When Jordan Spieth, one of the best flat-stick operators of all-time, four-putted the fifth hole at Augusta today, it undermined how the greens and variable winds made the second round of the 80th US Masters a hard day at the office.
The stimp-metre read 15, the equivalent of putting on glass, while club selection was extremely difficult with strong swirling winds constantly changing from different directions.
The four-putt apart Spieth still played some solid golf to show the elite field a clean pair of heels, firing in a 74, his first over-par return in 10 rounds, to lead by one, with a roller-coaster that included the double, four bogeys, and four birdies.
This is the sixth successive round where the defending champion has been in sole possession of the Masters lead, which was five at one stage.
But the highlights of day two belonged to veteran Tom Watson, amateur Bryson DeChambeau, and Rory McIlroy.
For the 66-year-old Watson, winner of two Masters in 1977 and 1981, he was playing his 43rd and last Augusta tournament in his 134th round.
The thunderous reception from a packed 14-deep 18th green began when Watson was halfway up the fairway and it was from the thousands on their feet – a fabulous farewell to an American golfing institution.
It didn’t matter that Watson carded 74 78 to miss the cut. It would have been brilliant had his long winding downhill birdie putt at the last dropped in, but it fell tantalisingly just short.
So many thanks for the memories Tom Watson, you will be sorely missed, but as you said in a post-round interview – “The course has become too big for me”.
DeChambeau is just about to start his pro career, ending a superb amateur career that saw him become only the fifth golfer in history to win the NCAA Division, Championship and the US Amateur in the same year.
And he rates his success to having all his irons the same length, the equivalent of his 6-iron, the only golfer to ever attempt such a radical move.
Today the 27-year-old DeChambeau carded an even par 72, but before he tripled the 18th he was sharing second place with McIlroy at 3-under.
McIlroy had a roller-coaster 71 that included a double, two bogeys and five birdies, but he’s sitting on 3-under, just one shot off the Spieth pace, and they will be at the tail of the field tomorrow for moving day – the Saturday third round.
With that mouth-watering prospect, the Masters is about to heat up.
Jason Day had his chance to lessen the gap.but could only manage a 73 with four bogeys and three birdies. Despite that setback, Day is still only five off the lead.
The biggest disappointment is Adam Scott, one of the pre-tournament favourites, with rounds of 75 72, that included six birdies and 10 bogeys for 4-over.
The other disappointments were Scott’s compatriot Marc Leishman, and one of America’s most popular golfers Phil Mickelson – both missed the cut by a shot playing together.
Leishman shot a second round 77 with a double at 14 and bogeys at 17 and 18 killing off his weekend, while Mickelson was easily going to make the cut until disaster struck with doubles at 15 and 16, finishing with a 79.
Masters second round leaderboard – par 144.
4-under – Jordan Spieth.
3-under – Rory McIlroy.
2-under – Paul Casey, Danny Lee, Scott Piercy
1-under – Brandt Snedeker, Soren Kjeldsen
Even – Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Danny Willett, Bryson DeChambeau (a), Shane Lowry, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Daniel Berger
Plus 1 – Jason Day, JB Holmes, Hideki Matsuyama, Smylie Kaufman, Bernhard Langer, Tony Merritt, Bernd Wiesberger, Chris Wood, Brooks Koepka.
Other Australians
Plus 3 – Cameron Smith
Plus 7 – Marc Leishman.
Plus 17 – Steve Bowditch.
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