Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa share the lead at the Masters heading into the weekend in Augusta, Ga.
Scheffler shot even-par 72 on Friday at Augusta National Golf Club to join first-round leader DeChambeau (73) and Homa (71) at 6-under 138 through two rounds. The trio is two shots ahead of Nicolai Hojgaard, who shot a 73.
World No. 1 Scheffler was among those who withstood difficult late-day conditions in the second round.
“It’s just so difficult when you can’t tell where the wind is coming from,” Scheffler said. “You can only make really an educated guess and try to go from there. For the most part, I think we did a pretty good job today.”
Scheffler entered the Masters in a grove, with two straight wins on the PGA Tour followed by a T2 finish. But he and his wife Meredith are expecting their first child soon, and the 2022 Masters champion has made clear that he would head home if she goes into labor early. When on the course, he’s staying focused.
“She’s obviously my biggest supporter, and I definitely miss having her here,” Scheffler said. “But it’s an exciting time for us in our lives, and yeah, fortunately she’s still at home and feeling good, so we are grateful for that.”
DeChambeau has led for most of the tournament, but he struggled late in the second round. He had three bogeys on the back nine, the final one coming when he needed three putts on par-4, 465-yard No. 18, which ranked as the second-hardest hole of the second round.
“That’s one of the toughest tests of golf I’ve ever had in my life,” DeChambeau said. “To get through there in 73 is not too bad and I’m still in it.”
There were enough positive moments. For instance, DeChambeau recovered for a birdie on No. 13 after hitting his tee shot into the trees to reach 8 under.
After playing five holes to complete the first round, Homa posted birdies on two of the first four holes of the second round Friday to briefly move atop the leaderboard. But he ended the round with 71, moving his tournament total to 6 under.
“I just like where my golf game is at,” Homa said. “I like where my head is at. I’m just going to enjoy it. It has been a great week already.”
Largely because of steady winds, conditions were tougher than in the first round, so many near the top of the leaderboard didn’t make much headway.
“We had to play extra holes,” Homa said. “Just being out in the wind for that long just got old. Even here, even at a place as amazing as this … Yeah, just wanted to be done.”
Hojgaard, a 23-year-old from Denmark, was undone by bogeys on the final two holes that put him at 4 under going to the weekend.
Collin Morikawa is at 3 under after a second-round 70 that included five birdies and three bogeys. Joining him at 3 under is Australian Cam Davis (72).
“It feels like I have control of the golf ball, and that’s the biggest thing,” Morikawa said.
Five-time champion Tiger Woods wasn’t near the top, but he set a Masters record by making the cut for the 24th consecutive time that he has entered the tournament. At 1 over, he’s seven strokes off the lead.
“It means I have a chance going into the weekend. I’m here,” Woods said. “I have a chance to win the golf tournament.”
Woods finished the first round at 73 by completing five holes Friday morning. He appeared to be worn out a bit by the time he reached the 18th hole for the second time Friday, but now he has 36 more holes ahead of him.
“It’s been a long 23 holes, a long day,” Woods said. “But (caddie Lance Bennett) and I really did some good fighting today, and we’ve got a chance.”
He stayed at 1 over for the tournament after an even-par 72 in the second round, which featured three birdies, three bogeys and three pars on the front. His birdie on the par-3 sixth came via a chip-in from near the green.
Woods, who has played 36 holes in an official event for the first time this year, had a less adventurous back side, with all pars aside from a bogey at No. 14 and a birdie on the next hole.
“All the cliches you hear about him and all the old stories about how he will grind it out, it was fun to see that in person,” said Homa, who was in Woods’ threesome.
Woods, who had been tied with Gary Player and Fred Couples with 23 straight made cuts at Augusta, said his experience on the course is a bonus despite his lack of recent rounds entering this year’s tournament.
“The greens are quick right now and this wind is all over the place,” Woods said. “It was a great test.”
Sixty players made the cut of 6 over par or better. Notable players to miss the cut included Justin Thomas, Wyndham Clark and Spaniard Sergio Garcia at 7 over; Viktor Hovland of Norway at 8 over; Jordan Spieth and Brian Harman at 9 over; and Dustin Johnson at 13 over.
–Field Level Media
