Masters Day 2 - The Highs & Lows

Post by Sports Writer Derek Clements

OH RORY! Having gone into The Masters as pre-tournament favourite, Rory McIlroy suffered another Augusta meltdown and only made the cut right on the number.

Having opened with a 71, the Northern Irishman duly undid all the good work when imploding on the back nine on his way to a 77 - it is the fifth successive Masters during which he has recorded at least that score.

Worst of all, there was an air of resignation about him as things started to go awary. He missed putts, he hit sprinkler heads and he consistently overclubbed, leaving himself in impossible positions.

In the end, he had to hole a testing four-foot putt on the 18th to make it to the weekend. “It was very frustrating. I just really couldn’t get anything to go my way,” McIlroy said. “I had a couple of really bad breaks on four and 13.

“I got a really massive wind switch on four[his tee shot flew the green and almost hit Adam Scott on the fifth tee] and then hitting the sprinkler on 13 to go up into the azaleas.

“I felt like I played well coming in. I gave myself looks at birdie almost every hole. I couldn’t get one to drop. I didn’t know that putt on the last was to make the cut, but when I got into the scoring area and saw that I was in joint 46th place, it was a bit of a sigh of relief that I’m here for the weekend.

“I just want to go out there and try to get off to a fast start. Eleven shots back with two rounds to play is going to be nearly impossible to make up so I’m trying to shoot two really low rounds and see where that puts me at the end of the week.

“It will take something phenomenal to shoot something in the mid-60s and get myself back under par going into the last day. But I’m going to need to be two, three or four under par going into the last day to have any sort of chance.” Sorry Rory, but it just isn't going to happen until you can eliminate those basic, mental errors.

McIlroy was playing with Jordan Spieth, the 20 year old rookie, and it was hard to credit that it was Spieth who is playing in his first Masters as he opened with rounds of 71 and 70 to reach halfway just four shots behind Bubba Watson, the leader.

His mentor  is former Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, who told him to be patient.  “Mr. Crenshaw says it best, the Masters brings out emotion in guys that aren’t emotional,” Spieth said.

“I’m already emotional and I got to keep it on the down low. My caddie (Michael Greller) has been doing a great job of keeping me calm, level headed, and focused on
bogey as the worst score.”

Spieth, who eagled the par-five 15th to jump up the leaderboard, is one the leading lights of golf’s new generation. The Texan has been earmarked for greatness since he won the US Junior Amateur in 2009 and 2011, joining Tiger Woods as the tournament’s only multiple winners, and his progress in the professional ranks has been jaw-dropping.

In 2013, his first season on the PGA Tour, he won the John Deere Classic, at 19 becoming the youngest winner in 82 years on the Tour.

Spieth said he was not surprised to see his name on the leaderboard at the year’s first major.  “No, I don’t think so,” he said. “I’ve been playing against these guys and this calibre field at quite a few events. So I felt like if I could get my game right and really handle myself mentally, then I could have an opportunity to be in contention. That’s where I’m at now and a lot of work to do."

Watson has won The Masters before, of course, producing a miracle wedge shot to beat Louis Oosthuizen in 2012. And the left-hander with the most agricultural swing in professional has played superbly, dropping just two shots in 36 holes. His second-round 68 included five birdies on the trot and left him three ahead of John Senden, of Australia. One shot further back is defending champion Adam Scott, Spieth, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Jonas Blixt, of Sweden.

However, Watson will have to improve on an unimpressive record to claim his second Green Jacket. He has  held or shared the lead after 36 holes eight times on the PGA Tour, but only converted one of those into a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2011.

And the left-hander’s task would not be made easier by the presence of Scott on the leaderboard, the Australian recovering from three bogeys in the first five holes of his second round to lie just four off the pace.

Watson, who adopted a month-old son with his wife Angie shortly before his Masters win in 2012, withdrew from his last event after blaming an opening 83 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on his head being “all discombobulated” due to severe allergies. Well he had better not be discombobulated this weekend.

The 35-year-old from Bagdad, Florida, did claim his first PGA Tour title since the Masters in February, shooting back-to-back bogey-free rounds of 64 to win the Northern Trust Open.

“This year I’m trying to get the (green) jacket back,” said Watson, who had five birdies in a row from the 12th to card a 68 and finish seven under par. “Media attention is on the defending champion. You’re asked all these questions, can you defend, how are you going to play, how are you going to do this? You have to give up the green jacket.

“For me I didn’t know how to handle it the best way and so I didn’t play my best golf last year. But this year I came in here with no media attention, somehow I was lost in the crowd a little so I could go about my practice rounds without much attention.” Senden matched Watson’s 68 with Thomas Bjorn also returning a 68.

“I was a little frail but patience came into it on the back nine and I just tried to remember all the good shots I hit on Thursday,” said Scott, who is aiming to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in winning back-to-back titles.

“It’s good to be within shouting distance but Saturday is a big day for everyone. I would like to close the gap to feel in with a chance on Sunday.”

Star of the show, though, 22 years after winning the green jacket, has been 54-year-old Fred Couples, who was five off the pace on two under, with Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Welshman Jamie Donaldson a shot further back. Lee Westwood is level par, playing his best golf of the year.

Among those who missed the cut were Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Charl Schwartzel, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Harris English, Dustin Johnson, Partick Reed, Ernie Els, Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley. Sadly, Sheffield-born Matt Fitzpatrick, the US Amateur champion, also missed out, by a single shot.

McIlroy may well wish he were among them.

Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]