Nicola Molloy emails: “What on earth occurred to Koepka!! That’s my fantasy golf crew gone for the weekend.” Koepka actually is an intriguing case. He opened 65-67 in 2023 to guide however closed 73-75. These two sub-60 scores have been actual outliers. He was 2-for-12 at breaking 73 within the final 4 tournaments and has carded 74-45 this week. Sorry Nicola!
There was an intriguing line from the 2007 champion Zach Johnson after his first spherical. He made bogey at 14 after arising in need of the inexperienced and stated: “It chapped my rear finish a bit.” It’s not an expression I’m accustomed to and never a picture simply forgotten. It sadly involves thoughts as a result of he’s nearing the 14th gap proper now as he fights to make the reduce.
Pondering of these feedback from Justin Rose about competing in majors final yr on the age of 44, he’d be entitled to imagine that he carried out effectively sufficient to have gained in different circumstances. In fact, sport doesn’t work like that. By necessity, there’s a backside line and profitable is what issues. However Rose at Royal Troon recalled Chris DiMarco at Augusta 20 years in the past this week. The American went toe-to-toe with peak Tiger Woods and the pair completed seven strokes forward of the remainder of the sector earlier than Woods prevailed on the first additional gap. DiMarco isn’t mentioned as one of many most interesting gamers to by no means win a serious, however he had misplaced a play-off within the earlier yr’s PGA Championship and he would once more end second to Woods (this time three photographs forward of the remainder of the sector) within the 2006 Open. Generally the very best golf goes unrewarded.
It’s not simply concerning the golfers on the primary web page. The scoring is at present providing a harsh reminder of the fickle nature of type in elite degree golf. Final yr Matthieu Pavon gained on the PGA Tour, was T12th at Augusta and fifth within the US Open; Thriston Lawrence contended within the Open; and Nick Dunlap was a two-time winner. The three at the moment are amongst these propping up this yr’s leaderboard.
Clubhouse Chief Justin Rose has been speaking to the press. Requested about what he realized from contending in final yr’s PGA Championship and Open he stated:
“You already know, generally you’ve simply received to knock on the door. I don’t assume I can do something in another way. On each these events, I received increasingly more snug as I received additional and additional up the leaderboard. Remarkably snug in these conditions, actually.
“That’s what I’ve realized. But when it was a secret recipe, you’d comprehend it by now. It’s nearly taking part in nice golf. The leaderboard is stacking up so that you’re going to need to play nice golf, and also you’re going to need to go on the market and wish it and go for it and get after it. It’s so simple as that.”
Norway’s Viktor Hovland is on fireplace. He’s made birdie at 13, 14, 15 and 16 to hitch Rory McIlroy in a share of third on -6. The latest winner of the Valspar Championship after a yr of poor type, Hovland’s nonetheless a well-liked mixture of cheeky smile and brutal swing.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (15)
-6: Hovland (16), McIlroy (16)
-5: McCarty (F), Åberg (16), Lowry (15), Conners (7), Scheffler (4)
One other 6 foot putt for Rory McIlroy. This one at 16 is for par reasonably than birdie. In it drops. A assured strike and he exited the inexperienced with a contact of the McIlroy bouncy stride that comes when he’s feeling it.
Rory McIlroy will not be going to make the ultimate three holes simple. His tee shot at 16 finds, based on TV’s Wayne Riley, “the underside groove”. Wealthy Beem didn’t just like the swing. The consequence might have been a lot, a lot worse, nonetheless. He’s missed the inexperienced on the precise however he appears to be like to be truthful sufficient up the outlet to have the bunker out of the equation – had he wanted to chip over it he’d have had nearly no touchdown house earlier than the pin.
Rory McIlroy’s eagle putt on the fifteenth is about so long as it presumably might be. The pin is on the left, his ball sits on the precise edge. The pin is 90 toes away and his lag putt (he’s not aiming to gap it actually) involves relaxation 6 toes brief. It’s a effective effort however wants sharpening off – and he does so. It had a wobble however a much-improved effort on final night time – birdie as a substitute of double bogey. “No participant has gained the Masters since 1982 with two double bogeys for the week,” says a cheery Paul McGinley. Keep in mind: that’s what McIlroy carded at 15 and 17 yesterday.
Fortunate/unfortunate 13 for Shane Lowry. He misses from 13 toes for birdie at 13, however holes from the identical distance for a par breaker at 14. The Irishman is now -4 for the day and -5 for the week. He’s bang within the hunt.
Right here we go – Rory McIlroy’s method to fifteen. He walks after it as if content material and it does discover the placing floor however solely simply. Paul McGinley suggests on TV that it could have slipped again into the water yesterday. The greens are somewhat softer at this time. McIlroy may nonetheless stroll in a short time to mark the ball!
There was a splendidly downbeat evaluation from Matt McCarty after his second spherical 68 vaulted him into competition. What made the distinction, he was requested, between his double bogey-bogey begin and his eight birdies in 12 holes from the sixth. “I began hitting the ball higher for positive,” he stated. “I feel that’s very useful.” He’s one other left-handed golfer and, after all, they’ve had loads of success at Augusta (three winners, in reality). McCarty is fairly downbeat about that concept, as effectively, because it occurs. “I feel for essentially the most half, these guys moved the ball each methods,” he stated. “I feel it’s much less about being left-handed.”
Thanks Scott and hi there everybody – thanks for spending Friday night with me. It’s been an incredible afternoon and we’ve no cause to assume the tempo goes to relent within the subsequent 5 or 6 hours. What a manner for my run to begin – with Rory McIlroy’s return to the fifteenth, the outlet that tripped him up final night time. He accomplished his par at 14 after his go to to the timber, and his tee shot at 15 has discovered the center of the green.
… and with that, I’ll hand you over to Matt Cooper, who’ll take this child dwelling. See you tomorrow for Shifting Day.
-8: Rose (F)
-7: DeChambeau (12)
-5: McCarty (F), Im (15), McIlroy (13), Conners (5), Scheffler (2)
Justin Thomas repeats Patrick Reed’s chip-in antics on 2. Eagle, and abruptly he’s within the crimson at -1. His associate Scottie Scheffler practically curls in for an eagle of his personal, however the putt stops on the lip. Birdie. Max Homa pars the final to signal for a 70, and he’ll be right here for the weekend, the reduction on his face clear. And Justin Rose tidies up for his par and a one-under 71. He’s at present main the way in which at -8.
There’s little inexperienced for Rose to work with to the aspect of 18, so as a substitute of lobbing up, he makes use of a fairway wooden within the placing type. He judges it fairly effectively, and he’ll have a six-footer for his par. In the meantime on 14, whenever you’re sizzling, you’re sizzling, and Rory McIlroy, deep within the woods, lashes a excessive wedge over the treetops and into the guts of the inexperienced. What an escape! That threatened to be a correct momentum killer. Two putts ought to safe his par.
Rory McIlroy has simply began the again 9 3-3-3-3 … and so … “Fore proper! [word redacted by Family Website editor] ” Yep, deep into the timber down the precise of 14 he goes. Good luck with that. In the meantime Justin Rose is stumbling in direction of the clubhouse. From the centre of 18, he pulls a 7-iron in direction of a swale to the left of the inexperienced. He’ll have a job on to rise up and down for his par.
Rory McIlroy makes his eagle putt on 13! He completely rattles it into the cup. As his ball disappears from view, the gallery go berserk. That is on once more! McIlroy would now be main this Event have been it not for these inexplicable mind-melts on 15 and 17 final night time. And that’s with out mentioning that tiddler he missed on 14. Nonetheless, that is again on, and as soon as once more McIlroy and his followers can dare to dream! What an absurd sport golf is.
-8: Rose (17)
-7: DeChambeau (12)
-6: Im (14)
-5: McCarty (F), McIlroy (13), Conners (4)
-4: Åberg (13), Lowry (12), Scheffler (1)
-3: R Højgaard (15), Hovland (13), Riley (10), Day (2)
A poor drive by Rory McIlroy on 13 … adopted by an outrageous second shot! He’s within the pines out on the precise, the spot from the place Phil Mickelson did for Lee Westwood all these years in the past. He cracks an iron off the straw from 214 yards, over Rae’s Creek, to 9 toes. Enormous eagle putt arising. In the meantime again on 12, Bryson DeChambeau will get a learn of his downhill right-to-left birdie putt from Shane Lowry. The Irish star’s effort kinks off to the left; the US Open champ’s in some way stays excessive on the precise. A dimple’s width away from a share of the lead. Simply the par, although.
A gap par for Scottie Scheffler. He practically steers in a 20-foot left-to-right birdie swinger, however he’s one dimple shy. In the meantime bother for the chief at 17. Justin Rose’s second is fats and brief, and dunks into the sand on the entrance of the inexperienced. The following splash out isn’t any good, and although he offers the downhill right-to-left roller a superb go from 25 toes, that’s a second bogey in 4 holes, and the lead is down to at least one.
-8: Rose (17)
-7: DeChambeau (11)
-6: Im (14)
-5: McCarty (F), Conners (4)
-4: R Højgaard (14), Åberg (12), Lowry (11), Scheffler (1)
-3: Hovland (13), McIlroy (12), Riley (9), Reed (3), Hatton
Patrick Reed loves this place. He gained in 2018, after all, however he’s additionally received top-12 finishes in 5 of the previous seven stagings. And now he’s inserting himself into the narrative once more, chipping over the bunker guarding the front-right of the 2nd inexperienced and in for eagle. He’s -3.
A diminuendo finish to Matt McCarty’s spherical. His drive at 18 is tight down the precise aspect of the green. He manufactures a reduce across the nook to seek out the right-hand fringe of the inexperienced. His lengthy birdie putt stops a few toes brief … then he pulls the par putt large left. A disgrace, however that’s nonetheless a beautiful spherical of 68 to associate with yesterday’s 71. The 27-year-old Masters debutant is within the hutch at -5 and properly set for Shifting Day.
The champion and world primary Scottie Scheffler takes to the first tee. He cracks his opening drive down the center. Right here he comes, then. And right here’s Rory, who opts to putt up from the swale back-left of 12 reasonably than chip. That takes the water out of play, if nothing else. He rolls to 4 toes and strokes within the par saver. That’s an awesome up and down, and a formidable refusal to look a present horse within the mouth. A fortunate break with that tee shot. He stays at -3.
A fairly sensational up-and-down on 16 by Max Homa. He lobs gently over the bunker, touchdown on the perimeter, and rolls within the 12-foot par saver. One step nearer to creating the reduce! He stays at degree par. In the meantime his taking part in associate Justin Rose, having clacked his tee shot to eight toes, walks within the birdie putt to re-establish a two-stroke lead on the prime.
-9: Rose (16)
-7: DeChambeau (10)
-6: McCarty (17), Im (12)
-5: Conners (3)
-4: Åberg (11), Lowry (10), Scheffler
-3: R Højgaard (13), McIlroy (11), Theegala (8), Riley (8), English (4), Reed (2), Hatton
Rory McIlroy might really feel the second 9 owes him one thing after yesterday’s fiasco. In that case, he’s after that payback! Having birdied 10, because of an excellent method, he bashes a monster drive down 11, clips his second from 159 yards to 5 toes, and that’s one other stroke picked up! Then maybe the largest payback of all, as he pulls a godawful tee shot at 12 into the azaleas to the left of the inexperienced. His ball disappears for a second or two, earlier than dribbling again out, down the financial institution and into the swale. Not ideally suited, as a result of he’s shortsided, however a minimum of he’s received an opportunity to scramble his par.
Max Homa won’t have loved his season to this point, lacking six cuts out of eight, however he appears decided to play himself again into type. Hovering on the projected reduce line of +1, he decides to play some carpe-diem golf at 15, taking up the water along with his second. He finds the guts of the inexperienced, and two putts later is celebrating his second birdie in three holes. All good, and he’s clearly not within the temper to die questioning … so having stated all that, he’s simply performed his worst shot of the day, brief and proper of the par-three sixteenth. He’s shortsided, with barely any inexperienced to play with, and a bunker in the way in which. And naturally the inexperienced slopes all the way down to the water, so something overcooked may very well be asking for bother. Not a lot margin for error there.
Justin Rose performs the fifteenth fastidiously versus aggressively. In all probability for the very best, given what occurred to Rory McIlroy yesterday (double bogey) and Laurie Canter earlier on (de-greened putt). A no-drama par, and he strikes on, nonetheless at -8, one away from Bryson DeChambeau, who having parred 9, turns in 32. In the meantime creeping up the leaderboard: Sahith Theegala, who already has one top-ten end right here on his resumé. Birdies at 2, 7 and now 8 and the 27-year-old Californian rises to -3.
… however the people at -5 don’t fancy hanging round with Corey Conners for lengthy. Matt McCarty whip-cracks his second at 17 from 150 yards to seven toes, and makes his eighth birdie of the day. Im Sung-jae in the meantime lands his tee shot at 12 15 toes to the left of the pin, then walks within the putt.
-8: Rose (14)
-7: DeChambeau (9)
-6: McCarty (17), Im (12)
-5: Conners (2)
-4: R Højgaard (12), Åberg (10), Scheffler
Corey Conners has received a superb report at Augusta Nationwide. The 33-year-old Canadian posted three consecutive top-ten finishes between 2020 and 2022. He’s coming off the again of a top-six end at this yr’s Gamers, too. A robust end yesterday – three birdies within the final 4 holes – arrange a effective opening spherical of 68, and he’s began effectively at this time. Up and down from greenside sand at 2, and he joins the group at -5.
Rory McIlroy tidies up on 10 to maneuver to -2. He’s within the group behind the reigning PGA and Open champion Xander Schauffele, who’s seeking to make it three main wins in 4 begins. Effectively, you gotta dream. Schauffele posted an underwhelming 73 yesterday, however he’s flawless at this time to this point with birdies at 3, 6 and 9. That’s taken him to -2, alongside Rory and … Tommy Fleetwood, who enters the story with birdies at 2, 6 and eight. That is effervescent up properly.
-8: Rose (14)
-7: DeChambeau (8)
-5: McCarty (16), Im (11)
-4: R Højgaard (11), Åberg (9), Conners (1), Scheffler
-3: Hovland (10), Lowry (8), English (2), Hatton
-2: Schauffele (10), McIlroy (10), Fleetwood (8), Theegala (7), Riley (7), Smith (3), Rai (3), Day
An unforced error by Justin Rose from the centre of the 14th fairway. A brief iron in from 154 yards. He leaves it in need of the inexperienced. Then an underhit chip. He can’t make the 20-foot par saver, and abruptly that lead is down to at least one. In the meantime some excellent news for the Irish bid: birdies for Shane Lowry at 6 and now 8 convey the massive man as much as -3, whereas Rory McIlroy screeches his method into 10 from 177 yards to a few toes. He ought to be rising to -2 quickly.
-8: Rose (14)
-7: DeChambeau (8)
-5: McCarty (16), Im (10)
Simply the par for Justin Rose on the par-five thirteenth. Disappointing given he was wedging in three from the centre of the green, however didn’t get inside 30 toes. Doubly disappointing given Bryson DeChambeau makes his fourth birdie of the day at 8, chopping his result in a few strokes. DeChambeau will likely be somewhat irritated himself, having set himself up a 20-foot eagle probability solely to hit an uncharacteristically weak first putt, however he’s closing in on the chief and proper now appears to be like the person to beat this week.
-9: Rose (13)
-7: DeChambeau (8)
-5: McCarty (15), Im (10)
Matt McCarty continues to creep up the leaderboard. His newest birdie comes at 15. It’s his seventh in ten holes! If he pars his manner dwelling from right here, he’ll be signing for a four-under 68. Some going when you think about he began 6-6, transport three strokes within the shortest of orders. In the meantime par for Ludvig Åberg at 9 and he turns in degree par. He’s -4 general. Ditto Rory, the primary half anyway: he’s -1 for the Event.
Max Homa’s marshal-bothering antics yesterday – as defined right here – obscured his opening spherical of 74. Removed from his type of final yr, when he completed in a tie for third, however within the context of his report of solely making two cuts in eight begins on the PGA Tour this season, one thing of an enchancment. And at this time he’s seeking to construct on that slow-but-sure turnaround. Bogey at 1, however birdie at 8 and now one other at 13, the latter reward for sending his method from 167 yards to 13 toes and stroking within the putt. He’s +1 for the Event, on the present projected cutline, and heading in the right direction to be right here for the weekend. What a time it could be to make his first reduce of the season! The patrons will likely be behind the likeable Californian.
One other birdie for Rasmus Højgaard! Having hit the flip in 32 blemish-free strokes, he whistles his drive at 10 down the right-hand aspect of the green, then lands his method on the shoulder of the bunker to the precise of the inexperienced, the ball breaking left and stopping pin excessive, ten toes from the flag. In goes the putt, and the 24-year-old Dane – whose twin brother Nicolai led for some time in the course of the third spherical final yr earlier than ending in a tie for sixteenth – strikes right into a share of fourth at -4.
Im Sung-jae received a style for battered haggis this place in 2020, when he tied for second with Cameron Smith, 5 strokes behind that yr’s champion Dustin Johnson. Appears to be like like he fancies it once more. He’s simply adopted up that aforementioned birdie on 8 with one other at 9, wedging ten toes previous the flag from the centre of the green, screwing his ball again gently to tap-in distance. He turns in 32. In the meantime only a par for Rory McIlroy at 8, and that unfastened drive has handed over a number of decimal factors to the sector. He stays at -1. Bounceback birdie for his taking part in associate Ludvig Åberg, although.
-9: Rose (12)
-6: DeChambeau (7)
-5: Im (9)
-4: McCarty (14), Åberg (8), Conners, Scheffler
-3: R Højgaard (9), Fitzpatrick (9), Hovland (8), Hatton
Justin Rose reaches -9 for the primary time with a relaxed birdie on 12. He gently swishes his tee shot to 4 toes, and rolls the putt dwelling. So serene, so easy. However there’s elite-level play occurring elsewhere, too, as Simon McMahon experiences: “Simply retained my annual household placing competitors title at The Himalayas at St Andrew’s (for the thirtieth yr operating) – arduous cheese Mrs McMahon, Evie and first time participant Ryan, and am now celebrating with a pint in The Jigger Inn inside spitting distance of the street and seventeenth inexperienced. If I can’t be at Augusta Nationwide that is absolutely the subsequent smartest thing. Ought to’ve introduced my very own pimento cheese sandwiches although.” Battered haggis from that effective chippy on the backside of Market Avenue may very well be a fairly good comfort? Mine drenched in salt and vinegar, please.
Rasmus Højgaard continues to romp his manner round Augusta Nationwide. His fourth birdie of the day comes at 8. He’s additionally simply cracked his tee shot at 9 down the center. In the meantime again on 8, Rory McIlroy carves his drive into the bunker down the precise, so he gained’t be reaching this gettable par-five in two.
It’s back-to-back bogeys for Ludvig Åberg. This one, at 7, comes on account of flaying his drive into the pine straw down the precise, a cone resting close to his ball forcing him to chip out sideways. He’s again within the pack at -3. In the meantime heading the opposite manner: Matt McCarty, who’s again on the birdie path, choosing up photographs at 12 and 13, and Im Sung-jae with birdie at 8. They’re each -4!
-8: Rose (11)
-6: DeChambeau (6)
-4: McCarty (13), Im (8), Conners, Scheffler
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