The cut has been made, and yesterday is why we all watch golf. The greatest players in the world were tested in a way we don’t often see. High winds not only put up a fight yesterday; you could argue that they won. Take the Irishman Shane Lowry, who shot 74 – 147 and made the cut: “Like Darren (Reynolds, his caddie) said, ‘If you’re talking in boxing terms, you’d think it was Round 12 today, not Round 2.’ It was tough.”
Thanks to technology, the game has been significantly shortened. To some, that may not necessarily be a good thing. In 2024, there are 67 players averaging 300 yards (274 meters) off the tee. In 2014, there were only 25. The co-leader, Bryson DeChambeau, is using a set of irons he designed that were 3D printed and approved by the USGA on Monday. So, yes, the game is exciting, and guys hit it a mile, and course records and tournament records get broken repeatedly, and that’s great. But occasionally, it’s refreshing to see professional golfers play professional golf.
Round 2 at The Masters tested every facet of every player’s game. You had to be perfect. Par 72 became Par 76, 3-footers became slippery 5-footers, and, for Tiger at least, getting the right number from the fairway seemed virtually impossible. Even Rory said, “One second you’ll have a shot that’s playing 150, and then if the wind does something different, the shot could be playing 180. It could be a 30-yard difference.”
Today seems to be setting up for the same. Sunny and 25 degrees with winds at 15 km/h and gusts to 37 km/h, which sets us up nicely for another day of absolute grinding. For a few guys, I think that’s good news. Scottie Scheffler has proven his ability to maintain almost stupid composure, Bryson DeChambeau has not.
For Tiger, this level of grinding is not sustainable. He knows this course better than anyone there, and his mental fortitude is stronger than maybe anyone who has ever lived, but he’s 48 and his body stinks.
Danes are still alive
Nicolai Højgaard continues to play exceptionally well. He carded a 1-over 73 yesterday and maintains his spot right in the thick of it. He currently sits in solo 4th, 2 shots back. He is paired with the number one ranked player in the world, Scottie Scheffler, and will tee off at 20:35 CEST.
Thorbjørn Olesen struggled on Friday, shooting a 7-over 79, but will see the weekend, making the cut on the number. Despite a solid performance on Friday, he never recovered from a double bogey on 1 in round 2, double-bogeying both par 3’s on the back 9 as well. He will tee off at 15:45 CEST with Russell Henley.
Masters Third Round Tee Times
All times CEST
15:35: Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama
15:45: Thorbjørn Olesen, Russell Henley
15:55: José María Olazábal, Luke List
16:05: Tom Kim, Jake Knapp
16:15: Si Woo Kim, Adam Scott
16:25: Jon Rahm, Grayson Murray
16:35: Chris Kirk, Tony Finau
16:45: J.T. Poston, Keegan Bradley
17:55: Rory McIlroy, Camilo Villegas
17:05: Joaquín Niemann, Min Woo Lee
17:25: Sahith Theegala, Phil Mickelson
17:35: Adam Hadwin, Jason Day
17:45: Denny McCarthy, Vijay Singh
17:55: Erik van Rooyen, Will Zalatoris
18:05: Akshay Bhatia, Shane Lowry
18:15: Patrick Cantlay, Neal Shipley (A)
18:25: Corey Conners, Harris English
18:35: Brooks Koepka, Taylor Moore
18:45: Tiger Woods, Tyrrell Hatton
18:55: Xander Schauffele, Eric Cole
19:15: Sepp Straka, Matt Fitzpatrick
19:25: Kurt Kitayama, Lucas Glover
19:35: Adam Schenk, Patrick Reed
19:45: Ben An, Cam Smith
19:55: Danny Willett, Ryan Fox
20:05: Cameron Young, Tommy Fleetwood
20:15: Ludvig Aberg, Matthieu Pavon
20:25: Cameron Davis, Collin Morikawa
20:35: Scottie Scheffler, Nicolai Højgaard
20:45: Max Homa, Bryson DeChambeau
