Rose chips up to 12 feet. That leaves a tester for his par. But he doesn’t hit it, and drops back to -1. And that’s the end of another dramatic day at Augusta National. Charley Hoffman saw his big lead eroded by Sergio Garcia, Thomas Pieters and Rickie Fowler. They were the headline acts today, though you can bet your bottom dollar everyone’s looking over their shoulder at the rejuvenated Jordan Spieth. Tomorrow is Moving Day, and it promises to be a classic. See you then!
-4: Hoffman, Garcia, Pieters, Fowler
-2: McGirt
-1: Moore, Rahm, Couples, Rose
E: Scott, Spieth, Mickelson
+1: Kuchar, McIlroy, Kjeldsen
+2: Schwartzel, Matsuyama, Kaymer
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Rose’s drive at 18 flirts with the woods down the right, but lands on the straw. Overhanging branches interfere with his route into the green. He punches low but his ball ends short and right. That’ll be a tricky chip and putt from there.
Lefty sends a crafty chip into 18, landing 15 feet behind the hole and using the bank to take the ball back to within a couple of turns of dropping. That’s saved his par, and he signs for a one-over 73. He’s level par, only four off the lead, though the way he slowed up over the closing stretch today is a concern for his fans. But these have been long days in tough conditions; the weekend should be less of a grind. He’s in a decent position to strike.
Mickelson’s ball at 18 is in the middle of a copse, and he’s forced to take his medicine. He clips back out onto the fairway, laying up. He’ll have a chance to wedge close, though. Back on 17, Justin Rose takes two careful putts from the front of the green for his par; he stays at -2. Jason Day meanwhile pars. He’s four over since the turn, after bogey at 10, double at 11, birdie at 13, and bogeys at 14 and 15. That has him at +5 overall; providing he doesn’t do anything dramatic up 18, he’ll be here for the weekend.
Jordan Spieth drains his birdie putt! He’s back in 33 strokes for a 69, and this brilliant young man is level par at the halfway mark, despite that quadruple bogey yesterday! Factor that weirdness out of the equation, and he’d be tied for the lead! Martin Kaymer meanwhile pars and is back in 34 shots himself; he’s +2 after a 68 and not out of this by any stretch of the imagination. What a weekend awaits us!
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Justin Rose sends his tee shot at 17 into the pine straw by the trees on the right. He skelps a fine second onto the front of the green. Up on 18, meanwhile, Phil Mickelson’s woes continue as he flays a tired drive into the woods on the right. Ahead on the green, Matthew Fitzpatrick very nearly rolls in a 30-footer for birdie, but the par will be enough to secure his weekend participation. He’s fortunate there aren’t any other holes to play, because the wheels really came off after putting off the green at 9. A double there, and a further four bogeys. Just the one birdie to offset that collapse. He signs for a 78, and +5 is good enough.
Mickelson’s second at 17 flies into the bunker to the left of the green. His splash out isn’t that clever. He’s left with a 12-footer to save his par. He stabs it with great uncertainty to the right of the cup, and that’s his third bogey in four holes. It’s all got a bit untidy for Lefty in his quest to become the oldest Master golfer in history. He’s back to level par. He could be joined there very soon by the relentless Jordan Spieth, who lands his second at 18 pin high, 15 feet to the left of the flag. A decent birdie opportunity.
Rose’s tee shot at 16 ends up in Mickelson Country, up the bank. But he’s not as far up it, so can nudge his ball down with his putter. He does that to four feet, and tidies up for his par. He’s still -2.
Jordan Spieth sends his tee shot at 17 into the trees down the right. He’s got a route up to the green, though, and works his ball all the way to the back of the putting surface. Two putts, and this is a brilliantly determined performance by last year’s runner-up, the previous year’s winner, and the runner up the year previous to that. What else did we expect? He splits 18 with his drive.
Fowler splits the fairway at 18, and whips his second over the flag to eight feet. It’s a testing downhill putt, though, with a big left-to-right break. And he watches it slip by on the right. That’s a par to end with, and he signs for a best-of-day 67. He’s got a share of the lead at the halfway mark: -4. And Hideki Matsuyama nearly curls in a huge left-to-right curler, but it doesn’t drop. Par, and a 70. He’s +2 and one of the pre-tournament favourites is not out of this.
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F), Pieters (F), Fowler (F)
-2: McGirt (F), Rose (15)
Up on 16, Mickelson sends his tee shot onto a bank to the right of the green. He flops to five feet, some result from up there. But he pushes the putt to the left, and he’s back to -1. Meanwhile Rose flies through the 15th green, but avoids the water and bumps back up the hill to four feet. That’s a superlative chip. In goes the birdie putt. What an up and down, and he’s -2 again.
Martin Kaymer has worked his way back into this tournament. Birdies at 2, 7, 10 and 13 today have lifted him all the way up the leader board to +2. He makes a stunning up and down at 16 from a very tight lie at the front-right of the green for his par. Kaymer, Spieth, Matsuyama, Scott ... quite a few big names are back in contention all of a sudden!
Mickelson, unable to go for the 15th in two after a poor drive, sends his third over the green. The chip coming back isn’t a long one, but there’s very little green to play with. So he takes out his putter ... and doesn’t reach the green. The ball sticks on the top of the hill. No bother, though! He stabs a perfect putt out to the left and sends it curling back into the cup. What a save! He remains at -2. On 16, Jordan Spieth snakes in his downhill birdie putt for his second birdie of the back nine: he’s suddenly +1 and right in the mix! Meanwhile up on 18, a majestic second by Fred Couples. The ball stops 20 feet past the hole, then slowly starts turning back down the slops. It looks like it’s sure to drop for an eagle, but it drifts past the right at the last turn. He’ll tap that in for a birdie and a 70. He’ll be -1 at the halfway stage.
Justin Rose leaves himself short of 14, and can’t get up and down for his par. He drops back to -1. Jordan Spieth sends a fine shot over the flag at 16. He’ll have a 12-footer coming back. And up on 17, Rickie Fowler’s approach nestles on the apron at the back of the green. It’s a makeable putt coming back from 12 feet, so a decent birdie chance, but he doesn’t hit it. Garcia, Pieters and Fowler have all had chances to move to -5; nobody’s taken theirs.
Thomas Pieters plays a stupendous chip onto the 18th green from the hollow on the left. He throws the ball past the hole, and sends it u-turning back to the right. The ball stops four feet from the flag. That’s a wonderful par save, and he’s signing for a 68 and a share of the lead at -4. Meanwhile a penny for Jordan Spieth’s thoughts; he has to chip from the back of 15, where all the serious trouble started yesterday, and once again overcooks his bump up. But this time he’s playing his third shot, so two putts later he’s making off with a par. Strange how the easiest hole on the course is suddenly causing him so much trouble.
Adam Scott finally makes a putt, this time for birdie on 18. That’s a fine 69, and the 2013 champion is seriously involved, level par at the halfway mark. Once he’s departed, Thomas Pieters, back down the hole in the trees on the right, sends his second into the middle of scattering patrons to the left of the green. That’ll be a difficult up and down from there. Meanwhile a bounce-back birdie for Rickie Fowler at 16, who lands his tee shot on the fringe, 12 feet from the flag, and strokes in the putt. He’s back up to -4. But Phil Mickelson’s moving the other way after a three-putt on 14. He did the difficult bit, getting a huge 20-foot right-to-left breaker to four feet. Then he let the short one lip out. Careless. He’s -2 again.
Branden Grace was hovering on the cut mark at +6. So at 15, he takes matters into his own hands by landing his wedge ten feet past the hole, and spinning it back into the cup for eagle! He celebrates like wild, knowing he might have assured himself of a couple more days at Augusta. Back on 13, birdie for Jason Day, which brings him back to +3. And one for Justin Rose as well, but that’ll feel like a dropped shot because he’d landed his second six feet from the hole, only to let the eagle putt slip by the low side on the right. He’s -2 again, life could be worse.
Charley Hoffman’s still in the lead, after all this time! Here’s our man Andy Bull with his take from Augusta National.
Mickelson knocks in his birdie putt on 13; he’s -3. Matsuyama can’t make his eagle putt on 15, but birdie brings him up the leader board to +1. Fowler can’t knock in his par saver, though, and he drops out of the lead. And Thomas Pieters nearly snatches the lead for himself, booming big down 17 then nudging his approach straight at the flag to ten feet. But like Adam Scott before him, he doesn’t really hit the birdie putt, and a wonderful opportunity is gone.
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F), Pieters (17)
-3: Fowler (15), Mickelson (13)
-2: McGirt (F)
Adam Scott sets himself up with a fine birdie opportunity at 17. Uphill, six feet from the flag, what an approach. And then he doesn’t bother to hit the putt. He stays at +1. His putter’s cost him today, the same old story. On 16, Fred Couples sends his tee shot long, and leaves himself a very tricky two-putt from 50 feet. He leaves his first 12 feet short, takes three, and the bogey drops him back to -1. And on 15, Fowler drops by the water and bumps up to ten feet. From where he was, that’s a fine result, and he’ll have a chance of escaping with a par and keeping his round today blemish free.
Serious bother for Rickie Fowler down 15. From the centre of the fairway, he overcooks his wood and sends it bounding through the green and into the water down the hill at the back. His playing partner Hideki Matsuyama finds the heart of the green in two, though. A long eagle putt, but one which would bring him back to level par for the tournament. Meanwhile back on 13, Phil Mickelson wedges his third to four feet or so. A stunning shot, and for extra showmanship his caddie was down there tending the flag, and whipped it out when, for a second, the ball looked like scampering into the hole.
Spieth is one turn o’the Titleist from curling in a 25-footer for eagle on 13. He settles for a tap-in birdie, and he’s +2. On 15, Couples wedges his third ten feet past the flag, and spins it back a couple. He should make birdie, but the putt stays on the high side, and the 1992 champion remains at 15. A two-putt par on 16 for one of the co-leaders, Pieters. And on 12, Rose sends his tee shot into the second cut by the bunker at the back, can’t get up and down, and drops back to -1.
A minor rules query by Jordan Spieth on 13. His ball, sitting up in the rough, “oscillated” as he drew the club back. But didn’t move. The rules official tells him he should be OK, but they’ll be checking on video later. Hopefully there’s nothing in that, because there’s little duller than controversy. Spieth then clatters his second onto the dancefloor. A chance to get seriously involved in this tournament; he’s only seven strokes off the lead right now, after all.
A stunning par saver by Justin Rose at 11, whose pitch wasn’t all that, but whose right-to-left slider from 25 feet keeps him at -2. His playing partner Jason Day got wet coming down the hole, though, and he can’t make a long bogey putt. That’s him back to +4, and he’s dropped three shots since the turn.
Pieters lets a birdie putt on 15 slide by the hole from 12 feet. He stays at -4, which has been the leading mark for some time now. Here’s news of one of the co-leaders from our man in Augusta, Ewan Murray.
The best-placed amateur is Stewart Hagestad, who works in real estate in NYC. He’s certain of making the cut after carding a 73 today. He very nearly span his approach at 18 back into the cup, but settled for a tap-in birdie. He’s +3. Fellow amateur Curtis Luck, who recovered from yesterday’s 78 with a fine 72, is itching as he waits to see where the cut falls; he’s OK at the moment at +6, but that might not remain the case depending on what the co-leaders get up to for the rest of the afternoon.
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And we have yet another co-leader! Rickie Fowler wedges carefully at 13 to six feet, and knocks in the putt to move to -4. Birdie for Adam Scott on 15 in similar circumstances, after a lay-up and wedge to four feet; he’s back to level par. But Phil Mickelson hits a hot putt the best part of 20 feet past the hole at 11, and nearly finds the water! He can’t knock in the one coming back, and he’s back to -2.
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F), Pieters (14), Fowler (13)
-2: McGirt (F), Couples (13), Mickelson (11), Rose (10)
We have a new co-leader! Thomas Pieters eases his second at 14 to four feet, and he knocks in the putt to follow up his eagle with birdie! Meanwhile back on 13, the 201st career birdie on a par five at the Masters for Freddie Couples, who is now in the thick of it at -2.
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F), Pieters (14)
-3: Fowler (12), Mickelson (10)
-2: McGirt (F), Couples (13), Rose (10)
Some news of Hideki Matsuyama, who isn’t out of this yet. A very average 76 yesterday, but birdies at 3, 5, 8 and 10, slightly offset by a double at 7, have him up as high as +2 for the tournament. Trouble meanwhile for Jason Day at 10; he gets a flyer through the green, and is faced with a terribly tricky chip back up the bank. It sticks on the apron, and that’s a bogey that drops him back to +2. And on 17, a three-putt bogey for Soren Kjeldsen, who drops back to level par.
Mickelson makes a move! He fires at the flag at 10, leaves himself a little uphill right-to-left slider from ten feet, and judges the putt perfectly! He’s -3, just one off the lead! Scott meanwhile pulls a dreadful drive over the trees to the left of 14, but lifts a splendid recovery over the branches and finds the centre of the green. He’s left with a huge right-to-left turner, and though it’s never threatening to drop, he lags it up well. That should be a par, but he pushes the short putt right, it horseshoes out, and he’s back down to +1.
Justin Rose pearls his second pin high at 9. He’s got a testing little six footer across the green for his par, slippery as you like, but he guides it in carefully and he’s reached the turn in 35. He’s -2 overall. Meanwhile a big move on 13, where Thomas Pieters crashes a huge drive down the track, sends his second to ten feet, and strokes in the eagle putt! This is a very good-looking leader board right now!
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F)
-3: Pieters (13), Fowler (11)
-2: McGirt (F), Mickelson (9), Rose (9)
-1: Moore (F), Rahm (F), Kjeldsen (16), Couples (12)
E: Scott (13)
Rickie Fowler doesn’t catch his drive at 11, and facing a long second is forced to play the percentages, playing it safe to the right. He’s left with a tricky chip, but bounces it to a couple of feet, and makes off with his par. He stays at -3. Meanwhile on 13, Adam Scott lays up and wedges to six feet, but his putter fails him and he stays at level par.
A tough up and down from the front of 9 for Mickelson. But he makes it, chipping six feet past the hole and slipping in the downhill par putt with confidence. He stays at -2. Meanwhile a little nod to a couple of players who are in the mix but have gone under the radar rather. Standing at +1 at the halfway mark: Matt Kuchar, after a 72 and 73. One shot further back: the 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel, who has shot 74 and 72.
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Mickelson blooters big down 9. He’s got a sand wedge left into the green, but he undercooks it, and imparts far too much spin, and the ball whistles back off the steep green and away down the fairway. That’s clumsy. Up on 11, Couples draws a lovely second into the green, leaving a fairly straight uphill putt from 18 feet. But he doesn’t hit it. A tap-in par on a difficult hole, but he stays at -1. As does Thomas Pieters, who knocks his tee shot at 12 into the fringe at the back, but gets up and down very well. Meanwhile birdies at 13 and 15 for Soren Kjeldsen, and he’s nicely placed at -1.
Spieth nearly troubles the trees down the right of 9. He hits a poor approach and watches his ball topple back off the front of the green, but chips up wonderfully to four feet, a marvellous par scramble. He stays at +3. His playing partner Matthew Fitzpatrick is on in two, but he faces a tricky downhill 30-footer and sends it racing past the hole and off the front. Out comes his wedge, and he knocks it eight feet past the hole. He can’t make the bogey putt, and that’s a shame, especially as he’d just birdied 8. He’s back to +2.
A strong finish by the PGA champion Jimmy Walker, by the way. Having made double bogey at 13, and still recovering from glandular fever, you could have forgiven him for giving up. But he birdied 15 and 18, and signed for a 71 that, at +3, keeps him here for the weekend. Meanwhile on 8, Mickelson misreads a six-foot birdie effort he’d left himself; he stays at -2. And Adam Scott bounces back from the double at 11 with par at 12.
It’s almost certain that Bubba Watson will miss the cut at the Masters for the first time in his career. A missed tiddler at 18, and that’s his third bogey on the back nine. He signs for a miserable 78, and he’s +8 overall. As things stand, we’ll also be saying goodbye to Shane Lowry, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton, Chris Wood, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed and Angel Cabrera. And the defending champ Danny Willett, who shot 78 today. More to come on this.
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A fine up and down by Rickie Fowler on 9. His approach goes straight through the back of the green and down a huge bank; he clacks an aggressive chip back up to three feet and knocks in the saver. He reaches the turn in 32 strokes. Birdie for Jordan Spieth on 8, and he’s back to +3. Not out of it, despite that nonsense on 15 yesterday, huh. But a miserable double bogey on 11 for Adam Scott, who had been going great guns today but after 10 blemish-free holes with four birdies, he drops back to +1.
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F)
-3: Fowler (9)
-2: McGirt (F), Mickelson (7)
News of some previously well-placed players going backwards. Matthew Fitzpatrick has bogeyed 3 and now 7 to drop to +2. Andy Sullivan dropped shots at 4, 7 and now 10; he’s +2. Paul Casey has just bogeyed 5, 6 and 7 to drop to +2. And Russell Henley bogeys 16; he’s four over for the day, and +3 overall. But let’s lighten the mood: Lefty has rolled in a birdie putt at 7 after splitting the fairway and lifting his wedge to 12 feet. He’s -2!
Thomas Pieters creams a lovely long iron straight into the heart of 10. He leaves himself a 12-foot uphill putt, right to left, but there’s quite a swing on it, and it stays out on the high side. That would have been a textbook birdie, but as it is, he stays at -1. Jason Day started well with birdies at 2 and 3; having bogeyed 4 he looks to be heading back to where he started after leaving himself a 25-foot par putt at 6. But in it goes, a sweet putt, and he remains at +1.
Jon Rahm hits his approach to 18 pin high, and leaves himself a very nice 12-footer for birdie. But he pulls it, and has to settle for par and a 70. He’s sitting very nicely at -1 at the halfway mark. McIlroy meanwhile bumps his chip up to four feet, a wonderful pitch, then lets the par putt slide by on the left. That’s careless. A bogey, and a 73; he’s +1. He’s not out of this by any means - just five off Hoffman and Garcia’s lead - but he’ll need to post a score tomorrow if he’s to seriously compete come Sunday. At the moment, he doesn’t look on top of his game - and he doesn’t look like he’s particularly enjoying himself. Putting too much pressure on himself? Quite possibly.
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Some awful luck for McIlroy up on 18. He’s in the centre of the fairway, and sends a glorious wedge straight at the flag. Hit that shot 100 times, and on 99 occasions it bites 20 feet behind the hole and spins back, a little like Sandy Lyle’s bunker shot in 1988. But on this occasion it clatters flush into the flagstick and balloons off to the front-right of the green. He’ll be left with a tricky up and down to save his par from there. Meanwhile back on 8, Rickie Fowler tickles in a 15-footer for another birdie, and at -3 he’s one shot off the lead!
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F)
-3: Fowler (8)
-2: McGirt (F)
Lee Westwood came home in a thoroughly miserable fashion. Bogeys at 14, 15, 16 and 18 dropped him right down the leader board from a promising position, -1 to +3. He signed for a 77; he’s not quite played himself out of contention, but he’s done a number on himself nonetheless. See also Jason Dufner, who carded 76 and also sits miserably at +3. And then there’s Shame Lowry, whose 79 was dismal from beginning to end. But especially at the beginning; he was eight over through 10. At +7, chances are he’ll miss the cut, and be heading home this weekend. But more on the cut anon.
Yesterday seems quite a long time ago. Remember Thomas Pieters miles in front at -5 through 10? He stumbled badly after that, coming back in 40 strokes. And he started poorly today with bogey at Tea Olive. But he birdied 6, and now rakes in a monster across 9 to move back into red figures at -1. Meanwhile birdie for Justin Rose at 5 to cancel out bogey at 4; he’s -1 again.
A much-needed birdie on 17 for Rory McIlroy, who sends his second above the hole, ten feet or so, and guides in the tricky slider. He’s back to level par for the tournament, just four shots off the lead. Considering how stuttering his form has been so far this week, that’s an astonishing position for McIlroy to be in, really. Up on 7, another par for Rickie Fowler, who is going along in a very smooth fashion after eagle at 2 and birdie at 3. He’s -2.
Thanks to Michael there. This Masters is already beginning to hot up, and the hottest man out on the course right now is Adam Scott. He’s reached the turn in 32 after birdies at 1, 3, 7 and now 9. He’s -1 for the tournament now, and just three off the lead set by Charley Hoffman. Phil Mickelson goes long at 5 and can’t get up and down from the back; it’s a bogey that drops him back to -1. And Fred Couples is enjoying a day of more ups than downs: birdies at 2, 3, 5 and now 7 more than offsetting a double bogey at the par-three 6th, caused when he left his tee shot short and failed to get his putt up the bank. But up on 18, Sergio creams a delightful second to four feet. Problem is, it’s above the pin, and he lets the downhill birdie effort squeak past the right of the cup. Still, it’s a par, and he’s signing for a 69.
-4: Hoffman (F), Garcia (F)
-2: McGirt (F), Fowler (6)
-1: Moore (F), Rahm (16), Scott (9), Couples (7), Mickelson (5)
Scott is back from his break, I’ll hand back to him for the rest of round two. Bye!
Sergio ties for the lead!
Garcia birdies the 17th to move level with Hoffman, who has just finished for the day, signing for a 75 today after yesterday’s 65. Both men at -4, here’s what Hoffman had to say after his round …
I got out of position in the middle of the round, but happy at the way I finished. My friends have said to me that I just need to believe in myself a bit more.
The wind has definitely died down from yesterday but it still a big factor here: Justin Rose stares down the 240-yard par three 4th hole, and whacks one a yard too short, his ball just falling into the bunker guarding the front of the green. That was almost certainly due to the wind. Rose holds his head in his hands. He’s pretty hacked off.
Sergio has a total of 73 starts without a major. The only man ahead of him on that list? Lee Westwood on 75 starts. Lee is having a torrid back nine: he recorded five straight birdies here yesterday but he’s just gone three consecutive bogeys and is now at +2 through 16.
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Justin Rose, many people’s picks for a win here, misses a birdie attempt at three. At the 530-yard par five 15th, McIlroy lays up in front of the water and dinks one over on to the back of the green but it catches the slope and slides away to the left. He should have a pair of putts for his par. Yep, he lands his first to within two feet.
-4: Hoffman (17)
-3: Garcia (16)
-2: McGirt (F), Fowler (5), Mickelson (3)
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What on earth did Fred Couples have for breakfast? He’s -3 through five holes today, a total score of -2. My housemate has a couple of quid on Fred at 350/1. What a shirt, too. No messin’.
This guy pic.twitter.com/eD9H3eqbu2
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 7, 2017
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Mickelson is still tied for third, Few would bet against him being in the mixer come Sunday, although a fourth Green Jacket would make him the oldest Masters champion ever.
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For those of you with a few bob on Lefty, Mickelson has just rolled a four-footer into the cup at the 3rd. He’s tied for third, -1 today and -2 overall. It’s not getting any better for McIlroy, he’s creamed his drive on the 15th well right, and it looks like his ball is up against a big ol’ tree trunk.
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Sergio for eagle on the 15th … nope, he’s short! But he taps in for a birdie, and now he’s outright second at -3, one shot behind Hoffman, who after four birdies in a row from 14th to 17th yesterday, has recorded even par at all four holes today. Onto the last, he’s still the captain of our ship.
More frustration for McIlroy. He’s been lauded for his scrappy first round, saving pars when he shouldn’t have, keeping himself in contention, but it’s been another inconsistent second round: three birdies, three pars and three bogeys on the front nine. It’s not been great since the turn on Amen Corner: he misses an eight-footer at the 12th but holds for par on the 13th. Currently +1.
-4: Hoffman (16)
-2: McGrit (F), Garcia (14), Fowler (4)
Looks like Stenson will be joining Willett in going home early, the Swede is also in the clubhouse but for +8. He got off to an unusual start, a double-bogey on the 1st, then an eagle on the 2nd. But he never made any great moves today.
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I was on 10 tee. Serge tugged his first into woods then pured his provo. His first ball hit tree and kicked into f'way. Played that. Made 5.
— Alan Bastable (@alan_bastable) April 7, 2017
There was a scoring-reporting error with Sergio Garcia. He made a bogey 5 on No. 10. The error is being corrected. #themasters
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017
Elsewhere, McIlroy missed his par putt at the 12th, and after tucking away his bogey promptly lobbed his ball into the middle of the drink, just as Shane Lowry did on the 16th yesterday. Danny Willett, meanwhile, has finished his second round, coming in at +7 after bogeying the 18th. He never really got over the quadruple bogey at Tea Olive, the opening hole.
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Sergio update! He did NOT triple bogey the 10th. He's still -2!
It has been confirmed that Sergio took at five on the 10th, not the triple-bogey 7 he was originally awarded on the official leaderboard. Well that was fun.
Sergio Garcia hit a provisional off of the 10th tee, but appears to have found and finished the hole with his original ball. #TheMasters https://t.co/hcLbu0jTzJ
— GOLF.com (@golf_com) April 7, 2017
“He certainly didn’t look on 12 like the Sergio Who Just Had A Triple Bogey To Fall Out Of The Masters Lead,” reassures Adam Hirst on email.
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Speaking of fast starts: here comes Rickie Fowler! The young American is right in the mix after splashing a beautiful wedge out of the bunker and straight into the hole for eagle on the second! And then he only went and birdied the third! Could this be Rickie’s year? He’s -2 under, two shots back from Hoffman!
Watch @RickieFowler hole out from the bunker for eagle on No. 2 to get to 1-under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/4TTbkV7I5Y
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017
Not a computer scoring error: Fred Couples, all 57 years of him, has birdied the second and third holes to move to 1-under! The 1992 champion is on the march, just three shots off leader Hoffman!
Hello world. Let’s try and figure out what the heck is going on with Sergio shall we? Everyone appears to be in the dark: the official leaderboard has him at +1 through 13 holes, but apparently there are reports that Amen Corner announcers just said it was a computer scoring error, which would leave him at -2 (after bogey at 13).
Sergio can’t make his long par putt at 13. It’s so close. But he pays for that poor chip with bogey. As far as we know at the moment - and the confusion regarding his score at 10 was specifically referenced by the commentary team on the official Masters feed - that drops him back to -2. Until we hear anything different for sure, here’s the leader board:
-4: Hoffman (14)
-2: McGirt (F), Garcia (13)
And with that, I’m handing over to Michael Butler. See you again in an hour or so!
Jon Rahm certainly double-bogeyed 10, this much we know. But he’s bounced back immediately by creaming his second into the heart of 11 and making the first birdie of the day at that testing hole. He’s back to level par; Rory McIlroy remains at that mark with par. Up on 13, Sergio - the official Masters TV feed still has him captioned at -3, by the way - sends his second to the left of the green from prime position in the centre of the fairway, then hits a tentative chip that falls back down the bank. He’s got a job to save his par here now. Out comes the fairway wood; he’s going to nudge one up. And he whistles it miles past. Unless he sinks a 25-footer coming back, he’ll not be at -3 for very much longer, regardless of what happened on 10!
Ryan Moore has parred his way home. A blemish-free 69 today, with birdies at 2, 10 and 13. After yesterday’s 74, that puts him just a shot behind the clubhouse leader William McGirt at -1. Freddie Couples is out, and he’s birdied 2 to move to level par. The 2013 champion Adam Scott has started strongly, with birdies at 1 and 3, and he’s +1. And news of the aforementioned hotly fancied Justin Thomas; bogeys at 4, 5 and 10 have dropped him back to +4, and he’s not exactly looking in prime position at 11, having wanged his drive into trees down the right.
Some confusion regarding Sergio’s score at 10, incidentally. He was initially down for a bogey; it’s been updated on the official website leader board as a triple-bogey 7. Nobody’s sure what’s happened here, as it wasn’t televised. Was he penalised? He certainly doesn’t look in a Lexi Thompsonesque daze. He was smiling upon hitting the flagstick at 12, and has just battered a monster drive down 13. The official Masters Amen Corner TV feed has him at -3 still, so shall we go with that for now? Either way, Charley Hoffman has retaken the lead by tapping in for his birdie at 13. We’ll keep our eye on this.
-4: Hoffman (13)
-3: Garcia (12)
Updated
Hoffman takes two putts on 12 and makes a nerve-steadying par. He remains at -3. He then enjoys a big break down 13, not really connecting with his fairway wood, but watching in relief as his ball stops short of Rae’s Creek. He knocks his chip to a couple of feet; that should be a birdie that will make him feel a whole lot better. Meanwhile back on 12, Sergio finds the bunker at the front, then nearly holes his chip. But the ball hits the flag and he’s forced to settle for par.
Two putts for Westwood, and that’s a tap-in par at 11. He’s +2. Sergio gives his 20-foot right-to-left curler a good run at the hole; it slips four feet past, but he knocks in the one coming back. He stays at -3. Lowry dribbles his downhill birdie chance past the cup on the right; that was a very conservative prod. He remains +8. But what about the amateur Stewart Hagestad? The 25-year-old works in real estate in NYC, but used to play with Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth back in the day. He freely admits he isn’t in their league, but after a fine 74 yesterday and birdies at 4 and 5 today, he’s well above them on the leaderboard. He’s level par for the tournament and just three off the lead!
Sergio’s ball had just crept into the second cut to the right of 11, but he’s able to whip a gorgeous long iron into the safe heart of the green. Lee Westwood, who managed to double 10 and is now back at +2, toys with the water on the left but ends up with an uphill chance for birdie from 20 feet. Shane Lowry’s approach is the best of the three, taking on the water and landing his ball eight feet from the hole. But he might as well go for it, because he’s folded abysmally today. Six bogeys on the front nine, then a double at 10, and he’ll be carding an 80 unless he picks up a shot somewhere on the way home. He’s +8, one shot below the projected cut line. The way things have been going, he might as well roll the dice.
Well, I’m glad I got that in when I did. Sergio bogeys 10, having gone short right with his approach. He’s back to -3 in a share of the lead with Hoffman, who eased a wonderful tee shot at 12 into the heart of the green, a magnificent shot given how his round has been unravelling. Sergio does clatter a fine drive down 11, though. Meanwhile back on 9, Rory McIlroy’s momentum is checked again. Bogey, and he reaches the turn in 36. Still level par for the tournament ... but only three strokes off the lead.
-3: Hoffman (11), Garcia (10)
-2: McGirt (F)
Updated
Hoffman swishes a brave chip over the corner of the water at 11, aiming straight for the pin as opposed to playing it safe in the meat of the green. He leaves himself a testing ten footer, though. These were the sort of putts whistling into the cup yesterday afternoon; how he could do with this one dropping, just to steady the ship. But the ball stays out on the high side, and that’s his fifth bogey in six holes. This is as ugly as yesterday’s back-nine run was gorgeous. He looks thoroughly deflated; he needs to snap out of his funk with 12 coming up. Sergio leads the Masters. Sergio leads the Masters.
-4: Garcia (9)
-3: Hoffman (11)
-2: McGirt (F)
Hoffman went so far right at 11 that he’s got a clear shot over the trees to the green. But he doesn’t connect properly with his second either, and once the ball lands on the fairway, it threatens to squirt off to the left and into the drink. Happily, he didn’t catch it, so it stops before getting wet. He’s not exactly the picture of confidence right now, his shoulders slumped, a lot of deep sighing and post-shot club wafting going on. Time to refocus: he’s still leading the Masters. He’s just not leading it by five strokes, like he was for a wee while back there this morning.
Charley Hoffman’s head has gone. Just in time for Amen Corner! He slices his drive down 11 deep into the trees on the right. Kevin Chappell continues to go the wrong way; he follows up his bogey at 1 with another at 3. And Marc Leishman’s tidy start has gotten messy; birdie at 2, but bogey at 4 and 6 drops him back to +2. Not out of it by any means, but it’s been a slightly underwhelming week so far for the in-form Aussie, who many understandably tipped as a dark horse.
And so Charley Hoffman’s lead at the top is suddenly gone! That’s because he’s dropped another shot at 10, while Sergio claps his wedge into 9 to seven feet, and makes no mistake with the putt! Erm. Oh my! I promised I’d make no comment, so. But some more good news for Spanish youth - Sergio is still young, right? - as Jon Rahm birdies 8, his second of the day, to bother the upper echelons of the leader board. And birdie for Lee Westwood at 9, too; he’s back to level par and just four off the lead despite his dreadful morning’s work.
-4: Hoffman (10), Garcia (9)
-2: McGirt (F)
-1: Moore (15), McIlroy (8), Rahm (8), Kjeldsen (3), Sullivan, Fitzpatrick, Mickelson, Rose
Updated
Another dropped shot for Buffa, this time at 6. He’s +7. Meanwhile the leader Hoffman stops the bleeding at 9; he pars and reaches the turn in 38. After a very shaky hour, it’s going to be fascinating to see how he handles the 10th, followed by Amen Corner. Soren Kjeldsen meanwhile joins the select group under par for this tournament; birdie at 2 brings him to -1. The 41-year-old Dane tied for seventh here last year, and followed that up with a top-ten finish at the Open. A late bloomer, and one who has somewhat flied in under the radar this week.
Lee Westwood has misplaced his mojo. Another bogey, this time at 7, and he’s drifting down the leader board at a rate of knots. He’s three over for his round already and +1 for the tournament. But how about this for a dreadful start? The two-time champion Bubba Watson has bogeyed the first four holes of his round, and at +6 he’s now got a fight on if he wants to hang around for the weekend. He drained a couple of preposterous monster putts last night, ever the entertainer; without those he’d be in all sorts of trouble now. He’s looking quite svelte at the moment, Bubba; I wonder if he has, like Jason Dufner before him, lost a little special something while shedding those pounds? Buffa doing his best to validate our Taco Bell theory.
Updated
Yes indeed, that’s three bogeys in a row for Charley Hoffman. A six at the 8th, and he’s suddenly feeling the breath of the field on the back of his neck. He birdied four in a row last night; this isn’t such a welcome run. That superlative 65 of yesterday suddenly seems like an awful long time ago.
-5: Hoffman (8)
-3: Garcia (7)
-2: McGirt (F)
-1: Moore (13), McIlroy (6), Sullivan, Fitzpatrick, Mickelson, Rose
Updated
An errant drive down the left of 18 costs William McGirt. He can only find sand with his second, fails to get up and down, and bogeys. He signs for a one-over 73, and he really had to battle for that over the closing holes. He’s the very early clubhouse leader after 36 holes at -2. Meanwhile a couple of interesting moves just below him on the leaderboard, as Rory McIlroy follow his birdie at 5 with another at 6, while Ryan Moore picks up a shot at the par-five 13th. I’ll post the rejigged leader board in a minute, because the suddenly stuttering leader Charley Hoffman has failed to reach the par-five 8th green in regulation. Let’s see how that pans out.
Kevin Chappell begins his round with a bogey, and falls out of the group at -1. There are now currently just seven players under par for the tournament, and four of those haven’t hit a shot in anger yet today. Only Sergio, Ryan Moore, Jon Rahm, the amateur Curtis Luck and Emiliano Grillo are under par for their rounds today. The course is playing tough. The sunny weather of the weekend can’t come soon enough.
London buses dept. You wait ages for the leader to drop one shot ... then two bogeys come along at once. A wild drive, flayed into the trees down the right of 7, leads to trouble for Charley Hoffman. Back-to-back bogeys, and suddenly his lead is only three shots. Russell Henley meanwhile cards his second bogey of the day at 3, and slips back to level par. But there’s better news for Rory McIlroy, who picks up a shot at 5 and he’s evens for his week to date. For all his uptight play so far, he’s only six off the lead.
-6: Hoffman (7)
-3: McGirt (17), Garcia (6)
-1: Chappell, Sullivan, Fitzpatrick, Mickelson, Rose
E: Moore (12), Westwood (6), McIlroy (5), Rahm (5), Henley (3), Kjeldsen (1), Pieters, Casey
Lee Westwood continues to struggle; his third bogey of the day, this time at 6, and he’s back to level par for the tournament. Sergio makes his par and remains at 6. Along with Ryan Moore, Sergio is the only player out there to have picked up a couple of shots today. Moore should be three under for his round, mind you: he clips his tee shot at 12 to six feet, but pushes the birdie putt to the right of the cup and stays at level par.
The leader Charley Hoffman drops his first stroke since the 5th hole yesterday. A three putt at 6, and he’s back to -7. Just the four ahead of McGirt and Sergio. Meanwhile a busy start for yesterday’s early leader Russell Henley. He bogeys the opening hole, then picks the shot back up at 2. It’s a popular one-two, this. He remains at -1. And Jason Dufner drops another stroke at 10; he just can’t get going today and slips back to +2.
-7: Hoffman (6)
-3: McGirt (16), Garcia (5)
-1: Westwood (5), Henley (2), Chappell, Sullivan, Fitzpatrick, Mickelson, Rose
William McGirt’s tee shot at 16 is short and right; he’s got a bunker to chip over and not much green to play with. But he lifts a careful wedge over the sand and drops it softly a couple of feet from the flag. He taps in for another magnificent par save. He’s kept things going well on this back nine, and remains at -3.
Rory McIlroy can’t get anything going at all this week. One step forward, another back. After birdie at 2, he ships a shot at 3 and he’s back to +1. Going in the correct direction: Marc Leishman, who birdies 2, and Ryan Moore, with birdie at 10. Both men rise to level par. “The sportsman who instils the same sense of impending disappointment in me as Sergio is Jimmy White,” sobs James Taylor. “So, so talented but you always knew that no matter how close he was to getting over the line he wouldn’t get there.” Yep, with Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry in the Tiger/Padraig roles.
Updated
William McGirt is in a little bit of trouble at the back of 15, on the fringe and facing a tricky downhill putt. The announcer on the Masters feed describes his problem thus: put a ball on the carpet six feet away from the top of the stairs, and try to get it to topple over the edge and stop on the first step. That’s pretty much what he’s trying to do. It’s a lovely way to describe the unique posers set by the Augusta greens. McGirt tickles the ball down nicely, and makes his par. He stays at -3. Actually, I wonder if big Dustin was doing that putting drill the other night? It would explain an awful lot.
I spoke too soon. I knew it when I was typing, I knew it, but I still went ahead and published. Sergio leaves his tee shot at the elongated par-four 4th short of the green. Snookered by a bunker, he can only chip to 20 feet, and the par saver doesn’t drop. I promise to say nothing ever again. Still, bigger picture and all that, and I’m sure Sergio would have taken a birdie-birdie-birdie-bogey start when standing on the 1st tee. He’s back to -3 and a share of second with McGirt. Pray for Sergio. “If there is a good and benevolent God, She will one day find a way for Andrew Johnston to qualify for the Masters,” opines Steve Buist. Preach on, brother. “Can you imagine the Beefster traipsing around like a hairy Shrek at Augusta, a place known for its cheap sandwiches? Goofy grin, thumbs up sign to any and all, with about four pimento cheese sandwiches jammed into his pie hole. A glorious thing to imagine.” There are not many ways in which Augusta National and the Masters Tournament could be improved. Beef is a rare one.
Having made his way through Amen Corner without fuss, William McGirt bogeys 14 and drops back into third place at -3. Rory McIlroy reclaims the shot he shed at Tea Olive with birdie at 2; he’s back to level par, alongside his playing partner Jon Rahm, who picks up a shot at the par five too. Shane Lowry meanwhile dropped another shot, this time at 3, and he’s moving very quickly in the wrong direction; -2 through 13 last night, +2 now.
Sergio continues apace! He knocks in a 20-footer for birdie on 3, and that’s pretty much a perfect start for him! Three in a row! He moves into a share of second with McGirt. I hesitate to ask this, but has he worked something out with his putter? He did miss a short one for birdie at 16 yesterday, but other than that he’s looked fairly dependable so far this week. Yes, I know what that probably means. But on Sky last night, Butch Harmon made the point that, if he was even half decent with the flat stick, he’d have won multiple majors already. So if he’s onto something, even for just a few days, field watch out! All of which applies equally to Lee Westwood. But he misses a short one a the same hole to bogey and drop back into the pack at -1.
-8: Hoffman (4)
-4: McGirt (13), Garcia (3)
William McGirt gets through Amen Corner without a blemish on his card, though he was forced to take just the one putt on each of the three greens. At 13, he gets up and down from just off the back. He stays at -4; Charley Hoffman remains at -8 after par at 3. “With Sergio off to the hot start, I felt this growing cloud of impending doom within me, like packing umbrellas for a summer picnic,” sighs Hubert O’Hearn. “He’s the only athlete that does this to us, since Tim Henman anyway. Cheering Sergio is like cheering for a football team: Spurs or Liverpool in the Premier League era. We know it will all come unglued in the end but oh the joy if he or they ever held it together!” Sergio, yes, Liverpool and Spurs, yes. Can I throw in the Carolina Panthers, Scotland at the football, and England at the Cricket World Cup?
Updated
A wild opening tee shot from Rory McIlroy, almost certainly trying too hard, desperate as he is for this elusive major. He’s flayed that into the trees down the left. He can only nudge the ball up the fairway, though he gives himself the chance of saving par by wedging to 12 feet. He can’t make the fast putt coming back, though, and that’s his second opening-hole bogey of the week. He slips back to +1. Meanwhile Taco Bell’s Jason Dufner is threatening to recover from his slow start; birdie at 5, bogey at 6, and birdie at 7 lifts our sleepy-eyed hero back to +2.
It was a dropped shot for Shane Lowry as well as Lee Westwood on the opening hole. His bid has lost a bit of momentum since he birdied 13 last night; bogeys at 15 and 16, followed by this. He could have done with reclaiming a shot on the relatively easy par-five 2nd, but after driving into sand has to settle for par. Better news for his playing partners, though; both Westwood and Garcia make birdie. It’s a nerve-settler for Westwood, and a fast start for Sergio!
-8: Hoffman (2)
-4: McGirt (12)
-3: Garcia (2)
-2: Westwood (2)
Trouble for McGirt at 12, as he sends his tee shot into the bunker at the back. There’s not a whole lot of green to play with as he splashes back out. But he lands his ball on the apron, slowing it down nicely, and sending it trickling to four feet. That’s as good as anyone could realistically expect from there. He knocks in the par saver, though the ball needs every millimetre of the cup on the left. Again, any harder, and that would have lipped out. But he’s two-thirds of the way through Amen Corner now without injury. However, that’s as far as the good news goes right now, because the leader Hoffman has birdied 2 to move four clear again.
-8: Hoffman (2)
-4: McGirt (12)
William McGirt starts Amen Corner in street-fighting fashion. He sends his second at 11 into Larry Mize Land, and leaves himself a very tricky downhill six-footer for par. He tickles it out to the right, the ball breaking back, the hole snaffling it. Par. If he’d hit that any harder, it would have lipped out. That took nerve, and a fine read. He remains at -4. Meanwhile below him on the leaderboard, a switcheroo as Lee Westwood bogeys the opening hole, dropping back into the pack at -1, while Sergio whips his second to 12 feet and nails the putt! A rare birdie; that’s like picking two shots up on most of the field! What a start for Sergio! But let’s take a breath. Hope begone! It’s only Friday morning, leave us alone will you.
-7: Hoffman (1)
-4: McGirt (11)
-2: Garcia (1)
-1: Westwood (1), Henley, Chappell, Sullivan, Fitzpatrick, Mickelson, Rose
Curtis Luck has just played 4 in eventful fashion. The world number-one amateur clanked his tee shot straight left, his ball pinging off the top of some poor punter’s head. It drew blood, though both Luck and Unlucky were smiling as the former made profuse apologies and signed a glove as a third souvenir to go along with the bump and the scar. Luck, still halfway down the hole, then played a gorgeous chip to a few feet and tapped in for his par. That’s his fourth straight of the day. Apart from a tired finish to yesterday’s round - bogeys at 16, 17 and 18 leading to a 78 - the 20-year-old Australian has acquitted himself well so far this week. He’s +6.
The leader Charley Hoffman makes the opening hole look easy. While others have been running up double, triple and quadruple bogeys, he creams his approach pin high, holding the green, then takes two putts from 50 feet for his par. He remains at -7, three clear of McGirt who has just parred 10. Meanwhile Henrik Stenson responds to his double at 1 with eagle at 2, the result of a fine second arrowed straight at the flag from the top of the hill to 12 feet. He’s back to +5. But Danny Willett, having knocked a fine long iron into the heart of the lengthened par-three 4th, takes three putts from 25 feet to drop another stroke; he’s +6.
Bernd Wiesberger, who came close at the 2014 PGA, carded a fairly miserable 77 yesterday. Three bogeys and a double at 15. But he’s in a different frame of mind today, with birdies at 2 and 3; he’s +3 overall. Meanwhile the 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel bogeys the opening hole, negating somewhat the birdies yesterday at 15 and 16 which turned a poor round into a serviceable 74.
The second-placed William McGirt reaches the turn in 35, having parred his way through the last five holes. He’s been steady rather than streaky so far this week, which augurs well for a sustained challenge. Amen Corner coming up, of course, and it’s pretty cold and windy. On the flip side, Charley Hoffman will be heading towards that 1st green in a minute. Anything could happen.
-7: Hoffman
-4: McGirt (9)
To be fair to Danny Willett, and even though he’s had quite an influence on the statistic, the opening hole is playing hellishly hard, the most difficult on the entire course. Landing on the green, to re-nose a famous old piece of commentary, is like landing on the bonnet of a VW Beetle. The banks leading up to it are like glass. Coming up behind Willett, the 2009 Masters champion Angel Cabrera has just opened with a triple-bogey seven, while the reigning Open champ Henrik Stenson cards six. They’re +10 and +7 respectively. And Tea Olive sounds so sweet.
Jason Dufner continues to disprove our theory of the athletic and spiritual benefits of a Taco Bell diet. Bogey at 2 and he’s back to +3. His partner Ernie Els reclaims the shot he dropped at the opening hole; he’s back to level par.
Willett, out on the right of 2, chips over the bunker facing him and only just holds the green behind. He’s left with a treacherous downhill putt, and trundles one ten feet past. He does very well to knock in the return, saving his par. It doesn’t stop him mumbling in despair, though. He remains at +5. His playing partner Matt Kuchar opened with a bogey, incidentally, but reclaims the shot here and he’s back at level par.
Updated
A disastrous start to the second round for the defending champion Danny Willett. A loose drive down the right of Tea Olive, and he’s always chasing his tail. He visits spots to the right, left and then the front of the green; a couple of putts thrown in, and that’s a nerve-shredding quadruple-bogey eight. He’s +5 now, having dropped six strokes alone on the 1st hole so far this week! He responded well to a dreadful 6-6 start yesterday, but this is another level altogether. His addled mental state was then betrayed coming down 2; having split the fairway, he sends his second a little right and immediately bellows “fore” to warn the patrons lining that side of the hole. He’s not really anywhere near them, the ball landing softly on the edge of the fairway, but was clearly fearing the worst the second the ball left the face of his fairway wood.
Not a whole lot of positive movement out there so far. Ryan Moore, the man who pushed Rory McIlroy all the way at last year’s Tour Championship, and sealed the Ryder Cup for the USA, has birdied 2. After his 74 yesterday, that puts him at +1. Moore and McGirt are the only early starters in red figures for their rounds so far today. Elsewhere, Ernie Els dropped a shot at the opening hole to drop back to +1, while James Hahn, who briefly bothered the top of the leader board yesterday has bogeyed 1 to drop back to +4. Hahn is perhaps still reeling from the double at 18 yesterday which turned a decent round into a 75.
Updated
Our man Andy Bull is fast going native, every inch the southern gent. He’s at Augusta National, out on the porch enjoying a pimento cheese sandwich for breakfast. Be careful not to get any crumbs on your new linen suit! “You’ll be pleased to hear that the pundits I’m listening to on TV while I drink my morning coffee are speculating that Jason Dufner has benefited from his recent weight gain, after going through a couple of ropey seasons while he was trying to slim down.” Yes, I’m well on board with this theory, and was pleased to see the Somnambulist returning to his natural fighting weight. He looked calm and happy yesterday on his way to a 71, despite those bogeys at 15 and 18. This theory also matches Sid Waddell’s take on Phil Taylor’s loss to John Part in the 2003 World Darts final. The Power had gone on a crash diet that year, and the legendary commentator explained his poor form thus: “He’s lost muscle weight below the navel and that has affected his balance. He now often throws a quarter to half an inch below the 60 bed.” I don’t know how that translates into the technicalities of the golf swing, but it surely must. Maybe. Oh OK, but remember that Dufner celebrated his PGA win by filling the Wanamaker Trophy with his favourite items from the Taco Bell drive-thru. Success comes in many shapes and sizes, and if he’s not a positive role model for those of us who can only squeeze into relaxed-cut jeans, I don’t know who is.
Naturally, having written all that, he’s just double-bogeyed the 1st, having failed to get up and down from the bank to the left of the green, then missed a tiddler. He’s +1. Jason! How could you!
Updated
William McGirt continues to chip away Hoffman’s lead. Birdie at 4, after holing out from the bunker guarding the front-right of the green. Elsewhere, Ross Fisher continues to reel in the wake of chipping into the water from the back of 15 yesterday and running up a triple-bogey 8 while at -1. He bogeyed 16 and 17 too, signed for a four-over 76, and opened today with a double bogey at Tea Olive, after failing to get his ball up from the swale to the left of the green. He’s +6; how quickly one can turn from legitimately contesting to struggling to make the cut.
-7: Hoffman
-4: McGirt (5)
Watch out Charley Hoffman! William McGirt bounces straight back at 2, reaching the side of the par-five green in a couple of big hits, then getting up and down for his birdie. He’s back to -3, and that lead at the top is cut to four. No other real news to report out on the course. The 1991 champion Ian Woosnam is out and about, though. The 59-year-old Welsh legend shot a solid if not spectacular 76 yesterday, not bad considering the wind, his veteran status, and the fact his whole world at Augusta has been turned upside down: he now has to share space in his champion’s locker with new boy Danny Willett. He’s parred Tea Olive, anyway.
While we’re waiting for things to get properly moving on day two, here’s an idea: how about a women’s Masters? Anya Alvarez’s persuasive piece explains how a regular event at one of the most famous courses in the world would immeasurably boost the sport. Traditionalists would raise Cain, no doubt. But watching the likes of Lydia Ko, So Yeon Ryu, Lexi Thompson and idiosyncratic genius Inbee Park tee it up on a Sunday around Amen Corner? Yes please!
The quirk of the draw means that William McGirt, alone in second place at -3, is in the first group out today. The North Carolinian sent his opening drive into the second cut down the left, and didn’t quite find the front of the green with his approach. He then left himself a 15-foot par putt which he couldn’t convert. And so suddenly Charley Hoffman - who tees off in just under a couple of hours - now has a five-shot lead in the Masters! It’s still early on Friday morning, though. Five shots weren’t enough for Jordan Spieth last year with half of Sunday in the rear-view mirror.
-7: Hoffman
-2: McGirt (1), Westwood
Joe Zawinul Corner. The wind was really up yesterday. It’s not expected to be quite so strong today, but there’ll be a good old blow around the old place nonetheless. The early starters will have to contest with gusts of 15mph, while the winds could go as high as 22mph in the afternoon, before dropping again towards the end of the day. But who knows how this will pan out? The later starters yesterday were expected to cop for the worst of the wind, only for it to die off unexpectedly late on; they probably ended up getting the best of the draw. But whatever happens, everyone should have plenty of thinking to do on the 12th tee, where there’ll be plenty of swirling going on, both inside and outside of the head. Let’s leave it at that.
Good morning Augusta.
Never mind Dustin Johnson. The world number one walking off the first tee and down Magnolia Lane towards the horizon is one thing. What happened elsewhere at Augusta National on the opening day of the 81st Masters Tournament is quite another. Charley Hoffman, a late bloomer from San Diego prone to hot streaks - he won the Deutsche Bank in 2010 with rounds of 64 and 62, and shot 67 and 68 here on his way to a top-ten finish a couple of years ago - carded nine birdies, four in a row, en route to a 65. It was a round for the ages considering the high winds, and the trouble pretty much everyone else in the field was having.
Lee Westwood very nearly made six birdies in a row; he had to make do with a run of five. William McGirt, like Hoffman another unheralded tour player coming good late in his career, shot a 69; off the back of his top-ten finish at last year’s PGA and a decent showing at the recent World Match Play, perhaps that shouldn’t be such a surprise. Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Fred Couples have begun campaigns to usurp Jack Nicklaus as the oldest winner of a Masters. Matthew Fitzpatrick, Thomas Pieters, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas are threatening to do it for the new wave. And there’s Rory McIlroy, desperate for a green jacket and a career slam, threatening to play himself out of contention on day one, only to pull back from the brink.
We could go on. But let’s not invest too much hope in Sergio, and there’s no point in riffing on poor Jordan Spieth’s pain. Plus the fact the steely eyed young genius could win this yet. Has anyone ever won a Masters after taking a quadruple bogey? That’d be another box ticked.
No Dustin, then. God we miss him. But there’s plenty enough to busy ourselves with. This still promises to be a thoroughly fascinating, thrilling, almost unbelievable second round, one way or another. Here’s how they stand at the top of the leader board ...
-7: Hoffman
-3: McGirt
-2: Westwood
-1: Henley, Chappell, Sullivan, Fitzpatrick, Mickelson, Rose, Dufner, Garcia
E: Kjeldsen, Pieters, Casey, Els, Kichar, Lowry, McIlroy
+1: Piercy, Couples, Fowler, Willett, Rahm, Leishman, Thomas
... and here are today’s tee times, local then UK in brackets. See you then!
8am (1pm): Rod Pampling, William McGirt
8.11am (1.11pm): Mark O’Meara, Hudson Swafford, Roberto Castro
8.22am (1.22pm): Ian Woosnam, James Hahn, *Brad Dalke
8.33am (1.33pm): Ross Fisher, Pat Perez, Byeong Hun An
8.44am (1.44pm): Jose Maria Olazabal, Ryan Moore, Webb Simpson
8.55am (1.55pm): Ernie Els, Jason Dufner, Bernd Wiesberger
9.06am (2.06pm): Danny Willett, Matt Kuchar, *Curtis Luck
9.17am (2.17pm): Vijay Singh, Emiliano Grillo, *Toto Gana
9.28am (2.28pm): Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson, Tyrrell Hatton
9.39am (2.39pm): Charl Schwartzel, Steve Stricker, Mackenzie Hughes
10.01am (3.01pm): Charley Hoffman, Chris Wood, Yuta Ikeda
10.12am (3.12pm): Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Shane Lowry
10.23am (3.23pm): Bernhard Langer, Alex Noren, Patrick Reed
10.34am (3.34pm): Rory McIlroy, Hideto Tanihara, Jon Rahm
10.45am (3.45pm): Marc Leishman, Bill Haas, Justin Thomas
10.56am (3.56pm): Bubba Watson, Jimmy Walker
11.07am (4.07pm): Daniel Summerhays, Russell Henley
11.18am (4.18pm): Trevor Immelman, Brendan Steele, Jhonattan Vegas
11.29am (4.29pm): Mike Weir, Billy Hurley III, Scott Piercy
11.40am (4.40pm): Larry Mize, Brian Stuard, *Stewart Hagestad
11.51am (4.51pm): Soren Kjeldsen, Kevin Chappell, Jim Furyk
12.13pm (5.13pm): Sandy Lyle, Sean O’Hair, *Scott Gregory
12.24pm (5.24pm): Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Hadwin
12.35pm (5.35pm): Tommy Fleetwood, Gary Woodland, JB Holmes
12.46pm (5.46pm): Adam Scott, Kevin Kisner, Andy Sullivan
12.57pm (5.57pm): Francesco Molinari, Daniel Berger, Thomas Pieters
1.08pm (6.08pm): Fred Couples, Paul Casey, Kevin Na
1.19pm (6.19pm): Russell Knox, Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama
1.30pm (6.30pm): Branden Grace, Brooks Koepka, Jeunghun Wang
1.41pm (6.41pm): Jordan Spieth, Martin Kaymer, Matthew Fitzpatrick
1.52pm (6.42pm): Phil Mickelson, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Si Woo Kim
2.03pm (7.03pm): Brandt Snedeker, Justin Rose, Jason Day
Updated
