I’m going to try something different today by publishing the intro than editing throughout the day as I post a fresh entry. Somehow forgot I could do that. This way the info is more timely if you don’t follow on Twitter. Which maybe four of you do I think.
Above is Augusta’s 2nd known as Pink Dogwood. Just seemed to fit for a 2nd round Friday. The Masters App goes live at 845 AM (which for all the praise it gets I’m not crazy about but obviously it beats no coverage). Prior to that some review and observations on Round 1.
Pre-Tournament favorites in pristine position: Scheffler, Aberg, DeChambeau, Hatton
Pre-Tournament favorites in contention: Lowry, Smith, Morikawa, McIlroy, Hovland, Reed
Pre-Tournament favorites that need to go low today: Thomas, Spieth, Schauffele, Matsuyama, Fleetwood, Cantlay, Koepka
Pre-Tournament favorites below the current cutline: Rahm
Darkhorses who met the moment: Conners, Lee, Bhatia
Darkhorses who did not: Clark, Straka, Henley (Henley is DFL excluding the Nick Dunlap flight. We’ll have more on poor Nick in a moment)
Players who are probably fortunate to be where they are (e.g. Not hitting the ball great but saved themselves on and/or around the greens): Greyserman, Im, Jaeger, Hoge, Thomas, Spieth, Burns, Langer
Players who played better than they scored (e.g. Great ball striking days but were butchers on and/or around the greens): Hatton, Day, Thompson, Reed, McCarty, Fitzpatrick, McNealy, Garcia, McIlroy, Fleetwood
Finally on our boy Nick Dunlap, he shot that 90 without a 3 putt and only one triple bogey. I mean a few more things go wrong and that kid is on the doorstep of 100. Props for not quitting but an adult who has his ear might well be served in helping him invent an injury overnight. This is the kind of thing a player may never answer the bell from.
We’ll pick up action once things start happening in a bit. But hole locations dropped well over an hour ago and here they are:
830AM Stat guru Justin Ray (@justinraygolf) reported that 18 of the last 19 winners were within 4 strokes of the first round lead. Y’all know I love my stats but this is cherry picked. I prefer full tournament history sample sizes. Nevertheless if that holds potential winners are only six—Rose, Conners, Scottie, Aberg, Hatton, Bryson.
900AM Another stat from Ray—Rose is the 26th player in the Masters era (since 1934) to have a first round lead of 3 strokes in any Major. Only 11 of those 25 went on to win, not even coin flip odds.
1235PM Only 2 1/2 hours missing coverage today. Improvement! So many red numbers it looks like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Quickies: Rose isn’t going away, at least today. Sungae Im easily the most unlikely of 1st page leaders. Bryson has the look of a guy at the peak of his powers. Rasmus Hojgaard is this years version of Aberg in multiple ways (age, rookie, Nordic), Max Homa on the cusp of one of the ballsiest made cuts I can remember, and Nick Dunlap remains at +18. ‘Course he won’t tee off for 15 minutes but still.
122PM Max Homa, who quite literally hasn’t been a great bet to break 80 in four months, will make the cut comfortably barring a lightning strike on 18. Scottie is teeing off.
140PM Quietly Sergio Garcia has had his standard Friday swoon at +4 through 16 and will MC for the 6th time in 8 years since winning in 2017 (he didn’t play in 2020). Friday scores since 2018 in order: 78, 75, 72, 74 (made cut), 77, 79, 76 (on pace for).
252PM DeChambeau fails to birdie either par 5 on the back. Good day at 4 under through 16 but feels like he let a really low round slip away.
317PM Public service message for the morons who run Spectrum: Masters App? No problem whatsoever. Your App? Unwatchable buffering. And it ain’t a one time thing.
321PM McIlroy finishes off a 66. When he’s 2nd by 1 stroke Sunday… Scheffler made his first bogey of the week on 7, so that broke a 24 hole streak. He’ll be fine.
337PM No amateur will make the cut which seemingly is becoming a routine part of this week. As advanced as junior golf is now you’d think it’d be the opposite but definitely not.
400PM Popular darkhorse Russell Henley battled all the way back from a 1st round 79 and was poised to make the cut at +2. He then bogied 18. +3 might get in but he’s got a nauseating few hours to wait.
509PM Scheffler is 78th in putting so far through 11 which is nothing new. He’s 57th off the tee though which is unusual and he’s noticeably not in synch there. Not sure which is more important for him personally but he’s gotta clean up one or the other by Sunday.
522PM Never was a huge Langer fan for reasons I couldn’t say other than he wrote the book on slow play 40 years ago. That said my understanding is he’s as strong a Christian witness as they come and a top shelf husband and father. That counts for more than anything else.
535PM Something that isn’t getting any attention—yet—but it will if this continues. How about this clean card from Nick Dunlap? An unfathomable rally from the worst round I’ve ever here by a non senior if he can hold on.
550PM Some other impressive bounce backs: Wyndham Clark shot 68 to rebound from a 76 and make a cut that he needed like we need oxygen. Also Nick Taylor has made a major cut after missing all four last year and seven straight overall. Matt Fitzpatrick also is a credible even par after two rounds.
601PM Phil Mickeloil doubled the par 5 15th and he needs a bird over the last three holes to play the weekend. A shame. A damn shame.
610PM Scheffler borrows from DeChambeau and leaves money on the table by making pars on both 13 and 15. These shots today count the same as on Sunday.
652PM Eleven LIV clowns started. Only six will have tee times the next two days. Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Koepka, Mickeltits, and Cam Smith can go back to loading oil trucks for the Saudis.
715PM As bipolar of a round you’ll see from Scottie Scheffler. Six birdies, neither on the back nine par 5’s, five bogies. Still right in the midst of things. He’s gotta find it with his driver though and quickly or this tournament is going to be won by DeChambeau or Conners.
720PM That’ll do it for today. We’ll try an go wire to wire on moving day with no breaks. Allegedly.