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A long day in the little window of daylight that comes with a Masters in November solved nothing except that Dustin Johnson is playing the number one player and Justin Thomas has finally discovered Augusta National.
They were among the top four players in the rankings on Saturday (NZT) when the second round was stopped in the dark, a most unusual Masters product ever to try to catch up with a three-hour weather delay in the start.
Among those still on the field was Tiger Woods, stuck in neutral one day when the greens picked up a bit more speed and the fall leaves fluttered slightly in some wind. Bryson DeChambeau was struggling to make the cut after a loose ball that led to a triple bogey.
Matt Slocum / AP
Dustin Johnson lands on the 18th hole during the first round.
What they have shown in two days is that the Masters experience only goes so far in a soft field with rye grass that is not grown in the way it is normally grown in April.
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Abraham Ancer, one of 26 newcomers to the Masters, made six birdies in his round of 67 5-under that allowed him to join Johnson (70) and Thomas (69) as part of the clubhouse lead at 135 under par. 9. Tied was Cameron Smith of Australia, who played his last four holes with an eagle and three straight birdies for a 68.
Another Masters rookie, Sungjae Im (70), was in the group another shot behind that included Patrick Cantlay (66), who competed for the green jacket last year.
“You really have to throw all the past knowledge out the window this week, strange as it may be,” Thomas said. “A lot of the history and the things you know about the golf course can sometimes hurt you this week for what you are used to. But at the end of the day, it’s a lot smoother and a lot more scoring. “
He offered an example from Friday when he was among 44 players who had to finish their first round. Thomas stayed well to the left of the 15th green in two with the pin to the right, leaving a shot that is normally nearly impossible to hit close. He made a strong, low pitch that hit the brakes on the hole and turned smoothly for a birdie.
“I had to trust that I had to put gas on it and hit it pretty hard and it was going to spin,” Thomas said. “The balls make pitch marks with chip shots and pitch shots.”
Matt Slocum / AP
Justin Thomas goes to hole 10 during the second round.
Johnson was one of three players to finish a shot behind Woods in the last Masters, and he seemed to be hitting with four birdies in the last nine to close out a 65 in the morning. That gave him a share of the 18-hole lead with Dylan Frittelli and Paul Casey.
Johnson quickly became the first player this week to reach 10-under with three birdies at Amen Corner. But then he had a bit of mud on his ball – that’s not unusual this week – that he sent his ball off an impossible shelf on the 14th green, leading to a three-putt bogey.
Then his 3 iron caught a small burst at par 5 15, and that was enough to hit the front of the green and roll back into the water. That led to the ghost.
Is the momentum gone? Johnson shrugged. But he continued with 11 consecutive pairs (the shots in the bunker cost him good birdie opportunities at par-5s in the first nine holes) until his final 6-foot birdie approach at No. 9.
Chris Carlson / AP
Dylan Frittelli watches his shot on the third tee.
After a wet start, the forecast was shaping up for a good weekend, and there was a stir at Augusta National on Saturday. It wasn’t from the crowd, no customers were allowed this year, but from the underwater system engines.
“I think he can firm up a bit, but it will be difficult for him to become firm,” Johnson said. “I think it will be soft enough that you have to attack the golf course and play aggressive and keep swinging like me. I like where I am. I like my position. “
Of those still on the course, Hideki Matsuyama was at 8 under with three holes to play, while Jon Rahm birdied the par 3 12 hole to reach 8 under when play was called off.
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Woods left the field on Friday with just three players left. He was tied for 10th when the first round ended, and tied for 22nd when he came out Saturday with two birdies at par 5s and bogeys at third and seventh, the latter from a tee shot close enough to the Georgia Pines that his only shot was hitting a runner in the front bunker.
DeChambeau, the betting favorite of the week due to his massive volume and power off the tee, took a big swing at number 3 and never found the ball. With the altitude in his shots, he could have buried himself under the soft grass. Either way, he got back to the tee and pushed in almost the same spot, made a mess with his throw on the flop and hit a triple bogey.
He followed up with two more bogeys, but was in good position for a birdie to return to par for the tournament.
The cut is in the top 50 and draws, and among those who will stay are young and old: 23-year-old American amateur runner-up John Augenstein and 63-year-old Bernhard Langer. The two-time Masters champion shot 68 in the morning on a long, smooth run. He followed with a 73 and will be the oldest player to make the cut at Augusta National.
David J. Phillip / AP
Rory McIlroy, looking for his ball in the bushes on the 13th hole.
“It actually makes me feel older when I play these youngsters and see how far they hit him and how short I hit him,” Langer said. “I like this golf course. I think I know how to get around it, even though I hit very long clubs. But it’s certainly not easy. “
It was tough enough for Rory McIlroy, who started with a 75 and was in jeopardy on the weekend off until he bounced back with a 66 to at least get back in the mix in his quest for the final stretch of his career Grand Slam.
