The Masters 2021: second spherical – stay!

Tyrrell Hatton’s early promise has dissipated a puny. After that birdie at 3, he’s dropped strokes at 5 and now 9, hitting the turn in 37 strokes. That’s dropped him reduction to stage par for the Match after the old day’s 71. Nonetheless how about this for Bob MacIntyre? The 23-year-used from Oban has ethical carried out a triptych of birdies, at 12, 13 and 14, to haul himself as a lot as stage par. And on 9, Tommy Fleetwood curls in a 15-footer to achieve it reduction-to-reduction birdies. He’s -2, turning in 32, and handiest the joint chief Wiesberger goes better than him on the present time!

The 28-year-used Colombian Sebastian Munoz shot two sub-70 rounds here in November. He ended up in a tie for 19th, no longer inappropriate happening his Masters debut. He’s trucking along properly in April, too, following up the old day’s 74 with birdies at 1, 2 and now 3. He’s in that ever-rising pack at -1, ethical three off Rose and Wiesberger’s lead.

Justin Rose and his playing companions Shane Lowry and Matt Kuchar all in discovering the 10th in law … but no one is solely sure of their two-putt pars, miles as all of them are from the outlet. Rose goes closest, his flat stick getting him out of but one other predicament. He stays at -4. Two putts as properly for Lowry (+2) and Kuchar (+4), the latter two under for his spherical on the present time, fighting exhausting to beat the slice after the old day’s 78.

Birdie for Tony Finau at 6, and he joins the neighborhood at -1. Marc Leishman within the meantime bounces reduction from the dropped stroke at 11 by landing his tee shot on the enduring par-three 12th four toes from the flag. He’s -3 once extra.

Lefty rediscovers his flopping mojo. He sends a frankly preposterous 20-yard lob six million toes into the air over a greenside bunker at 8, swinging at corpulent pelt evidently. The ball serenely stops by the outlet, and that’s a birdie that brings the used campaigner reduction to +4. He’s now inner a shot of the slice, predicted at +3. Birdies for Mickelson’s companions Scheffler (+1) and Fleetwood (-1) too.

Rose continues to firefight. His pressure down 9 is decent, ethical keeping onto the fairway down the left, but his methodology is pulled to the reduction left of the inexperienced, leaving a treacherous two-putts down this constantly-though-provoking inexperienced for his par. He might presumably well presumably somewhat with out anguish tickle one down there and stare it drop off the entrance, so his effort is slightly magnificent, shaving the upright-hand aspect of the cup, so end to shedding for a sensational birdie. The ball peaceful rolls four toes past, so there’s peaceful work to end, but that’s a fine touch that can presumably well presumably rebuild a puny self belief as he hits the turn.

Scottie Scheffler’s early momentum is now very grand a thing of the past. Bogeys at 5, 6 and now 7 possess despatched him crashing reduction down the chief board to +2, ethical as he changed into threatening to achieve a surge in direction of the tip. Taking over the slack, Cam Smith, who makes his third birdie in a row, this time at 4, to affix the neighborhood at -1.

Michael Thompson has no file within the majors to be in contact of in anyway, moreover from somewhat the outlier on the 2012 US Open, the build he performed tied for second within the reduction of Webb Simpson. He ended a seven-year dwell up for his second Tour victory last year on the 3M Open, and he’s making the better of handiest his third appearance on the Masters. Birdies at 2 and 3 this morning, and he’s in a tie for sixth at -2.

Factual the par for Rose at 8, constantly the most probably result after sending his tee shot into the fairway bunker. All over but again, he’s forced to achieve a missable putt for his ranking; whatever the entire lot, his flat stick has stopped this turning from a depressing entrance nine correct into a thoughts-bending nightmare. He stays one ahead at -4.

There’s lots of transferring and shaking happening now. An eagle for Tony Finau at 2, the build he creamed his second from 220 yards to eight toes. Justin Thomas opened with a birdie at Tea Olive. Final year’s joint runner-up Cam Smith birdies 2 and 3. And it’s a chip-in eagle on 2 for Matt Jones. The total above switch to stage par. The chief board is concertinaing up properly. Factual excellent fortune picking a winner.

One other birdie for Matt Wallace! He nails his third prolonged putt of the morning, this time on the advanced 10th, and strikes into red figures. He’s joined at -1 by Martin Laird, the Scot striking collectively a elegant sequence of birdies: 13, 15 and 16. And the reigning PGA champ Collin Morikawa, who ought to possess performed better than his 73 the old day, opens with birdies at 2 and 3, and he joins the neighborhood at -1 too.

Scheffler drops reduction to stage par with bogey at 5. That’s the end results of sending his tee shot into wretchedness on the left. Though he fashioned an trail from under branches to the entrance edge of the inexperienced, he changed into constantly a puny bit misplaced, and all of it caught up with him when he overlooked an advanced slider for his par.

The 8th is the build all of it grew to turn out to be spherical for Rose the old day, when his pulled second took a jump off the bank to the left of the inexperienced and build up an unlikely eagle. That’ll no longer be happening on the present time, because his tee shot has found the bunkers down the upright. He trudges up the fairway carrying that pretend-insouciant expression favoured by golfers when cases are expansive-no longer easy, and that fools no one. The murky man deserve to be churning inner. The upside: regardless of all of it, he’s peaceful leading the Masters!

Rose makes the bogey putt, but that’s the second time he’s been required to restrict the damage in two holes, and he can’t assist happening treasure this. The silver lining on the cloud: he’s peaceful got sole possession of the lead, because Bernd Wiesberger drops his first stroke of the day, the end results of sending his tee shot on the par-three 12th into the bunker on the reduction. Though peep who’s popped up at -2, having ethical got up and down from sand for birdie at 2! Had Jordan Spieth parred 9 the old day, the 2015 champ would now be leading the Masters. One suspects he’s taken a peep on the tip of the chief board and the juices are in point of fact flowing!

-4: Rose (7)

-3: Wiesberger (12), Leishman (9), Harman, Matsuyama

-2: Spieth (2), Zalatoris, Simpson, Bezuidenhout, Reed

-1: Hatton (6), Kim

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Rose changed into fortunate that his second found the sand, as a replacement of leaving a nice chip, but his splash out is meek. He leaves himself a 15-footer for par. Hundreds of upright-to-left damage. He rolls an excitable putt six toes past, and here’s origin to expose horrible. He’ll if truth be told would like to achieve this one coming reduction. Greater news for English followers reduction on 5, the build Fleetwood rolls a 20-footer into the centre of the cup. His second birdie of the day brings him reduction to stage par.

Rose’s mechanism is rusty this morning. His hand flies off the grip as he sends his methodology into 7. It’s properly brief. That is threatening to expose correct into a corpulent-blown crisis for the chief, despite the reality that it’s value remembering he changed into all around the store over the first seven holes the old day, too, and peep how he grew to turn out to be that spherical. He’ll be hoping that the par-5 8th proves one other pivotal second … because he wants one thing.

All the issues looks to be shedding for Bernd Wiesberger on the present time. Having grew to turn out to be in 31, he’s now drained a 30-footer correct via 10, historically the most advanced hole at Augusta. A birdie that successfully picks up almost one-and-a-half of shots on the sphere. He strikes into second build on his comprise, ethical a pair within the reduction of the chief Justin Rose … and he’ll practically completely be closer, because Rose, having left himself a monster birdie putt correct via the par-three Sixth, can’t comprise it over a ridge and watches in fright as his ball comes dazzling grand the entire plot reduction to his toes. Pick two coming up.

So grand for Francesco Molinari’s speedy launch to the second spherical. Birdies at 2 and 3 introduced him stage, but he’s ethical tripled the Fifth, taking his drugs when within the bushes, then racing a chip straight via the inexperienced. The 2018 Open champ drops reduction to +3.

Bernd Wiesberger hits the turn in 31 strokes. A blistering entrance nine that has taken the Austrian into excessive rivalry. Scottie Scheffler is nudging his plot up the standings too, with his second birdie of the day, at 3; he makes it into red figures at -1. And now he’s despatched his tee shot on the advanced prolonged par-three 4th pin excessive, the build he’ll possess a peep at birdie from 20 toes.

Uncover about moreover: Matt Fitzpatrick, who birdies 2 to switch to +1. And a birdie at 3 for Tommy Fleetwood, who moreover sits handily at +1. On the opposite hand Justin Rose’s second into 5 isn’t grand cop, discovering the inexperienced, but a ethical 60 toes from the flag. The of a mud ball, to be dazzling. He does extremely properly to inch his prolonged putt to three toes, then tidies as a lot as lunge his par. Nonetheless he’s fighting his game a puny bit this morning. He stays at -6.

Matt Wallace is bang in have, having pushed Jordan Spieth the entire plot on the Texas Open last week. His overall play the old day deserved better than the 74 he in the end carded, but he’s going along properly on the present time. A pair of medium-dimension rakes, on 3 and now 7, possess introduced birdies that take him as a lot as stage par. With Justin Rose at this time leading, and Tyrrell Hatton under par, a good English voice of affairs is rising. Can any of them turn out to be the third English player to don a inexperienced jacket, within the wake of Nick Faldo and Danny Willett?

Mickelson’s uncharacteristic wedge play continues, as he attempts a flop over a bunker at 2 and dunks it lamely within the sand. All very ordinary. He can’t obtain up and down, and that’s a 5-6 launch for the three-time winner. He’s +5, and the slice is extra of a distress than any historic rate for the title. His accomplice Scottie Scheffler, coming off the reduction of an lovely week on the Match Play, birdies to switch to stage par. The 24-year-used Texan performed within the tip 20 here on debut in November, and has the game to be considered a Masters champion in ready. He walks off the inexperienced carrying an air of aloof satisfaction, going about his industry under the radar.

Rose sends his tee shot on the par-three 4th over the reduction of the inexperienced. He elects to putt up from the sloping fringe, and undercooks it to the extent that he doesn’t even comprise the inexperienced … with the putter. Bogey changed into inevitable. By distinction, his playing accomplice Matt Kuchar trundles one in from the fringe on different aspect of the inexperienced. It’s his second birdie of the day after the 2nd, and he’s reduction to +4, despite the reality that realistically the old day’s 78 has killed the ever-smiling Kuch. In the meantime a major birdie of the day for Tyrrell Hatton, at 3, and he strikes to inner four. Things trade swiftly at Augusta National.

-6: Rose (4)

-3: Wiesberger (8), Leishman (6), Harman, Matsuyama

-2: Hatton (3), Zalatoris, Simpson, Bezuidenhout, Reed

-1: Spieth, Kim

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Jason Kokrak performed his spherical the old day evening current. Birdies at 12, 15, 16 and 18 hauled him out of the pack to -1, and he persevered on that upward trajectory with birdie this morning at 2. Nonetheless he’s travelled up the Fifth treasure the Keystone Kops in a misfiring Ford Mannequin T, discovering sand to the left of the fairway, then within the reduction of the inexperienced. A heavy-handed double bogey, and the 35-year used slips reduction to stage par.

A huge stroke of excellent fortune for Fleetwood on 2. He sends a giant slice into the woods down the upright of the outlet. The ball appears to be like to possess disappeared into the jungle, but somehow ricochets reduction out onto the fairway. He’s a prolonged plot reduction, however it’s a par 5, and he’d possess taken this as he watched his dappled orb sailing off serenely in direction of the reduction of past.

Tommy Fleetwood sends his second pin excessive at 1, but his birdie putt from 18 toes wants one other drop of juice. It stops tantalisingly on the lip, and he’ll deserve to accept a par that keeps him at +2. Mickelson makes his bogey putt, limiting the damage precipitated by an errant pressure and an underhit chip; he’s +4. And up on 3, Lowry responds properly to his awful launch by screeching his second to 18 inches and snatching a shot reduction. He’s +1. Par for Rose.

This hasn’t took place to Phil Mickelson too in overall at Augusta National. Having despatched his second at 1 over the bushes to the entrance of the inexperienced, he lobs up onto the striking surface, ethical for his ball to end halfway up and roll the entire plot reduction all the vogue down to his toes. That sort of thing in overall handiest occurs to mere golf mortals. Lefty shrugs, tries but again, and bumps as a lot as six toes, but he’ll possess that for a gap bogey. At +3, he if truth be told wants to achieve it, if his dream of becoming the oldest main winner in historic past is to be realised this week.

The second featured neighborhood of the morning is out and about. Phil Mickelson and Scottie Scheffler pull their opening drives into the bushes on the left, whereas hole-in-one hero Tommy Fleetwood splits the fairway. At +3, +1 and +2 respectively, they’re all in a build the build a low spherical would save them in excessive rivalry.

Rose lastly takes purpose for the inexperienced at 2, but pulls his fairway wood huge left. The inexperienced different aspect of a bunker, he’ll possess an advanced up and down if he’s to achieve a bounceback birdie. Lowry within the meantime sends an common third into the heart of the inexperienced, miles from the outlet.

An excellent launch to the second spherical for the 2019 almost man Francesco Molinari. The Italian, who held the 54-hole lead that year, handiest to stumble on the 12th with Tiger Woods respiratory down his neck, has ethical adopted up birdie at 2 by sticking a wedge to kick-in distance at 3 for one other. He’s stage par now after the old day’s 74.

Rose waits within the centre of the fairway for the 2nd inexperienced to obvious. In the match ahead, Kevin Na, so, y’know.

Rose steadies the ship a puny by creaming his pressure at 2 down the heart. Lowry continues to judder, despite the reality that, sending a 3-wood into the bunker down the upright. He’s up in opposition to the lip, so will deserve to position up. He ought to peaceful give himself a likelihood to acquire up and down from distance for birdie, but Purple Dogwood changed into the best hole on the course the old day, giving up 37 birdies, and this isn’t what the Open champion can were dreaming of last evening at all.

Lowry is a magician with the wedge – his performance in successful the Open at Portrush illustrated that – but he’s got to come up with one thing in particular special from the underside of the steep bank to the aspect of 1. He bumps it up but will get too grand test, and leaves himself a 20-foot par putt. He doesn’t hit the next putt at all, and it’s a double-bogey six from the heart of the fairway. He’s +1 and walks off shaking his head sadly. Rose within the meantime cradles his prolonged par putt to 2 toes, and bounds the damage to bogey. The lead is now ethical three: he’s -6. Up as a lot as now chief board to come, because …

Succor on 1, Rose is forced to take his drugs and pitch out sideways. He sends his third from 165 yards into the meat of the inexperienced, but a prolonged plot from the flag. He clacks his cheek with his tongue. No longer the ideal launch by any plot, but as a minimal he didn’t try a Spiethesque miracle trail from the bushes, which would per chance possess led to one thing. Bogey most probably here, despite the reality that, and the same might presumably well presumably be said for Lowry, who sends his methodology down the advanced swale to the left of the dancefloor.

Right here comes the first-spherical chief! Justin Rose takes to the tee at Tea Olive, hitches up his trousers nervously, and prepares to hit his opening pressure. Having battled via the worst of the circumstances the old day afternoon – the wind, the extra impregnable flooring – he’s in a build to bolster his build this morning. There’s no dash, it’s warm, and once extra it’s the later starters who will face the more difficult process. All build up properly … despite the reality that he bogeyed this hole the old day … and it’s no longer a ethical tee shot, despatched into the pines down the upright of the outlet. A frown and a smack of the lips. Shane Lowry is straight down the heart. Right here we hasten, then.

It changed into an advanced day for one of the most most old champions the old day. Effectively, it changed into an advanced day for everyone – the modern spherical changed into 74.53, over three strokes more difficult than the relaxed squidgy days of last November – but in particular so for the used boys. A 79 for 1992 champ Fred Couples, an 81 for 1988 hero Sandy Lyle, and a whopping 84 for Larry Mize, the shock 1987 winner. Mize famously observed off Greg Norman with that absurd chip-in on 11 right via the play-off, but the wedge is letting him down on the present time; two murky efforts from the aspect of the par-three 4th and it’s a double that brings him all the vogue down to +15. Ah, and one other dropped shot, at 5. He’s propping up the entire chief board at +16, 5 adrift of the struggling Mexican Carlos Ortiz, who admittedly is 33 years his junior. Bucking the pattern of misfiring veterans, naturally, is Bernhard Langer: the 2-time winner shot 74 the old day, defying his age but but again at Augusta. He’s 63!

Bernd Wiesberger makes it three birdies from three, bumping his chip on 3 as a lot as six toes and rolling within the putt. He strikes to -1 for the Match briefly protest. Shall we peep extra birdies at this brief par-four on the present time, on anecdote of the pin placement nearer the reduction of the inexperienced, giving avid gamers extra room to take a speed on the cup. It’s a minute info build to this point, but 3 changed into averaging 4.09 the old day, and on the present time it’s already giving up 3.5.

CT Pan performed tied for seventh last November, a elegant effort on debut. The day earlier than on the present time’s 79 introduced the 29-year-used reduction all the vogue down to April’s extra impregnable terra firma, but he’s started properly on the present time, arrowing his second at Tea Olive straight on the flag to achieve a gap birdie. He strikes as a lot as +6. “Can I please revive my, unpublished, email from this time the old day (ie. sooner than his spherical started) which posited a Rose-y ?” Certain, we owe you that as a minimal, Richard Hirst. “Thoughts you, I moreover riffed on Lee Westwood, but as Meatloaf practically said, one out of two ain’t inappropriate.”

Weisberger goes spherical with Mackenzie Hughes. The 30-year-used Canadian, essentially based reasonably within the neighborhood in North Carolina, has no file value talking of here – rounds of 79 and 80 to leave out the slice on his handiest old focus on over with in 2017 – but he shot a par spherical of 72 the old day, and has ethical birdied 2 to switch to -1.

A swiftly launch this morning for Bernd Wiesberger. The 35-year-used Austrian has never overlooked a slice on his old 5 visits to Augusta, and looks in ethical shape to assist that file intact this week. A 20-foot putt on the outlet hole, adopted by a wedge to 5 toes at 2, and that’s a birdie-birdie launch. He’s stage par after the old day’s 74.

A pair of of the avid gamers might presumably well presumably be performing some rain dances, thoughts you. One advantage of the heavens opening is a softer be aware, with greens extra receptive and an increased collection of birdies there for the taking. In spite of the entire lot, Augusta National is properly equipped with the used Sub Air upkeep device, designed to suck the entire moisture away in a flash if wants be, and officers obtained’t need too many low rounds within the wake of Dustin Johnson’s file-breaking low ranking 5 months within the past, so that they’ll be extra than chuffed to flick the activate that. Nonetheless a formulation or one other, the course would inevitably be much less treacherous than it changed into the old day, when it changed into described as being “treasure glass” by 1991 winner Ian Woosnam, and “dazzling crispy” by Henrik Stenson.

The weather. It’s anticipated to be warm with a slight dash this morning, and for a giant chunk of the afternoon, but there’s an increased likelihood of showers afterward, with thunderstorms an out of doors likelihood. Optimistically they’ll give Augusta National the giant bodyswerve; the excessive winds forecast for the old day didn’t if truth be told materialise. Fingers crossed for on the present time, then, despite the reality that the next day to come doesn’t peep somewhat so promising, with a better likelihood of rain and say. Searching on the forecast, the Saturday tee cases will probably be moved as a lot as achieve sure, ought to the worst come to the worst weather-wise, as grand of spherical three as that you just might presumably well presumably presumably mediate takes build, leaving the Sunday agenda somewhat uncluttered. Right here’s hoping the gods of golf and weather are on our aspect; the Masters might presumably well presumably end with some agenda-linked excellent fortune after the events of 2020.

Preamble