; he’s +2, and can’t afford to be dropping another shot, or he’ll likely miss the cut.
Hoffman has to settle for a slightly disappointing par at 15, having found greenside sand at the par-five in two strokes. He remains at -10. But he might not be there for long, because he’s just lifted a glorious iron pin high at 16 to six feet! A marvellous chance for birdie! Meanwhile news of Dustin Johnson, and it is typically excellent: he double bogeyed the opening hole, then eagled the 2nd. I’m not sure there’s another player on tour who could do something like that. I love Dustin Johnson, but then I’m not sure how anyone couldn’t. He’s birdied 5 too, and so he’s in credit today, at -3 overall. And also moving in the right direction again is Justin Rose, who strokes in a tricky eight-foot downhill birdie putt on 8 to move back to -4. Two birdies in the last four holes is a decent response to that terrible three-bogey start.
Some improvements. Jason Day has birdied 15, and returns himself to -3. Sergio meanwhile, having bogeyed 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 13, bounces back with birdies at 14 and 15, but he’s still three over for the day, and -1 overall. I wonder what Jordan Spieth thinks of Sergio?
So Jordan Spieth is not perfect. He lets his short birdie putt dribble past the hole on the left, the only uncertain stroke he’s made today. But that’s a par, he’s signing for a six-under 66 today, and along with yesterday’s equally superlative 64, that’s a 36-hole record at the Masters of 130. He’s -14, and Raymond Floyd’s 1976 mark of 131 is finally struck from the record books!
-14: Spieth (F)
-10: Hoffman (14)
-5: Els (F)
-4: Casey (4)
Spieth refuses to take his foot off the gas. He splits the fairway at 18, dropping his ball in perfect position on the kink of the dogleg. Then he caresses his second over the flag, landing it 15 feet behind the pin and spinning it back to eight feet. Not quite as spectacular as Sandy Lyle’s bunker shot in 1988, for various obvious reasons, but imagine a similar sort of flight and bite. Anyway, he’s got that putt for a 36-hole total of 129, a mark of -15 and two shots better than Raymond Floyd’s record which has stood since 1976.
All hail Charley Hoffman, who let us not forget is only playing Augusta for the second time himself. He’s not giving this up, not by a long chalk. And he’s just registered his third birdie on the bounce, this time at 14. He’s only four behind the leader at -10! This is equally astonishing, really, given that the 38-year-old from San Diego is a textbook example of a journeyman: he’s never finished higher than a tie for 27th in a major championship. And now this!
-14: Spieth (17)
-10: Hoffman (14)
-5: Els (F)
-4: Casey (4)
McIlroy birdies 2, moving back to -1 for the tournament. But the pre-tournament favourite’s hopes of sealing that career grand slam this week are a pipe dream now. Who’d have thought he’d be rendered almost an irrelevance after a mere 20 holes? What Jordan Spieth is currently doing here to a world-class field is preposterous!
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Spieth drives into the second cut down the right of 17, then whips his second through the green and off. But no worries, he bumps an exquisite chip to a couple of feet, and that’s another fuss-free par. This is clinical brilliance! One more par, and bang goes Ray Floyd’s 39-year-old 36-hole record. Meanwhile here’s someone else ripping it up: Kevin Na, who has birdied 2, 3, 5, 8 and now 9, a bogey at 4 his only mistake today. He’s four under for his round at the turn, out in 32, and -2 for the tournament.
Justin Rose started his round in appalling fashion, by the way. Dropped shots at 1, 3 and 4, the damage yet to be repaired by birdie at 5. He’s -3. England’s highest hope right now is Paul Casey, who shot a very admirable 69 yesterday, a bogey down the last his only blemish. He’s opened with a birdie today, and is in fourth place right now at -4. Jason Day’s travails continue apace, meanwhile. That eagle at 2 has been followed by bogeys at 6, 7, 11 and now 14. He’s three over for his round, and back in the pack at -2.
McIlroy is out, and appears to have already given up the ghost. A bogey at the opening hole, and he’s level par for the tournament, a mere 14 shots off the pace. I’m sure if he squints into the distance, the speck that is Spieth looks a lot to him like Congressional Rory. A similar masterclass from a young superstar. Spieth fires his tee shot at 16 over the flag. The ball just topples into the fringe, but he’s close enough to the hole to have a look for birdie. His effort, from 12 feet, stays out on the left. Par. No matter: he’s -14! But Charley Hoffman closes in a little with birdies at 12 and 13, rising to -9, so this Masters isn’t quite the done deal it might look just yet. (Yes, Spieth looks a shoo-in, but come on, we’re only halfway through Friday, stranger things have happened in golf. Having said that, look at the state of this leaderboard.)
-14: Spieth (16)
-9: Hoffman (13)
-5: Els (F)
It won’t be his for long, but as you can see from the leaderboard I just posted, Ernie Els currently has the clubhouse lead. He shot a level-par 72 today, to remain at -5. He’s two shots clear of Angel Cabrera, Louis Oosthuizen, and Mark O’Meara, all putting their feet up at the halfway mark having reached -3. Cabrera, the 2009 champion, was going nowhere special today, until he powered an astonishing second shot out of the trees down the right of 13, sending his ball to 12 feet and setting up a spectacular eagle. Birdies followed at 15 and 18, and he signed for a 69. Oosthuizen also shot 69, though that could have been much better were it not for a stutter around Amen Corner, shots dropped at 11 and 12. But the performance of the day, Spieth aside, has come from the 1998 champ Mark O’Meara, 58, who carded a four-under 68. The comparatively youthful Oosthuizen aside, those are some fine performances by some of golf’s more distinguished competitors. Hats off to them all.
Most golf tournaments are won between the ears, and Jordan Spieth’s superlative decision making skills once again become apparent as he comes down 15. A chance to purl his second into the heart of the green and look for eagle, but perhaps with memories of yesterday’s only bogey, he opts to lay up instead. Fine decision, as he then sends his wedge pin high to six feet. And that’s another birdie, the putt rolled straight into the cup with the minimum of fuss. He’s now one stroke ahead of Raymond Floyd’s 1976 36-hole schedule. Pars in now, and it’s a new record. This is his only his second appearance at Augusta! And he was runner-up in his first!
-14: Spieth (15)
-8: Hoffman (12)
-5: Els (F)
-4: Casey (2)
Ben Crenshaw has just teed off in what will be his final round at Augusta. The two-time Masters winner shot a first-round 91 yesterday is won’t make the cut, which is projected to be +2. It could get dusty in here when he walks up the 18th fairway. Which reminds me: this Texas Monthly story on Crenshaw is worth a read. And with that, I’ll hand the keys back to Scott Murray.
Tiger Woods birdies 11 and he’s -2 today. Not bad after whacking a 388-yard tee shot into the trees. He looks confident out there, the best he’s played in some time, with birdies on three of his last five holes. Meanwhile, Spieth sinks an 8-foot uphill birdie putt and, well, now this is just getting ridiculous. He’s -13 through 13 today, on track to match Raymond Floyd’s 36-hole record.
There are only 15 golfers currently within 10 shots of Spieth, but the one with the best chance of staying within touching distance might be Charley Hoffman. The second-time Masters participant is -7 through 9 today and five off the lead, a fine showing by the 38-year-old Californian. Meanwhile on 13, Spieth hits his tee shot into the trees and is forced to lay up. So he’s human after all.
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Spieth takes his wedge out, draws it back, and ... steps away from the shot. He doesn’t like something. He goes again, and bumps-and-runs a stunning effort up the green from 30 feet, the ball curling right to left at the end and nearly dropping in. A dimple away from yet another birdie. A par is achievement enough, the way everyone else has been shuddering their way down this hole, and he remains at -12. As things stand, he needs one more birdie and six pars to equal Ray Floyd’s 36-hole record of 1976. If the way he’s playing is anything to go by, he’ll equal and surpass that with ease. He’s an astonishing force of nature. This is a majestic display of calm, rational and very often spectacular golf from the young man. Anyway, as I pass you into the loving, caring, sharing arms of Bryan Graham, here’s where we stand on the hour ...
-12: Spieth (11)
-7: Hoffman (7)
-5: Els (16), Rose
-4: Day (7)
-3: Oosthuizen (15), Henley (4), Streelman (3), Reed (2), Haas, Simpson, Casey
Jason Day’s challenge continues to splutter. A bogey at 7, and now he’s one over for his round so far, and -4 for the tournament. Sergio, needless to say, has now carded three bogeys on the bounce and is back down at -1. He’s alongside Tiger Woods, who after a string of pars has sprung into life: bogey at 6 followed by birdies at 7 and 8. Up on 11, Spieth arrows his second shot, an iron, straight at the flag. No fannying around with the safe option away to the right. It’s not a perfect shot, a couple of turns short of the green, but he should have no problem getting up and down from there.
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Spieth arrows his second into the middle of the 10th. He leaves himself a 15-footer for birdie, and slides it in, a gentle right-to-left effort that was dropping from the moment it left the face of his flat stick. He’s -12 now, five clear of Hoffman and seven clear of the rest of the field. Unless some wheels come clanking off soon, the big names coming out this afternoon have some serious thinking to do. Justin Rose may be weekend drama’s best bet, though Els is doing his level best to get back into the thick of it, with another birdie at the par-fives, this time at 15. He’s -5 again, back where he started after a very dodgy middle section of his round.
-12: Spieth (10)
-7: Hoffman (6)
-5: Els (15), Day (6), Rose
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Jason Day was the player most likely to make a run at Spieth today, with his ability to rattle off birdies around Augusta in the Mickelson-Norman-Seve style. But it’s just not been happening for him today. Another dropped shot, this time at 6, and he’s back down to -5. Meanwhile his playing partner Sergio is in grave danger of becoming an irrelevance. Back-to-back bogeys, this time a shot gone at 6, and he’s -2, a speck of dust in Spieth’s rear-view mirror.
-11: Spieth (9)
-7: Hoffman (5)
-5: Day (6), Rose
-4: Els (14), Henley (3)
Birdie for Charley Hoffman at 5, and he’s closing in, sort of, on Jordan Spieth. Just four shots in it now, Spieth at -11, Hoffman at -7. A birdie for Oosthuizen at 13, but he’s eight shots back at -3. Now, the 36-hole record at Augusta was set by Raymond Floyd in 1976, Floyd shooting 65 and 66 for a 13-under halfway total of 131. Spieth could be bothering that mark this afternoon. He’ll be coming through Amen Corner soon enough. I wonder how he’ll approach 11? Everyone’s been playing it safe, sending their ball away to the right and hoping they can get up and down. A fair chance Spieth will trust himself to land the ball on the green.
Another bogey for Sergio, this time at 5, and he slips back to -3. Henley reclaims the shot he dropped at the opening hole with a birdie at 2; he’s -4 again. And Els found himself behind a pine tree down the left of 13, thought about going for broke, then wised up. He chipped out, then wedged to four feet to set up a much-needed birdie. After a shaky run, he’s back to -4. And on 12, the 58-year-old Mark O’Meara clips his tee shot pin high, then strokes in a 15-footer for his fourth birdie of the day. He’s -2, and in a tie for 12th spot!
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Spieth is relentless. It looks as though he might have made a mistake on 8, driving into the bunker, forced to take his medicine and chip out. But he whips his third from 229 yards to three feet and that’s another birdie. He’s now five clear of the field. This is beginning to have a feel not so much of Tiger here in 1997, but of Rory in the US Open at Congressional in 2011.
-11: Spieth (8)
-6: Day (4), Hoffman (4)
-5: Rose
Also hot right now is Thongchai Jaidee, who adds birdie at 5 to his eagle at 3. He’s level par for the tournament. But cooling off quite significantly is Louis Oosthuizen, who is a yard or so away from dumping his tee shot at 12 into the drink, but just about makes the sand trap instead. His splash out goes straight through the green, and he can’t drain the putt back from the fringe. Bogey, and he’s -2, 50 percent of all his good work undone in two holes around Amen Corner.
Oosthuizen, the hottest property out on the course up to this point, four under for his round, whistles his chip miles past the flag at 11. He can’t drain the 30-footer he leaves himself, and he’s back to -3. He now shares the Hot Property tag with Brooks Koepka, who has just skelped his second into the heart of the par-five 8th and stroked in a 20-footer for eagle. He’s three under for his round and -1 overall, though won’t be looking forward to Amen Corner, around which he suffered a nervous breakdown yesterday. Meanwhile Russell Henley’s first contribution to the Friday narrative is a bogey at 1; he’s back to -3.
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One step forward, one step back for Sergio. He can’t get up and down from the side of 3, and the bogey drops him back to -4. Oosthuizen whistles his approach to 11 into Mize Country, where Els was a few minutes ago. With the flag on the short side, it’s hellishly difficult to get up and down from there. The smart money, already, will be on one of two eventualities: a Spieth procession, or a Spieth-Day shootout. One is more preferable than the other, but either way we’d be witnessing something pretty special. Unless ... unless ... I wonder if one of these lads coming out later - Phil, Rory, Dustin - fancies doing something entertainingly daft?
Els sends his second towards 11 way to the right, and is forced to bump his third up onto the green. He doesn’t make a particularly good fist of it. He’s left with a tricky six-footer to save his par. He prods at it with great uncertainty, the ball dribbling past the hole in apologetic fashion. Back-to-back bogeys, and he’s down to -3. Not many people were talking up his chances earlier in the week, and it would appear today’s performance is more indicative of his current form than yesterday’s. Plenty of time to turn it around, though.
Birdie for Charley Hoffman at 2, and he joins Day at -6. Plenty of players here refusing to let Spieth totally run away with this. And, hell, why would they? It’s still before noon on the Friday. But, well, y’know, people have turned this tournament into a procession before. Tiger Woods, who has just sprung to mind, hasn’t quite built on his blistering opening. Pars at 2 and 3, and he stays at level par overall. Meanwhile the two-time Master winner Bernhard Langer has just recorded back-to-back birdies around Amen Corner, at 11 and 12. What a few of the players further up the leaderboard would pay for those scores. Langer’s +3, still hovering around the cut and in danger of missing out on a weekend’s fun, but he’ll not be going quietly if he does. This is a marvellous response after bogeys today at 5, 7 and 8.
Jason Day! What a response to a dismal three-putt on the opening hole! He’s swept his second shot at the par-five 2nd to ten feet, and rattled in the putt for eagle. He’s suddenly got sole ownership of second place at -6. Sergio has to make do with birdie there, but he’s sat on Day’s shoulder nicely in third at -5. Still a four-shot gap at the top of the leaderboard, though, because Jordan Spieth has birdied 5 to move into minus double figures. Ernie Els slips back towards the pack, though, with another bogey, this time at 10. Not the best preparation for Amen Corner.
-10: Spieth (6)
-6: Day (2)
-5: Garcia (2), Hoffman (1), Rose
-4: Els (10), Oosthuizen (9), Henley
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The 2007 champion Zach Johnson, who shot a level-par 72 yesterday, is all over the shop today. Three bogeys on the bounce between 4 and 6, followed by a double bogey at 7. He’s dropped all the way down the leaderboard to +4, and will be going home tonight unless he pulls his socks up. The projected cut is at +3, and as things stand would also see off the likes of Padraig Harrington, Victor Dubuisson, Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer and Bernhard Langer. A long way to go before anything’s decided there, but a few players will soon begin to feel doom breathing icily down the napes of their necks.
Ryan Palmer’s challenge is falling to pieces, that double at 5 having taken the wind out of his sails. He’s dropped another shot at 7, and he’s three over for his round today. He’s level par for the tournament, having been four under through eight holes yesterday. Graeme McDowell’s suffered a stodgy start, too, a bogey at 4 dropping him back to level par after yesterday’s street-fightin’ 71.
Louis Oosthuizen is clearly not willing to die wondering. He’s just carded a birdie at 8, his fourth of the day, to move to -4. This is a brilliant performance, and he’ll already be ruing that slow start, which saw him two over through 8 yesterday. Also going along very nicely is Seung-Yul Noh, bouncing back from an opening-hole bogey with birdies at 8 and 10. He’s -3 and very much enjoying his first visit to Augusta. The first leader of the 2015 Masters, Charley Hoffman, is out, by the way: he’s parred the opening hole and remains at -5.
So much for Jason Day’s quick start. A three-putt on the opening green has cost him a shot. He drops back to -4, alongside his playing partner Sergio, who remains there after a Tea Olive par. I’m wondering if we’re already at the stage where the field will require Spieth to do something rather stupid? Plenty of players within striking distance, of course. And it’s early days, very much so. But with Spieth out early today, and higher winds and thunderstorms a possibility later, it’s all favouring the young genius right now.
-9: Spieth (4)
-5: Els (8), Hoffman, Rose
-4: Day (1), Garcia (1), Henley
Henrik Stenson was in all sorts of bother yesterday coming off 12, his tee shot having faded into the water, a double bogey the result. He was +4, his Masters challenge in tatters. But he’s fighting to get back into the tournament. Birdies at 13, 14 and 15 salvaged a one-over 73 yesterday, and now he’s birdied 2. He’s level par. Also enjoying a welcome surge of momentum is Thongchai Jaidee. The Thai star has just eagled 3, holing out from 100 yards. He’s +1 overall. And back towards the top, Ernie Els has arrested his downward slide with birdie at the par-five 8th. He’s back to join the group at -5, a mere four strokes behind the leader Spieth.
Watch Thongchai Jaidee hole out from 98 yards for an eagle on No. 3 this morning. #themasters https://t.co/i190nZbKFy
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 10, 2015
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A double-bogey six on the 5th has sent Ryan Palmer plummeting down the leaderboard to -1. He’s joined there by the 1998 champion Mark O’Meara, the veteran in a much more jaunty mood having just birdied 3, 5 and 6, a bogey at 4 the only blemish on his card today. He’ll also be glad to hear good tidings regarding his old mate Tiger Woods, who has creamed his second shot at 1 to seven feet, then knocked in the putt to start with a brilliant birdie! He’s level par for the tournament, and hopefully in the mood to do something highly entertaining today.
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That didn’t take Jordan Spieth long. The second hole has been offering up birdies this morning, and the in-form leader wasn’t going to turn his nose up at the offer. He sends his second to the edge of the green, chips to a couple of feet, and sinks the birdie putt to move to -9. Meanwhile a fast chip through the green at 7 has cost Els another shot. He’s in arrears for his day’s work now, back to -4. Jason Day and Sergio better be gearing themselves up for a fast start.
-9: Spieth (2)
-5: Day, Hoffman, Rose
-4: Els (7), Garcia, Henley
-3: Oosthuizen (6), Palmer (4), Haas, Simpson, Casey
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Hunter Mahan was as steady as you like yesterday. For a while. He birdied the opening hole, then carded 11 consecutive pars, before doing this: double bogey, par, par, birdie, bogey, double bogey. He signed for a three-over 75, and now that rollercoaster run continues today: he’s opened with a bogey followed by two birdies. He’s +2. He’s now the third player in the red today. And make that four: here comes Branden Grace, opening with a birdie to move to +2. Not a whole load of meaningful action at the top of the leaderboard yet, but that should change soon with Spieth joining Els on the course now and Day, Garcia and Hoffman due to turn up for their shifts before the hour is out.
There are 36 players out on the course right now; two of them are under par. After a day of relatively low scoring yesterday, one senses the hand of the committee. The pins are certainly in some tight spots, but then, when are they not around this track. Shane Lowry of Ireland is one of our under-par heroes; his birdie at 2 has moved him to +2. The other is Louis Oosthuizen, the one mover and shaker of the morning so far. He’s just picked up a shot at 5, his third birdie of the day, to move to -3 for both his round and the tournament. Meanwhile Spieth, starting steadily and sensibly, finds the centre of the 1st green with his second shot, takes two calm putts, and saunters off with an opening par.
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The leader Jordan Spieth is out, and as a statement of intent, his opening drive isn’t half bad: pearled straight down the middle, landing just to the left of the big fairway bunker. Nothing like one of those to settle the nerves. And he’ll gain even more succour from the news over at 5, where Els has dropped a shot to fall back to -5. The lead at the top - for what it’s worth after one round and a handful of holes - is three shots again.
Ryan Palmer stops the rot. The damage of back-to-back bogeys, at 18 last night and 1 this morning, has been partially repaired by a birdie at the generous 2nd hole. He’s -3 again. Ernie Els is carefully navigating Augusta’s early challenges; he’s still one under for his round through 4 holes, and -6 overall. A sense that we’re all just biding time until the star attraction Jordan Spieth comes out to play, though. What he does over the first few holes could shape the entire day, perhaps the whole tournament. He’ll be teeing off in a few minutes.
Yep, momentum’s a funny thing in golf all right. There were the aforementioned Tringale, Zach Johnson and Cabrera, all with early birdies. Well, they’ve all handed the shots back to the field. Johnson bogeys 4, Cabrera 3, and Tringale has bogeyed both 4 and 6. The trio all drop to level par for the tournament. But Thomas Bjorn, a top-ten finisher here last year, has birdied 2 to move to -1.
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The second is giving up a few birdies this morning. Also moving in the right direction are the former champions Zach Johnson and Angel Cabrera; both have birdied 2, both are -1 for the tournament now. Moving the other way after strong showings yesterday: the debutant Seung-Yul Noh, who dropped a shot on 1 and is back to -1 through 5; and Ryan Palmer, who was -4 through 17 yesterday, dropped one on the last, and has now shed another shot on the opening hole today. He’s -2. Momentum’s a funny thing in golf. “I think golf might be missing a trick by not taking a leaf out of crickets book (RIP Richie) and having a lunch and tea interval during a round,” opines Simon McMahon. “Players could stop after 6 and then 12 holes and sample the local delights. So, iced tea, cheese and pimento at Augusta, pulled pork at Pinehurst, deep-fried Mars bar and Irn Bru at St. Andrews. It’s got to be worth a try, right?” Anything that increases the chances of restoring the newly slimline Jason ‘Vegan Adam Richman’ Dufner to his former cuddly self gets my vote.
A difficult morning for the 1991 champion Ian Woosnam. He was going well yesterday, level par through 15, until he found the water at 16. A double bogey, then another dropped shot at 18, and he was signing for a 75. Now his par-three hell continues this morning, with doubles at 4 and 6. Another dropped shot at 7, and he’s plummeted down the leaderboard to +8. Another birdie for Louis Oosthuizen, though, at 2. He’s up to -2 after his opening day level-par 72.
Els makes an early move, continuing where he left off yesterday! OK, not literally, given he dropped a shot on 18, but you know what I mean. That five-under 67 has put him right in the mix, and he appears in the mood to keep up his overall momentum. He really wants that elusive Green Jacket. To this end, he’s reached the side of the 2nd in two, chipped to a couple of feet, and gently rolled in the birdie putt. He’s -6, alone in second spot, giving our young leader a little something to think about as he prepares for his round.
-8: Spieth
-6: Els (2)
-5: Day, Hoffman, Rose
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Ernie Els is out early doors, and he’s started steadily enough with a par on the famous opening hole, Tea Olive. He remains at -5, three off Spieth’s lead. His compatriot Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion and 2012 Masters runner-up, is in the group behind, and he’s birdied the 1st, clattering a beautiful second shot to a couple of feet and converting. He’ll no doubt have noticed the pin position coming up on 2, on the right-hand side of the green, near the bunker. It isn’t a million miles away from where it was in 2012, when he guided that astonishing albatross into the hole on the final day. What a shot that was, one that set a light under the day’s play from the get-go. Not that he’ll be expecting lightning to strike twice - there have only been four double-eagles in Masters history, Gene Sarazen (1935), Bruce Devlin (1967) and Jeff Maggert (1994) your other men - but he’ll allow himself a moment to bask in the warm glow of the memory, I’m sure.
Here we are, then, patrons. Hearty breakfast of pimento cheese sandwich and ice tea all gone? Lovely. Then we’re good to go. Kevin Stadler - the Smallrus, son of 1982 winner Craig - hasn’t done very much this year on account of an injured mitt. But he earned himself a place at Augusta with his top-ten showing on debut last year. A slightly lower-profile return from injury than Tiger’s, Kevin shot a fairly dismal 77 yesterday, his round including four three-putts. But he’s started well today, carding the first birdie of the day, at 2. He rises to +4. Coming behind him, Cameron Tringale, who also makes a rich, creamy birdie on 2 to move to the deliciously tangy mark of -2. I’ll level with you, I’d quite like one of those sandwiches.
64. 64!!! Jordan Spieth’s turn yesterday was the lowest first round in the Masters Tournament since Greg Norman shot a 63 on the opening day at Augusta National in 1996. And look what eventually happened there. This is far from over.
Spieth, a runner up here last year, bang in form on the Tour, and with his confidence sky high, was precociously brilliant yesterday. Sure, he had a couple of lucky bounces here and there, too. But he seized the day every time, which is easier said than done. And anyway, if he hadn’t got a mud ball on the 15th fairway, and birdied rather than bogeyed that short par five, we’d be looking now at the first-ever scorecard of 62 in a major championship. That 63 is a bar that just refuses to budge. Still, 64 and a three-shot lead will more than suffice. But this is far from over.
There are still three days to play, a whole load of golf, so nobody, least of all the level-headed Spieth, will be getting ahead of themselves. But when marvelling at the devastation wreaked by Whirlwind Jordan, it’s easy to overlook another man who recently shot 64 at the Masters: Jason Day, who posted an identical score on the second day in 2011. And there he is, in second place! The perennial major bridesmaid loves Augusta - he’s finished second and third here already - and made seven birdies himself yesterday. He’s bang in form himself. Here, I wonder if this will turn into a shoot-out for the ages? Here’s hoping.
Plenty of other top-drawer players are on hand with something to say about that, of course: Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Russell Henley, Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bubba, Rory and the old boy Ernie Els, searching for that elusive Green Jacket, the one he should have won but never did. There’s a long way to go. This is far from over.
Of course, the weather might turn later in the day, and Spieth is out nice and early. So if he takes advantage of the conditions, and shoots another sub-par round, he’ll be in very good nick for the weekend. But this is far from over. The tournament doesn’t start until hole 11 on Sunday afternoon, for a start.
This is already looking like an absurdly exciting Masters, though, isn’t it? We’ll be on the move in this Hole By Hole report by 2pm BST, which is 9am if you’re fortunate enough to be swanning around Augusta swilling ice tea and pumping gallons of rich, creamy, tangy pimento cheese down your throat. It’s on!
The top of the leaderboard as we head into the second day ...
-8: Spieth
-5: Els, Day, Hoffman, Rose
-4: Garcia, Henley
-3: Palmer, Haas, Simpson, Casey
-2: Noh, Horschel, Streelman, Reed, D Johnson, Mickelson
-1: Tringale, McDowell, Senden, Willett, T Watson, Woodland, Gallacher, Bradley, Lahiri, B Watson, Matsuyama, Schwartzel, McIlroy
... and today’s tee times ...
7.45am ET, 12.45pm BST: Ian Woosnam, Erik Compton, Marc Leishman
7.56am ET, 12.56pm BST: Trevor Immelman, Kevin Stadler, Scott Harvey (a)
8.07am ET, 1.07pm BST: Ben Martin, Robert Streb, Cameron Tringale
8.18am ET, 1.18pm BST: Sandy Lyle, Seung-yul Noh, Bradley Neil (a)
8.29am ET, 1.29pm BST: Bernhard Langer, Bernd Wiesberger, Geoff Ogilvy
8.40am ET, 1.40pm BST: Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els
8.51am ET, 1.51pm BST: Angel Cabrera, Louis Oosthuizen, Matias Dominguez (a)
9.02am ET, 2.02pm BST: Mark O’Meara, Chris Kirk, Shane Lowry
9.13am ET, 2.13pm BST: Padraig Harrington, Ryan Palmer, Thomas Bjorn
9.24am ET, 2.24pm BST: James Hahn, Mikko Ilonen, Hunter Mahan
9.35am ET, 2.35pm BST: Matt Kuchar, Brooks Koepka, Graeme McDowell
9.57am ET, 2.57pm BST: Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Billy Horschel
10.08am ET, 3.08pm BST: Fred Couples, Branden Grace, Thongchai Jaidee
10.19am ET, 3.19pm BST: Luke Donald, Victor Dubuisson, John Senden
10.30am ET, 3.30pm BST: Tiger Woods, Jamie Donaldson, Jimmy Walker
10.41am ET, 3.41pm BST: Jason Day, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler
10.52am ET, 3.52pm BST: Charley Hoffman, Brian Harman
11.03am ET, 4.03pm BST: Larry Mize, Danny Willett, Byron Meth (a)
11.14am ET, 4.14pm BST: Tom Watson, Gary Woodland, Camilo Villegas
11.25am ET, 4.25pm BST: Mike Weir, Ben Crane, Corey Conners (a)
11.36am ET, 4.36pm BST: Vijay Singh, Russell Henley, Darren Clarke
11.47am ET, 4.47pm BST: Jose Maria Olazabal, Brendon Todd, Kevin Na
12.09pm ET, 5.09pm BST: Jonas Blixt, Kevin Streelman, Stephen Gallacher
12.20pm ET, 5.20pm BST: Patrick Reed, Keegan Bradley, Ian Poulter
12.31pm ET, 5.31pm BST: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Lee Westwood, Anirban Lahiri
12.42pm ET, 5.42pm BST: Bubba Watson, Justin Rose, Gunn Yang (a)
12.53pm ET, 5.53pm BST: Adam Scott, Dustin Johnson, Antonio Murdaca (a)
1.04pm ET, 6.04pm BST: Morgan Hoffmann, Steve Stricker, Matt Every
1.15pm ET, 6.15pm BST: Ben Crenshaw, Bill Haas, Jason Dufner
1.26pm ET, 6.26pm BST: Webb Simpson, Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey
1.37pm ET, 6.37pm BST: Charl Schwartzel, Joost Luiten, Sangmoon Bae
1.48pm ET, 6.48pm BST: Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Ryan Moore
1.59pm ET, 6.59pm BST: JB Holmes, Martin Kaymer, Brandt Snedeker
