One of the shots of the day, right at the end! Adam Scott lands his approach to 18 a good 30 feet behind the hole, the ball spinning back to two feet. Exquisite. He’s back to +4, and only eight off the pace! And so ends a breathtaking second day’s play. Jordan Spieth was five clear at one point, but the wind and the hard greens proved too much, even for him, and now we’ve got what everyone’s been waiting for: a Spieth versus McIlroy shootout in a major. What a weekend we have in store! You wouldn’t want to be anywhere else tomorrow, would you? Thought not. See you here again, then. In the meantime, sleep tight, and try not to have nightmares about six-putting from two feet.
-4: Spieth
-3: McIlroy
-2: Lee, Piercy
-1: Snedeker, Kjeldsen, Matsuyama
E: Aphibarnrat, Willett, Garcia, Lowry, DeChambeau, D Johnson, Berger
Rose can’t make his par. Bogey, and he’s signing for a fairly miserable 77. He’s +2 overall, alongside Jamie Donaldson, who shot a level-par 72 today. That’s a fine showing by the Welsh player. And birdie for young Daniel Berger, who is level par for the tournament. Just the one group left out on the course now. While we wait for Adam Scott to make his way in, here’s Andy Bull on the bravery in adversity of Ernie Els.
Rose, like DeChambeau before him, drops on the other side of the sheds. He threads his second back onto the 18th fairway, then wedges to six feet. A chance to save himself there. While we wait for that outcome, here’s Ewan Murray’s take on events.
Scott has bogeyed 17. Barring disaster at the final hole, he should be here this weekend. But he’s +5, so a double would see him sent home. So this cut: Bubba Watson, who has shot a pair of 75s, is the only player at +6. He’ll be here this weekend, but out early tomorrow. I wonder whether his heart will be in it. But missing the weekend along with Phil Mickelson: Trevor Immelman, Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel, Branden Grace, Zach Johnson, Ernie Els, Graeme McDowell, Rickie Fowler, Jason Dufner, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Mark O’Meara, Sandy Lyle, Darren Clarke and Ian Woosnam.
Mickelson’s birdie effort at 18 races past the right of the cup. He’ll not be here this weekend. A par, he’s +7, just the wrong side of the cut. A brave effort to save himself, but the damage was done by getting wet at 15 and 16. Back on the tee, Rose hooks his drive into DeChambeau Country.
Mickelson leaves himself a 40-footer across the last to save his skin. The odds are against him now. Rose wasn’t far away from a 30-footer for eagle on 17, but that’s another par. Back on 16, Scott - one of the pre-tournament favourites, who looked totally out of it earlier, but birdied 12 and 15 to haul himself up to +4 - isn’t far from draining a long birdie effort up the green. But he’ll stay where he is. Only eight shots off the lead. This Masters has concertinaed up.
Photograph: Erik S. Lesser/EPA
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Here’s Bryson DeChambeau, upon being asked about that triple-bogey on the last. “That’s golf. I’m not worried about it. There’s no doubt I can win. It’s just hitting golf shots on a golf course, albeit a beautiful course.” Just the right levels of eccentricity about this chap. Subtle, but it’s there. And it’s certainly not mannered or forced. He’s a star in the making. The Payne Stewart de nos jours.
A bogey for Matsuyama on the last, and he’ll have to settle for a level-par 72. He’s -1 for the Tournament. Meanwhile Lefty needs a birdie-birdie finish to escape the cut. So he’s clacked his second at 17 pin high to four feet - and rattled in the putt! He’s +7, and still alive. Only just.
Jordan Spieth speaks! “It was a couple of strokes higher than what I was looking for. I thought level par was a good score today. It’s a bit disappointing. But it’s pretty much a new tournament coming our way for the last couple of rounds! If there’s no water thrown on these greens, it’s going to be a bit ridiculous with the winds. Today was a learning experience. It was really tough to hold it together. It was a grind on each hole, and emotionally it was difficult. The person who walks the tallest is going to end up winning. Rory is right on my heels, so it’s no easy task ahead.”
Rose arrows his tee shot at 16 straight at the flag, albeit 15 feet short. He’s got a fairly straight putt up the hill, with a gentle right-to-left drift. But he doesn’t hit it. He stays at +1; nothing’s really worked for him today.
With Spieth having moved back towards the pack, quite a few players who might have considered themselves out of it will have their tails up again. Rory McIlroy obviously, but look a little further down: Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry and Dustin Johnson at level par; Jason Day and Justin Rose at +1; Jimmy Walker, Angel Cabrera, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey at +2. It’s going to be some weekend.
That carry-on up 18 wasn’t the only farce unfolding. Phil Mickelson found water at 15. A double bogey sent him crashing down to +6, on the verge of the new projected cut. And now he’s dumped his tee shot at 16 into the drink too. That’s another double, and he’s +8, almost certainly going home this weekend. Justin Rose couldn’t scramble his par at 13, a highly unfortunate bogey. He dropped back to +1, where he’s remained through 15. And Emiliano Grillo double bogeyed 16 after finding himself in the bunker high on the right, then three putting from distance. He’s back to +1.
DeChambeau lifts a wedge, his fifth shot, to eight feet. But he can’t make the double-bogey putt, and that’s a punishing seven. All of a sudden, he’s signing for a level-par 72; 20 minutes ago, he was on the verge of a best-of-day 69. Golf, huh. He’s level par for the Tournament. Casey makes bogey. And Spieth splashes out to 12 feet - and rattles in his par saver! That’s a magnificent scramble, especially after all the faffing around down that hole. He signs for a 74, his first over-par round in competitive play at the Masters. He’ll be taking a one-shot lead into the weekend. But he was five in front at one point. Rory McIlroy will be a very happy man right now. But he won’t be the only one. Spieth has let everyone back into the 80th Masters Tournament!
-4: Spieth (F)
-3: McIlroy (F)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F), Matsuyama (17)
-1: Snedeker (F), Kjeldsen (F)
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Poor Bryson DeChambeau is forced to walk back to the tee, where he’ll hit three. And this is rather painful to watch, as he pulls that one into similar oomska down the left. This is miserable viewing, because the amateur has been the star of the day, without question: through 17 holes, he was three under for his round! His second ball is up against a barn door, so he’s now looking to drop on the other side of the building, past a concession stand and by a cartpath near the 7th green! He’s on safari! And he’s struggling to get a legal drop on hard ground. He’ll be hitting four back towards the hole. He’s 265 yards from the green, and hitting uphill! My oh my. He cuts a biggie from Ian Woosnam Country, and lashes it back onto the hole. He’s near the green! An up and down, and that’ll be a six at best. What a terrible shame this is. Casey, meanwhile, bumped his second out of the trees, while Spieth has put his into the right-hand bunker. This has been a complete farce. The Masters, as scripted by Ray Cooney, starring Brian Rix.
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DeChambeau has hooked his drive at 18 into bushes down the left. That could be in a lot of trouble. And then Casey follows him in there! That is appalling. What a nonsense! Spieth teases with the trees down the right, but that’ll be OK, just staying out in the second cut. The nerves are palpable, and we’re not even at the halfway stage yet! This is going to be quite an affair come Sunday.
Spieth and DeChambeau both send their second shots over the back of 17. Not a disaster, but they’ll face tricky up and downs. DeChambeau knocks his chip five feet past the hole, but pops the par putt away. Spieth lobs his ball up onto the dancefloor, but it stops well short of the flag. A bit of work still to be done there. And he lets the par putt drift off to the right, and his lead is down to one. This has been an astonishing afternoon’s golf. Four hours ago, everyone - pretty much everyone - was wondering whether this Masters was going to turn into another Spieth procession. He was five clear at one point. And now look!
-4: Spieth (17)
-3: McIlroy (F), DeChambeau (17)
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DeChambeau pearls his drive down the centre of 17. Spieth follows him down the track. Casey, though, has lost his inner rhythm completely, having bogeyed the last three holes. He wangs his drive into the trees down the right. Back on 13, Rose wedges into the green, hits the pin, and watches in horror as his ball rebounds back into Rae’s Creek. He’s already three over for his round, level par overall, and things aren’t going to get any better there. Meanwhile the young Argentinian Emiliano Grillo is on a bit of a roll: birdie at 12, followed by another at 15, and he’s -1 overall, one of only nine men in red figures for this Tournament.
-5: Spieth (16)
-3: McIlroy (F), DeChambeau (16)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F), Matsuyama (15)
-1: Snedeker (F), Kjeldsen (F), Grillo (15)
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A trio of average tee shots into 16 from Spieth, DeChambeau and Casey. Spieth is a club short, albeit on the front of the large green. He leaves his birdie putt ten feet short. DeChambeau leaves his putt from down near the water ten feet short too. And finally Casey fails to get his putt from a similar position up and over the ridge, and the ball comes back to his feet. His second effort is knocked stone dead, and that’s another bogey, his third in a row. He’s +1, having unravelled a wee bit. Spieth then leaves his par putt high on the right, and hands back the shot he picked up on the last. That’s pretty sloppy from the leader. DeChambeau can’t make his par either, and they both move back towards McIlroy.
-5: Spieth (16)
-3: McIlroy (F), DeChambeau (16)
Tom Watson won this Tourrnament in 1977 and 1981. He’s coming up 18 for the last time. He powers a fairway wood to the back of the green - at 66, he doesn’t have the luxury of a short iron - and leaves himself a monster putt. And he so nearly guides it in, a mammoth left-to-right breaker that stops one turn short of the hole. He taps in for par, an exit with honour. He signs for a 78. He’s +8 for his final Masters Tournament. The gallery rises as one to applaud loud and long, an emotional farewell to one of golf’s genuine greats. A living legend. You can feel the warmth all around the globe.
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Spieth’s long eagle putt stops a couple of turns short of the hole. But he taps in for birdie, and he’s level for his round again, back to -6. Casey nearly scrambles his par after visiting the drink, but can’t make it. He’s back to level par. And DeChambeau, with soft hands, lifts a Mickelsonesque lob onto 15 from the bank down the back. That’s three feet from the cup, and another birdie for this brilliant young prospect. He’s four under for his round, and in second place all on his own! Meanwhile one of the shots of the day by Matsuyama on 14: he lifts a high second over the flag to eight feet, and knocks in the putt for a third birdie on the bounce! He’s right in this Tournament now!
-6: Spieth (15)
-4: DeChambeau (15)
-3: McIlroy (F)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F), Matsuyama (14)
It’s consecutive birdies for Matsuyama, who very nearly dribbles in a long eagle putt from the back of 13. He settles for the birdie that’ll take him to -1. The young Japanese star loves this course, having finished fifth here last year. He’ll certainly be worth keeping an eye on this weekend. Up on 15, Casey goes for the green in two, but hits it out of the heel, and there’s not enough juice to stop it toppling into the creek. DeChambeau powers his through the green; he’ll have a tricky chip coming back. And finally Spieth, who whips a gorgeous iron into the heart of the green. He’ll have two putts from 35 feet to re-establish a bit of distance between himself and the rest of the field!
Spieth has the opportunity to go to school on a DeChambeau putt from the back of 14, but learns little. His identical right-to-left breaker dies off to the left, and he’s got a three-footer for par. In it goes. DeChambeau pars too. But Casey putts up from the front rather lamely, the ball stopping a good 12 feet short of the flag. He can’t knock in the par saver, and he’s back to -1. He shouldn’t feel too bad: he’s one of only eight players under par for this Tournament!
-5: Spieth (14)
-3: McIlroy (F), DeChambeau (14)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F)
-1: Snedeker (F), Kjeldsen (F), Casey (14)
A dropped shot for Rose at 10, after he toys with the trees down the left, then duffs a chip up onto the green. A good second chip limits the damage, and he’s back to level par. On 12, Hideki Matsuyama drains a 20-footer from the back of the green for a birdie that takes him back to level par. And up on 14, Casey fails to keep his ball from toppling back down the slope at the front, while Spieth sends his second to the back of the green and spinning back to 20 feet. That’s a half-chance to get to -6. It’s very windy now. Not by Open standards, but certainly by the standards of the Masters.
After birdie at 8, Justin Rose has reached the turn in 38. Not ideal, but on a day of high scoring it’s not awful, and he’s only four off the lead at -1. Brooks Koepka was going very well indeed, two under for his round after birdie at 8, but he’s just dropped a stroke at 9: he’s level par for the Tournament. And a word for one of the very few sub-par rounds today: Troy Merritt, who carded a 71. Alongside his opening-day 74, he’s positioned nicely for the weekend at +1.
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Spieth’s birdie effort down 13 slips by the left of the hole. He’ll have a three footer coming back for his par. In it goes, but that’s a missed opportunity for birdie on an agreeable par five. Casey leaves his eagle putt high on the right, but in the next putt goes for birdie, and he’s back to -2, very much in this Tournament, three off the lead. DeChambeau meanwhile nearly sent his second into Rae’s Creek, but the ball snagged on the bank and he was able to chip to four feet. He doesn’t hit the birdie putt, though, the ball dying on the right. A chance to move into second on his own, a shot off the lead, is spurned. Still, what a performance this is by the young amateur.
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What a stunning second into 13 by Paul Casey! A whipped long iron straight over Rae’s Creek and at the flag. He’ll have a ten footer for eagle! Spieth meanwhile punches out of the trees, then sends his wedge 20 feet past the hole. He waves his club around his head in the irritated style. He’s certainly not a picture of contentment right now. One good putt for birdie, though, and all that would change.
Spieth splashes out of the bunker at 12 to six feet, then rams home the par putt. He’s pleased with that all right, a fine up and down that sets him up nicely ahead of the two par fives. A chance to regain some momentum coming up. DeChambeau meanwhile taps in for his birdie, to move into a share of second. Casey makes do with his par. This Masters has suddenly become rather interesting again. Will Spieth put some distance between himself and the chasing pack again? It’s not a given, as he’s just lashed his drive at 13 into the pines down the right.
-5: Spieth (12)
-3: McIlroy (F), DeChambeau (12)
A word with a very content Rory McIlroy. “It feels great. The course is playing awfully difficult. I came in off the golf course disappointed by the way I finished. I feel a lot different tonight! I’m in a good position going into the weekend. Obviously Jordan has a few holes to play, so we’ll see where he finishes up. I want to get into the final group. That was my objective. We’ll see how it finishes. I’m very excited. This is my best position at the weekend here for a long time. I’ll battle away, and hopefully give myself a great chance on Sunday.” He’s been given a putting masterclass by Ben Crenshaw. The tip? “High lines, high lines.” Keep a high line, kids. Simple when you know how, eh?
Spieth looks a little bit flustered. He slams his tee shot at 12 into the bunker front right. Casey sends his over the flag; he’ll have a 15-footer coming back. But what about this amateur sensation Bryson DeChambeau! He clips his tee shot to three feet, the ball screeching to an instant halt! He’ll have a short putt for a share of second! This is a wonderful performance by a player who’ll be turning pro once the dust has settled here on Sunday.
Spieth lags up brilliantly on 11 from the best part of 50 feet. He’s got three feet left for par. And he knocks that in. A very solid par. He remains two in the lead at -5. Casey meanwhile drops a stroke to move back to -1. But there’s a huge stroke of luck for DeChambeau, who thinks he’s dumped his approach into the water on the left, but just clears the drink, and leaves himself a five-footer for birdie! He doesn’t look the gift horse in the mouth, and he’s back to -2!
-5: Spieth (11)
-3: McIlroy (F)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F), DeChambeau (11)
McIlroy makes his par putt on 18! He guides in the left-to-right slider, and as it drops his punches the air with glee. He knows how big that could be, especially if Spieth continues to stumble on his way home. He’s back in 34, with birdies at 13, 15 and 16, and he’s right in this Masters after looking out of it a couple of hours ago! He signs for a 71, to go with his 70 yesterday. On a day of high scoring, that’s quite a result. He’s -3 at the halfway mark.
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Spieth’s second into 11 finds the front of the green, not a bad result given the wind whipping around the hole, and the fact his group has fallen from position and has been put on the clock. He effs and jeffs a little, referencing his being timed, but that could have been a lot worse. A good two putts - and there’s no better putter here - and he’ll be leaving this very difficult hole with a par. A good 50 feet to go, mind you.
Rory in deep trouble in the trees at 18. He lashes back out onto the fairway, and he’ll need to get up and down from 100 yards to save his par. He sends his third over the flag. It bites, and he sends it spinning back to eight feet: think Sandy Lyle’s famous bunker shot from 1988. Anyway, a chance to scramble his par, which didn’t look like a prospect when his ball was whistling into the thicket from the tee. Meanwhile on 8, Mickelson chips to a couple of feet, but then blocks his birdie putt to the left. That goes four feet past the hole, and he pushes that one left too! He’s back where he started. This time, he does what he should have done - no Els he, though he did four-putt at Muirfield on his way to the 2013 Open - and tucks the bogey putt away. But that follows a double at 7, and he’s out to +2 now.
So having got to within two strokes of Spieth, having been seven behind not so long ago, McIlroy wangs his drive at 18 into the trees on the right. He got a bit greedy there, trying to cut the corner. Nope! Not a good idea. He’s in the lap of the gods there. Up on the green, Shane Lowry pushes a very poor putt wide right of the hole, and he’s signing for a 76, back at level par for the Tournament.
On 17, McIlroy’s second into the green is bang average, and he’s left himself a tricky two putt from 50 feet. But he lags his first putt up wonderfully - one more turn, and it’d have been a crazy birdie. He’ll take par, though, and he looks pretty happy right now. Back on 10, Spieth bumps his third up and onto the green, and ten feet past the hole. That’ll be a very testing left-to-right curler coming back down a glacial green. And in this wind as well. He sends it wide to the left, on the high side, and he’ll have another tough one coming back, a four footer. But that one’s straight into the cup. Bogey, though, and he’s back to -5. Bogey too for DeChambeau, who three putts from the back. He’s -1. Casey pars again to stay at -2. “This could still be interesting if the 2016 Jordan comes back to visit,” suggests Matt Emerson.
-5: Spieth (10)
-3: McIlroy (17)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F), Casey (10)
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A miserable finish for Sergio Garcia, who can’t tease in a 12-foot par curler from the back of 18. It lips out, and he’s signing for a 75, back at level par at the halfway mark. On 10, Spieth splits the fairway, but is confused by the swirling wind and leaves his approach short of the green. For the first time this week, his body language betrays a little frustration. Casey gets his second onto the green, though, and will have a 25-foot downhill putt left for birdie. DeChambeau lands his ball next to Casey’s. The amateur is currently the only player out on the course two shots under par! And in the top ten, it’s only DeChambeau, McIlroy and Stenson in red numbers. It’s playing tough out there.
Well that’s shaken things up a bit. Spieth still has the two par fives to negotiate. On the other hand, he’s got Amen Corner to navigate. A double bogey for Mickelson on 7, and he’s back to +1. Meanwhile, it’s back to back dropped shots for Rose, who bogeys 6 and drops to level par. Poor stuff from San Diego, California and Hartley Wintney, Hampshire’s finest.
Another birdie for Rory McIlroy! He sends his tee shot at 16 to the back of the green, then teases in a 25-foot left-to-right curler to move into second spot at -3! And he’s only three behind, because Spieth, pitching up onto the big sloping green on 9, can’t get his ball to stay put. It rolls back down to the right. He won’t have to chip this one back up; out comes the putter from the fringe. He leaves the par effort four feet short. That’ll be a little test for bogey. But it’s in. Par meanwhile for Casey. But Bryson DeChambeau sends a gorgeous second over the flag, the ball spinning back to three feet. In it goes for birdie! He’s out in 34, and is currently tied for second! The best finishes by amateurs at the Masters? Second place for Ken Venturi in 1956, and second place ties for Frank Stranahan in 1947 and Charles Coe in 1961.
-6: Spieth (9)
-3: McIlroy (16)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F), Casey (9), DeChambeau (9)
Ah, this is better from Henrik Stenson. The big man started out by dropping a stroke at 1, but he’s birdied 2 and now 6 to move into red figures for the day, and the Tournament. He’s -1. Up on 9, meanwhile, the leader Spieth offers a chink of light by landing his pitch on the front portion of the green and watching it trickle back down the fairway. Sergio took three shots to get back onto the putting surface from there. It’ll be interesting to see how Spieth copes. I bet he doesn’t take three shots, huh. And up on 15, McIlroy blasts a huge second over the water and onto the green, then carefully takes two for a birdie that brings him to -2.
-7: Spieth (8)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (F), McIlroy (15), Casey (8)
There are only three players in the top ten under par for their round today. Spieth, Phil Mickelson, and the amateur Bryson DeChambeau. This is fairly dismal fare from a pack of chasing professionals. On 17, Sergio lets an eight footer dribble past the low side of the hole, and that’s a bogey that’ll drop him back to -1. Rose three-putts from the back of 5, and he’s back to -1. Kjeldsen drops one at the last to sign for a 74; he’s -1.
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Scott Piercy pars the last, and signs for a level-par 72. At the halfway mark, he’s -2, and currently in a tie for second spot. Shane Lowry has struggled since the turn: bogey at 11, double at 12, birdie at 13 and bogey at 14. He grabs another back at 15, though, and though he’s three over for the day, he’s still -1 overall.
Spieth rolls in his birdie putt on 8, and that’s him back in red figures for the day. He’s -7, and five in the lead again. Imperative that his playing partner follows him in, then. Paul Casey hasn’t had much fun up to this point: a birdie at 2, followed by bogeys at 3, 4 and 6. But a birdie here gets him back on track: he’s -2.
Spieth toys with the trees down the right of 8 twice, with driver and then his fairway wood. Still rocking a wee bit? No, not really. He sends his third, a gentle wedge, screeching to a stop ten feet in front of the flag. He’ll have a good look at that for birdie. Up on 14, a chance for McIlroy to pick up another shot, but he doesn’t give his downhill 15-footer enough on the right, and it curls off to the left of the cup. That’s par, and he stays at -1. He could do with something before he gets to the clubhouse. And even then he’ll be hoping Spieth hits a rocky patch.
On 18, Jason Day lets a short par putt dribble away to the right. That’s a bogey to finish with. He’s back in 39, and signing for a one-over 73. He’s +1. Sergio isn’t far off from draining a 25-footer on 16 for birdie, but he stays at -2. Soren Kjeldsen nearly holes a 30 footer on 17, but he too remains at -2. And Lefty isn’t far off a 35-footer for birdie on 5, but he stays at -1. Bogey for Danny Willett on 16, though, and he’s back to level par.
Well, that last hour didn’t pan out as expected. Not sure what was more astonishing: Spieth’s mini-meltdown with the flat stick on 5, or the 15-foot scramble for par on 6. I love the way the match-play gene kicks in with Spieth. He’s four clear still, but a few doubts will have crept in. It’s not much for the chasing pack to cling to, but it’s something. Rory birdies 13 to move to within five at -1. Also on that mark, Phil Mickelson, who bogeyed 1 but birdied 2 and 3, and the magnificently flamboyant amateur Bryson DeChambeau, who birdied 1, bogeyed 3, and has picked up his shot again at 7. Probably a good time to revisit the old leaderboard, which is one Spieth double bogey away from being very interesting, one Spieth eagle away from being very dull ...
-6: Spieth (7)
-2: Lee (F), Piercy (17), Kjeldsen (16), Garcia (16), Rose (4)
-1: Snedeker (F), Willett (15), McIlroy (13), Casey (7), DeChambeau (7), Mickelson (4)
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Ooooof, finally some signs of life from Shane Lowry. Down at Amen Corner on the 13th, the big Irishman shows a delightful touch to roll a tricky chip down the green to within a yard of the pin. He taps in for birdie, and goes to -1.
Scott Murray is back from his break, he’s your man from hereon in. Bye!
That recovery is a dagger to the hearts of Spieth’s rivals, who are fading fast. Piercy has bogeyed 16 and falls back to -2. Now Rose, England’s Rose, bogeys the 3rd, and he falls back to -2 as well. Gosh, won’t somebody put a bit of pressure on Spieth. Danny Lee finishes his round with two consecutive bogeys, carding a two-over second round of 74. He’s also at -2! For all the American’s talent and guts, this is a poor showing from the rest of the field.
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Ooooohhhhhh, here we go, Spieth is crumbling. Oh maybe just wavering. But who else saw this coming: Spieth’s tee shot on the 183-yard par 3 6th goes OVER the green and INTO the crowd. The wind has certainly picked up, and his chip shot goes left of the hole. Spieth has 17ft to save par … and he makes it! Wow, what a save. He could do easily have gone to putty there, but showed nerves of steel to sink that one! He’s still -6, three shots clear, and manages not to trip on his huge testes on the way to the tee at 7.
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Hold the phone! Spieth has just double-bogeyed the fifth! He has four-putted! Wow! He’s back to -6, now just three shots clear of Piercy and Rose, who has just started his round with a par at the first. That is Spieth’s first bogey of this year’s tournament and I think I’m right in saying it is only the second time in his career that he has ever recorded a double bogey!
SPIETH MADE A DOUBLE-BOGEY! GASP! pic.twitter.com/gVwDdsyfOh
— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) April 8, 2016
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None of us want this tournament to turn into a procession for Spieth, but it’s hard to get past these kind of stats.
@michaelbutler18 Just heard on TV here that Spieth has birded 50 of his first 165 holes played at The Masters. Tiger had 42 in his first 180
— Future Canon (@futurecanon) April 8, 2016
So long as he doesn’t blow this five-shot lead, he will enter the clubhouse with as leader of the Masters for the sixth (SIXTH!) consecutive round.
Back near-ish the leaders, Day has recovered on 15 to make his par. His tee shot at the par-3 16 finds the green, but rolls down the hill, away from the pin, before coming to rest on the fringe, just in front of the water. At least it found dry land, yesterday Day landed his tee shot straight in the water!
Ernie Els has a chance for eagle at 15, but he leaves it short and has to settle for birdie. Still the Big Easy has steadied the ship after what happened yesterday, he’s even for today!
After a good round today, I probably shouldn’t leave this here, but I JUST CAN’T STOP WATCHING IT.
Like coming home from a late late night on the town and trying to get the key in the front door but with the world watching.
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Twenty-five years after his famous Masters triumph, Ian Woosnam has come off the course at Augusta for the last time. He has only made the cut once in his last 14 appearances here, and finishes today second bottom after +19 after his two rounds.
“That’s my last go,” declared Woosnam. “I am not fit enough to play with my bad back. I have ankylosing spondylitis and I can’t play with all the slopes here.”
“Every time I play this course it just seizes on me, and can’t swing the club properly. I am in pain all the way round so it’s time to say bye-bye really. There’s not much they can do. I was swinging it beautiful before I came here. I am always taking pain killers just to play golf but it’s just too tough here for me.
“I said in the past that if started shooting in the 80s I would call it a day. I am in just in pain all the way round and you can’t expect to play well. It’s time for me to sit back and watch,” he said. “I’ll still keep coming to the tournament obviously. It’s a shame to finish off playing like that but you can only do your best. Never mind, I’ve still got a Green Jacket.”
That you do Woosy, and what a moment it was!
Hello everyone. At this rate, we will all be able to put our feet up tomorrow, watch the Grand National and simply check in at the end of the day to see how far Jordan Spieth is in front of the field. The man is, much like Denzel Washington in 2004, on FIRE!
Spieth had a 96ft putt on the 4th... played to 4ft.
— Ewan Murray (@mrewanmurray) April 8, 2016
Spieth gets his par at 4 to remain -8. Jason Day meanwhile, has gone way right off the tee at 15, and forced to swerve his shot round a nearby tree.
So with that, I’m going to hand over to your pal and mine, Michael Butler. He’ll see you through for the next hour. I wonder if there will still be a competition worthy of the name by the time I get back? A lot resting on Justin Rose here! See you soon.
This is beginning to get a bit embarrassing for the rest of the field now. Paul Casey takes three to get down from the front of 3, and hands back the shot he picked up at 2. Jordan Spieth, however, clapped his second to a couple of feet, and that’s his second birdie in three holes. He’s still only got a four-shot lead - only! - because Danny Lee has birdied 16. Everyone else has been struggling, but already Spieth is taking care of business. He’s the new Jack Nicklaus: relentless, brilliant, charming, modest, an all-round class act.
-8: Spieth (3)
-4: Lee (16)
-3: Piercy (13), Lowry (10), Casey (3), Rose
Poulter is taking out his frustration by attempting to murder some of the patrons. After bothering them down 14, he’s now fired his second at 15 into a gallery down the right consisting of good people, who just wanted to come and watch a little golf, eat some pimento cheese, drink some iced tea, etc. But he gathers himself and very nearly chips in from up the bank for eagle! He’ll have a short putt for birdie that’d take him back up to +1.
Bogey for Day at 13, then. He’s back to level par, and seven off the lead. Grasping at straws already, but it’s beginning to look as though any sort of challenge to Jordan Spieth will come from England: Paul Casey or Justin Rose. Chris Wood maybe. But not Ian Poulter, who suffers double bogey at 14, a result of whistling his second deep into the jungle to the right. He’s five over for his round today, back with the hoi polloi at +2.
We paused before putting up the latest leaderboard, because there were a couple of notable moves elsewhere. Shane Lowry has put an end to an otherwise desperate front nine with birdie at 9; he’s -3 again. Scott Piercy has bogeyed 11 to move back to -2, level par for his round. Jimmy Walker is hanging on in there, one under for his round through 10, a long run of pars following his birdie at 3. And Chris Wood has added a second birdie of the day at 5; he’s -2.
-7: Spieth (2)
-4: Casey (2)
-3: Lee (14), Lowry (9), Rose
Some respite for the field. But not much. Spieth, on the par-five 2nd, sends his second in front of the bunker front right. He flops over to seven feet, and that’s another birdie chance. But he misses this one, a rare mistake with the flat stick. He stays at -7. His playing partner Paul Casey takes the chance to make a move; he birdies to move within three. Meanwhile Day, coming down 13, sends his second into Rae’s Creek. In truth, he doesn’t quite look on top of his game this week. That front nine of 31 yesterday was quite the illusion.
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Day to the left of the par-three 12th. He takes a putter from the fringe, and cosies it up to a couple of feet. That’ll be a par that’ll keep him at -1, but with Spieth out and already in credit today, he really needs to make some sort of statement on the par fives. The next hour or so could be the making or breaking of the world number one and PGA champ. And speaking of making and breaking ... Sergio, at the front of the sloping 9th green, gets himself in an awful pickle as he tries to get his ball up onto the putting surface. A double-bogey six, and that’s an otherwise decent front nine turned to mud. He’s now one over for his round, out in 37, and back in the group at -2. Spieth leads by four now. This is a collective shocker by the chasing pack.
A bogey for Kjeldsen at 9. He’s out in 37, going the wrong way after a quick start. He’s -2 for the Tournament. Some up-and-down nonsense from Bubba: bogey at 12, birdie at 13, and he’s still +7. And ditto Brandt Snedeker: he whistled his tee shot at 12 into the shrubs, then took three putts for a double bogey, before bouncing back with birdie at 13. He’s level par today, and -1 overall.
Sergio Garcia! Birdie at the long 8th hole, and he’s in second spot at -4, all on his own! But he’s still three off the lead, because Jordan Spieth has creamed his second at the opening hole to 14 feet, then knocked in the birdie putt. What a start by the reigning champion and Tournament leader! Meanwhile Day’s approach to 11 is very conservative and very average, front and right. OK, he’s never going in the water, but the pin’s back left and he’s facing with a monster two putts to save his par. He can’t get up and down, and the bogey sends him back to -1. That’s a big couple of minutes. Spieth doesn’t faff about, does he?
-7: Spieth (1)
-4: Garcia (8)
-3: Lee (13), Piercy (10), Casey (1), Rose
Ian Poulter bogeyed 10, but he’s dug in reasonably well since, as Amen Corner reveals its charms. Par at 11, and now another at 12, a 15-foot saver stroked in from the back of the green. He remains at level par for the Tournament, though of course he’s gone backwards today. An early birdie meanwhile for the swashbuckling Victor Dubuisson, at the par-five 2nd. He’s level par overall, having shot a one-over 73 yesterday. “I’m getting hopes up about Garcia as he’s a good player in the wind,” writes Simon Farnaby, who may or may not be having a manic episode. “They used to call him El Niño for other reasons but it’s more appropriate now as he’s ‘an OK player in the wind’.”
I should probably offer an official apology to Danny Lee for that last entry. Having flagged up his consistency, he finds Rae’s Creek at 12, and though he does well to scramble, limiting the damage to a bogey, he’s down to -3 and there’s now a three-stroke gap at the top. Jordan Spieth is getting so good, his mere presence appears to have spooked the entire field. He’ll be out in a minute, so we’ll see how much this collective inability to make any sort of charge is down to the conditions. I have my suspicions - Jason Day’s done OK - but time will tell.
-6: Spieth
-3: Lee (12), Piercy (9), Kjeldsen (8), Garcia (7), Casey, Rose
-2: Day (9), Walker (8), Lowry (6)
Danny Lee continues to pootle along nicely in second spot. Since his birdie at 5, it’s six pars in a row, and he remains at -4, two behind Spieth. But others are going backwards. Bogey for Danny Willett at 7, and Rory at 5, and the pair drop to -1 overall. And an opening bogey for Lee Westwood, who is level par for the Tournament now. Some slightly better news from a European perspective thanks to Chris Wood, who shot a steady 72 yesterday and has birdied 2 to move to -1. Here’s Cameron Yule: “As a Lee Westwood tragic - what isn’t tragic about Westy at the majors? - your devotion to the equally tragic Sergio always cheers me up, since I know I’m not the only who lives in constant hope (or delusion) of a miracle. They’re both going quite well though, under par, near the lead...maybe they could...no. Stop doing this to yourself. And regarding Matt Emerson’s clip from the Godfather III, Silvio Dante’s imitation of the scene seems far more apt, given we all know how the laughably silly the prospect of Sergio donning the Green Jacket is.”
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As things stand, Jason Day is the only player out on the course who has picked up more than one stroke today. Davis Love, you see, has just doubled 12 after finding Rae’s Creek. He’s back to level par for the day, +1 overall, after going so well for so long. Conditions aren’t easy by any means - there’s a breeze up, and the greens are getting faster and trickier - but collectively this is a poor show. The wind speeds are expected to rise soon, though; perhaps the field’s best hope is for Jordan Spieth to move backwards a little. He’s still not out for 20 minutes or so. That’s not much of a hope, though, is it.
Another bogey for Bubba, this time at 10. He’s +7, and gone, gone, gone. His imperious swatting aside of Jordan Spieth seems a lot longer than two years ago, doesn’t it. Dropped shots also to report by Danny Willett at 6 - he’s back to -2 overall - and Davis Love III, who drops his first stroke of the day at 11 to fall back to -1 overall. Day meanwhile is out in a very impressive 34, and that would have been a stroke better had his 30-foot birdie effort not shaved the hole at 9. He’s -2.
The cut is currently projected at +2. A long, long, long way to go yet, but purely for illustrative purposes, that would mean saying goodbye to former champions in Angel Cabrera, Larry Mize, Sandy Lyle, Adam Scott, Trevor Immelman, Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel, Mike Weir, Mark O’Meara and Ian Woosnam. Woosie continues to have a shocker: his latest bogey at 14 is his seventh of the day. Throw in a double at 6, and yesterday’s 82, and he’s +19, bottom of the pile. He’s yet to make a birdie this week. Seven pints of plain, Woosie, they’re your only men.
Disaster for McIlroy at the par-three 4th. He finds the bunker front right, can’t get close to the flag, and three putts for a double-bogey five. All this morning’s fine work, obliterated in a sandstorm. He’s back to -2. A dropped stroke by Scott Piercy, too, who bogeys 7 to fall back to -3. This is all going rather well for Jordan Spieth right now. Nobody’s making any sort of significant move. “This was the year I’d given up on Sergio,” begins Matt Emerson. “I’ve been there, done that, got the scars to prove it. But then he goes and does stuff like this. Never mind the Clockwise clip, this is the clip you need...”
Jason Day is on the move! A third birdie of the day for the world number one, as pitches to 12 feet at the par-five 8th and, after some deliberation, rolls in the putt. He’s -2, and this is a fine response after a dismal start that threatened to completely take the wind from his sails. “We can all see it, can’t we?” begins the prophet Gary Naylor. “A tearful Sergio watching the Spanish flag rise over Rio, gold medal round his neck, saying, montyesquely, ‘This is my Major’.” It’s the Andy Murray story but without any hope of a subsequent happy ending. I don’t think I could take it.
A fairly miserable start for Shane Lowry, who slipped into a funk after the front nine yesterday and hasn’t emerged from it. A bogey at the usually generous par-five 2nd, and he slipped back to -2 overall. Bubba has reached the turn in 39 strokes. At +6, he’s in real danger of missing the cut at the Masters for the first time in his career. And birdie for Jimmy Walker on 3; he’s -2 overall through 5 today, and still in with a shout of becoming the first man to become Masters champion after winning the par-three competition.
And there we have it: bogey for Sergio on 4. He’s back to level par for his round, and -3 for the Tournament. No pars today for our favourite mercurial magician as yet. SERGIO GODDAMN IT. But much better news regarding Rory, who appears to have come out in a very positive frame of mind: birdie at 3 to follow the one at 2, and he’s got a share of second! He’d be in a tie for the lead if he’d managed to get through those final holes last night without finding bother. I promise to stop going on about that soon.
-6: Spieth
-4: Lee (9), Piercy (6), McIlroy (3)
-3: Kjeldsen (5), Willett (4), Garcia (4), Casey, Rose
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This is beginning to heat up rather nicely: McIlroy has birdied 2, and he’s -3, just the three strokes off the lead. I wonder whether he’ll live to regret that sloppy finish last night at 16 and 18? But as he said, if he’d been offered 70 on the 1st tee, when the wind was up yesterday afternoon, he’d almost certainly have taken it. “Your annual ‘Hope for Sergio’ moment has officially arrived then,” notes Adam Hirst, not inaccurately. “The Masters has truly begun.” Yes, it’s part of the grand tradition, a bit like the par-three competition. Fun while it lasts, over quickly, totally inconsequential.
Day is beginning to rediscover some sort of competitive fire, coming off the back of that birdie at 5. His tee shot into the par-three 6th isn’t great, pulled out to the left. It’s on the green, but he’s 55 feet from the cup, and facing a putt with a huge break. No matter! He sends the big left-to-right curler to a couple of feet, and salvages a fine par from a very difficult position. Meanwhile Danny Willett, who carded a very admirable 70 yesterday, slightly spoilt by a needless bogey on the last, picks up a shot at 3. He’s -3 overall, alongside Kjeldsen, whose bogey at 4 drops him out of the tie for second.
-6: Spieth
-4: Lee (8), Piercy (4), Garcia (3)
-3: Kjeldsen (4), Willett (3), Casey, Rose
A magnificent up and down from sand at the front of 7 by Ian Poulter. He saves par and remains at -1, hanging on in there. He’s played a couple of lovely splashes from sand today, both with no margin for error whatsoever, first at 2 and now here. The ball dropping just over the lip, landing on the first bit of grass there is, and rolling as close to the pin as physically possible. Followed by a putt rattled into the back of the cup. But never mind all that: another birdie for Garcia, this time at 3! He’s up to -4 now, two off the lead! “I think this could be Sergio’s year,” argues Simon McMahon. “But then I thought that in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 ... well, you know what I’m saying.”
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Jason Day certainly isn’t finished yet. He sends his second into 5 over the flag and to six feet, then strokes in the birdie putt. That’s his second birdie of the day, he’s in red figures for his round, and indeed for the tournament. He’s -1 overall. Rory’s out, meanwhile, and he’s parred the opening hole. He stays at -2.
Three bogeys in a row for Bubba, as he misses tentatively from six feet at the par-three 6th. He’s +6 now. This group is getting a bit messy; Branden Grace putts up from the bottom of the green, doesn’t get over the ridge, and finds the ball back at his feet. He ends up with a quadruple bogey seven; he’s +10, having dropped seven strokes over the first six holes. But its a par for Poulter! He remains at -1. Meanwhile Sergio responds to that dropped shot at the opening hole with birdie at 2. He’s back to -3. On the evidence of yesterday’s back nine, Sergio appears to have become a little more dependable with his putter. (Hey, it’s all relative.) Has he made some positive adjustments to his gameface, too? That’s a determined response from a player who doesn’t always take hard knocks well, especially at Augusta. Let’s not get carried away yet.
Birdie for the late-blooming Soren Kjeldsen on 2. The 40-year-old Dane is now tied for second spot on -4 alongside Danny Lee - and Scott Piercy, who has just followed up his birdie at 2 with another at 3. No Shane Lowry there any more, though: he missed the 1st green in regulation, couldn’t get up and down, and the bogey drops him back to +3. He was out in 31 strokes yesterday, equalling his career best. That seems a long time ago all of a sudden; he came back last night in one-over 37, and hasn’t started out today in a manner that’ll please him. So the leaderboard has been shoogled about a bit. Better take a look, then:
-6: Spieth
-4: Lee (6), Piercy (3), Kjeldsen (2)
-3: Lowry (1), Casey, Rose
-2: Snedeker (8), Love III (7), Willett (1), Garcia (1), McIlroy
Danny Lee regains a share of second spot with birdie at 5. He’s -4 again, alongside Shane Lowry, who will be out and about any time now. Scott Piercy becomes that rare thing - a player in credit for their round today - with a birdie at 2. He moves up to -3. Soren Kjeldsen opens up with a par to remain at -3. Sergio can’t manage it, though. He sends his second through the back of the green, leaves himself a 35-footer for par, and that’s an opening bogey. He’s back to -2. Meanwhile here’s a fairly interesting stat flashed up by the US television folk: active runs at the Masters without missing the cut. Leading the way: Justin Rose, with 10 appearances. He should keep that going, save crashing and burning today. The others are in danger, though. Bubba Watson is on a seven-tournament run; Bill Haas is on 6; Rickie Fowler on 5. Fowler, after his opening 80, is surely gone. Haas shot 75 yesterday. And Bubba’s just recorded back-to-back bogeys at 4 and now 5, and he’s +5 overall. Who’s next in line on 4? Thankfully it’s not Ernie Els, that much I know.
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Another bogey for Bubba, this time on the par-three 4th. He’s back to +4 again. And his playing partners aren’t doing much better. A second bogey of the day for Poulter, and he slips to -1. As for the third member of the group, Branden Grace doubles the hole. He’s +6. They’re bringing each other down. But it’s playing tough out there today. Only three players on the course are in red figures for their second round: Davis Love III (-3 today through 5, -2 overall); Smylie Kaufman (-1 through 5, level overall); Hunter Mahan (-1 through 3, level overall); Russell Knox (-1 through 5; +6 overall); and now Brandt Snedeker (-1 through 7, -2 overall). A lot of the big names still in the locker room, but still. It’s hard work, with the greens glacial and the wind brisk.
The US Ryder Cup captain and 1997 PGA champion Davis Love III shot 73 yesterday. A fine return from the 51-year-old veteran. He’s going even better today, with birdies at 3, 4 and now 5; he’s -2 for the Tournament now! Brandt Snedeker has been all over the place since we heard from him last: he followed that birdie at 2 with bogey at 3 and 4, and now another birdie at 6. He’s even par for his round so far, and -1 overall. Young Matthew Fitzpatrick of Sheffield isn’t quite in the groove of yesterday: after his fine 71, he’s bogeyed 5 and 6 today, dropping down the leaderboard to +1. Els misses a short birdie putt on 2, a tentative prod that keeps him at +10. But his playing partner Jason Day, after racing a long eagle putt ten feet past the hole, knocks in the return for a birdie that takes him back to level par. His hopes not extinguished quite yet.
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Birdie for Bubba at 3! He’s back to +3 after this time taking advantage of good position from a booming drive. A sense he might have decided to go for broke now, which could lead to high levels of entertainment. Meanwhile here’s some magnificent doggerel Masters-level poetry from Andy Gordon:
If hunger treats you as master
And nae a crumb can be found on the shelves
When you feel just three feet from disaster
It’s Hamburger Helper, or Els.
If only William Topaz McGonagall had been good at golf.
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Danny Lee has had an up-and-down morning so far. A birdie at the inviting par-five 2nd momentarily gave him sole possession of second spot at -5, but these greens are fast as hell today, and a four-putt double bogey at 3 has dropped him back into the chasing pack at -3. That’s not a meltdown in the Els class, given his first putt was over 50 feet away. But still. The perils of Augusta, right there.
-6: Spieth
-4: Lowry
-3: Lee (3), Kjeldsen, Garcia, Casey, Rose
Ernie Els comes face to face with a bogey putt on 1, from 18 inches. After yesterday’s shenanigans, that’s his worst nightmare. And he yips it to the left! Ernie! The crowd sigh with concern. But he knocks in the double-bogey putt. It’s an improvement of sorts. He’s +10 now. Day pulls a short par putt and he’s +1, looking mentally fragile already. Also failing to turn things round: Bubba Watson, who pars 2, but that’s a poor effort having blootered a monster drive along the downhill par five. He stays at +4 having missed a short birdie effort. Poulter meanwhile splashes delicately from the sand to 12 feet, the very best he could do from a tight spot, then rattles in the bogey putt. Given the way he faffed around down that hole, that’s some escape. He’s back to -2, but now looks relieved rather than irritated. That was a fine up and down from sand.
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Poulter is forced to take his medicine from under the bush at 2, and he’s now playing four from the centre of the fairway. The head gone, he sends his wedge into the bunker front left of the green. This is turning into a mini-disaster, and he waves his arms around, high in the air, in the frustrated fashion. “Regarding Woosie’s woes and in tribute to Andy Bull’s fine piece the other day, may I suggest this variation on the Flann O’Brien?” wonders Jams O’Donnell Douglas McCarthy. Of course you can.
When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
Pimento cheese is your only man.
Such a shame Hamburger Helper doesn’t scan properly.
“SHIT!” Ian Poulter’s capsule review of his drive at 2, sent clattering into branches down the left. He’s either on the pine straw, or under a bush. There ends the fuss-free start to his round. Back on the 1st tee, a couple of players who, for differing reasons, will want to forget yesterday. Jason Day, who was going great guns at -5 until he reached the 15th; by the time he was in the clubhouse signing his card, he was back at level par. He swishes a gorgeous drive down the middle of the track. Hardly a sound as club met ball. So sweet. And here comes Officer Els of the Keystone Film Company, who cracks off a straight one too, then goes zig-zagging after it in a collapsing Ford Model T.
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Brandt Snedeker and Kiradech Aphibarnrat are out early together, having shot 71 and 72 yesterday respectively. Both have birdied the 2nd; in turn, they’re -2 and -1. The big Thai sticking it to the body fascists once more, the John Daly de nos jours; my hero! Meanwhile back on 1, Poulter is very close to draining his long birdie putt across the green, but it slides an inch wide of the hole on the high side. He taps in for an excellent, fuss-free par. Poulter has a habit of embarking on Phil Mickelson style birdie blitzes when it’s far too late on the Sunday. I wonder what might happen if he manages to keep within touching distance of the leaders this week? He certainly looks in the mood. Meanwhile in a mood: Poulter’s playing partner Bubba Watson, who collapsed to a 75 yesterday, having been -3 at one point. He really needs something very special to happen today, but the early signs are not good: he sends an aggressive second through the 1st green, fluffs his chip coming back up, and can’t drain the 15-foot par saver. He’s +4, and two green jackets will have to suffice for now.
On the first tee, currently tied for fourth, Ian Poulter. The English star finished in sixth place last year, and his record at Augusta is surprisingly good, if not stunning. He’s played here 11 times before, missing the cut just once, and finishing in the top ten on three occasions. Three more top-twenty finishes as well. He’s split the fairway here, and found the centre of the green with his second, a fairway wood creamed arrow-straight. “Found the green?” he asks his caddie, peering up the hill. Oh yes. He’s pin high, albeit a good 30 feet from the flag. He’ll be hoping for a solid par to start, just like Danny Lee up ahead of him; the New Zealander, tied for second overnight with Shane Lowry, stays at -4.
Woosie’s just bogeyed 4. He’s rock bottom at +12.
When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When money’s tight and hard to get
And your horse has also ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A pint of plain is your only man.
When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say you need a change,
A pint of plain is your only man.
When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A pint of plain is your only man.
In time of trouble and lousey strife,
You have still got a darlint plan
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A pint of plain is your only man.
An eventful start for Billy Horschel, who came home with birdies at 12, 16 and 18 yesterday. He dropped a stroke at the opening hole, but has picked it straight back up again the long par-five 2nd. He remains at -2. Meanwhile the 1991 hero Ian Woosnam shot the worst professional’s score yesterday; an awful birdie-free 82 which culminated in a double-bogey at the last. He’s bogeyed the 3rd today, and is currently tied for 88th. Or to put it another way, the last place in an 89-horse race. He’s +11 overall, alongside 16-year-old amateur Paul Chaplet, who at least has a birdie to his name this week, the one he’s just picked up at 2. When Woosnam’s team won the 2006 Ryder Cup, he stood on the clubhouse balcony and drained a celebratory pint of Guinness in one. Half of it then came flying out of his nose. Chances are he could do with another glass or two tonight.
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A quiet start on the course. In fairness, there aren’t too many players out there yet. The 2003 champion Mike Weir began with a double bogey on 1 that barely registered on the Els-O-Meter™. Three putts from 11 feet; hey, anybody can do that. Anyway, he’s +6 as a result now, after yesterday’s 76. On the subject of poor old Ernie, it’s probably worth clearing up yesterday’s slapstick hi-jinx on the green at Tea Olive. The official scorecard yesterday had him down as taking ten strokes on the opening hole, and seven putts from a couple of feet. Turns out it was only nine strokes and six putts. Phew, so that’s OK then. For his next trick, the facade of the Butler Cabin is going to collapse towards him, but he’ll emerge unscathed thanks to an open window.
Weather report: It should be fairly sunny all day, though the wind is expected to be a factor once again. Just like yesterday, it should pick up in speed as the hours tick by; unlike yesterday, it’ll be breezy all day, so there’s not such a big advantage to those going out earlier. Rory McIlroy, who was out in the worst of it yesterday, is looking on the bright side: he’s been arguing that at least he’ll now have recent experience of Augusta National in the wind, and any knowledge gained might give him licence to go for things in a way others might think twice about. We’ll see.
Welcome, patrons
71. 70. 70. 72. 64. 66. 70. 70. 66. As things stand, Jordan Spieth has played nine competitive rounds at Augusta National. He’s done that to a cumulative score of 29 under par. He’s averaging 69 strokes per round. This isn’t normal behaviour.
Yesterday’s 66 was arguably the best of the lot. Last year’s opening salvo of 64 was a serene display of golfing brilliance. This time round, Spieth wasn’t always in total control. But when he needed to get the job done, he got the job done, scrambling particularly fine pars at 11, 12 and 16, keeping things going. No bogeys. On the one hand, it wasn’t flawless. On the other, it was flawless. This is how serial champions carry on.
Unlike last year, Spieth hasn’t blown the field away from the get-go. Danny Lee and Shane Lowry are right on his tail; Paul Casey, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett and Rory McIlroy are among a large group also lying in wait. And with 54 holes still to play, there’s an awfully long way to go. But you have to at least give consideration to this. Only three men have won back-to-back Masters Tournaments: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. None of them have won back-to-back Masters, both of them wire-to-wire. As things stand, that absurd prospect is on.
The rest of the field will be hoping Spieth’s otherwise average 2016 form kicks in soon. Whatever happens today, it’s guaranteed to be an edge-of-the-seat blast. We’ll get going here at 2pm BST, which is 9am in the sweet Georgia town of Augusta. It’s on!
The top of the leaderboard after the first round ...
-6: Spieth
-4: Lee, Lowry
-3: Casey, Rose, Poulter, Kjeldsen, Garcia
-2: Horschel, Piercy, Willett, McIlroy
-1: Streelman, Hoffman, Westwood, Grillo, Matsuyama, Fitzpatrick, Snedeker, Walker
... and the tee times for the second ...
8.20am ET (1.20pm BST): Mike Weir, Cameron Smith, Sammy Schmitz (a)
8.31am ET (1.31pm BST): Ian Woosnam, Troy Merritt, Byeong-hun An
8.42am ET (1.42pm BST): Darren Clarke, Billy Horschel, Matthew Fitzpatrick
8.53am ET (1.53pm BST): Mark O’Meara, David Lingmerth, Paul Chaplet (a)
9.04am ET (2.04pm BST): Keegan Bradley, Brandt Snedeker, Kiradech Aphibarnrat
9.15am ET (2.15pm BST): Charl Schwartzel, Davis Love III, Rafael Cabrera-Bello
9.26am ET (2.26pm BST): Danny Lee, Russell Knox, Smylie Kaufman
9.37am ET (2.37pm BST): Bubba Watson, Branden Grace, Ian Poulter
9.48am ET (2.48pm BST): Bernhard Langer, Hunter Mahan, Romain Langasque (a)
9.59am ET (2.59pm BST): Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els
10.21am ET (3.21pm BST): Graeme McDowell, Fabian Gomez, Scott Piercy
10.32am ET (3.32pm BST): Jimmy Walker, Soren Kjeldsen, Anirban Lahiri
10.43am ET (3.43pm BST): Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia, Ryan Moore
10.54am ET (3.54pm BST): Angel Cabrera, Shane Lowry, J.B. Holmes
11.05am ET (4.05pm BST): Martin Kaymer, Bill Haas, Rory McIlroy
11.16am ET (4.16pm BST): Jim Herman, Steven Bowditch
11.27am ET (4.27pm BST): Trevor Immelman, Robert Streb, Derek Bard (a)
11.38am ET (4.38pm BST): Larry Mize, Victor Dubuisson, Kevin Streelman
11.49am ET (4.49pm BST): Sandy Lyle, Bernd Wiesberger, Vaughn Taylor
12pm ET (5pm BST): Webb Simpson, Chris Wood, Thongchai Jaidee
12.22pm ET (5.22pm BST): Tom Watson, Charley Hoffman, Lee Westwood
12.33pm ET (5.33pm BST): Zach Johnson, Rickie Fowler, Jin Cheng (a)
12.44pm ET (5.44pm BST): Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Dufner, Patrick Reed
12.55pm ET (5.55pm BST): Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau (a)
1.06pm ET (6.06pm BST): Justin Thomas, Emiliano Grillo, Dustin Johnson
1.17pm ET (6.17pm BST): Vijay Singh, Hideki Matsuyama, Chris Kirk
1.28pm ET (6.28pm BST): Harris English, Andy Sullivan, Kevin Na
1.39pm ET (6.39pm BST): Phil Mickelson, Marc Leishman, Henrik Stenson
1.50pm ET (6.50pm BST): Justin Rose, Jamie Donaldson, Daniel Berger
2.01pm ET (7.01pm BST): Adam Scott, Kevin Kisner, Brooks Koepka
Updated
I know golf is essentially a trivial game involving a bunch of people hitting a ball around the countryside with sticks but there is something about Els experience of hitting the green in two shots and then taking 7 puts to hole out which captures the cruelty, pointlessness and injustice of human existence.
It comes as no surprise to find that Samuel Beckett was an amateur golfer.
Now you know what inspired Waiting For Godot.