How Scottie Scheffler won the 2024 Masters at Augusta National

Let me double-up here with a reminder of the current leaderboard - and when the leaders will return to the course for their second rounds (All times ET):

• 1️⃣ -6: Scheffler ⏰ 2.35pm
• DeChambeau ⏰ 2.45pm
• Homa ⏰ 2.45pm
• 4️⃣ -4: Hojgaard ⏰ 2.35pm
• 5️⃣ -3: Davis ⏰ 2.25pm
• Morikawa ⏰ 2.25pm
• 7️⃣ -2: Aberg ⏰ 2.15pm

We've got 30 pairs tackling the final two rounds of the 2024 Masters. Play begins in under half an hour. Here are the first groups that will be heading out.

All times in ET (BST +5hrs) with all players starting +6 unless indicated:

• 9.35am: Fowler (+6), Matsuyama (+6)
• 9.45am: Olesen (+6), Henley (+6)
• 9.55am: Olazabal (+6), List (+6)
• 10.05am: T. Kim (+6), Knapp (+6)
• 10.15am: S.W. Kim, Scott
• 10.25am: Rahm (+5), Murray

You can find the rest of the third-round tee times here.

Justin Thomas was even-par for the week walking to the 15th tee yesterday. He went on to miss the cut by one shot at +7.

Thomas is in some good company, however.

The last man to play holes 15-18 in 7-over in round two of The Masters was Retief Goosen in 1998, who was also:

• even headed to the 15th
• missed the cut by one shot

Let's see if the world of statistical modeling can prove to be accurate 36 holes from home.

Looking at Data Golf's analysis, this is where the probabilities of victory sit for the 2024 green jacket ahead of moving day:

• Scottie SCHEFFLER (-6): 45%
• Bryson DECHAMBEAU (-6): 22%
• Max HOMA (-6): 12%
• Collin MORIKAWA (-3): 4.3%
• Ludvig ABERG (-2): 2.8%
• Nicolai HOJGAARD (-4): 2.4%

It's been a lovely couple of days around Augusta for Max Homa, who is tied with the lead alongside Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler (-6).

So that's 36 holes in. Can he go all the way? The last person to ask that question to is probably the man himself. Indeed, his opening quote from this after finishing up last night may well stick:

💬 "I wrote something in my journal yesterday that said, 'However good I am is however good I am'. I don't need to try to be better than I am, and just see where that takes me.

"Maybe it's winning this and maybe it's not, and I'm OK with that. I know what I put into this game. Trying to get every ounce back doesn't really work. I’ve tried that."

Homa will be fun to follow this third-round day.

As highlighted by Justin Ray, it's not often that the reigning world No.1 leads the Masters after 36 holes.

In fact, it's only happened on four occasions since the Official World Golf Rankings began in 1986 - and one of those previous three was Scottie Scheffler.

Here's how they have panned out:

• 1996: Greg Norman — led by four (finished 2nd)
• 2020: Dustin Johnson — co-led (won)
• 2022: Scottie Scheffler — led by five (won)
• 2024: Scottie Scheffler — co-leader (?)

Things are a little different for Tommy Fleetwood around Augusta this year. Why?

It's all to do with his caddie. But I won't spoil it any more than that. Just read Brendan Quinn's wonderful piece of writing ahead of the third day's play and earn a little more appreciation for the Englishman currently tied-8th, five shots off the Masters lead.

You can read it via the link below.

We already have one winner at this year's Masters.

Congratulations to Neal Shipley, who was the only one of five amateurs to make the cut after his second round of 76 left him +3 for the championship in tied-30th.

So that's the Silver Cup for Shipley on his Masters debut, joining a past winners list that includes Viktor Hovland, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Tasty.

The Chilean finished tied-16 in last year's Masters - his best result to date around Augusta - and the 25-year-old was looking good to go better in 2024 after a promising start (70).

But that unravelled with a six-over 78 and a bit of a disastrous back nine that included dropped shots on 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16 - his double on the 11th after going in the water in particular, leaving Niemann to cut a disgruntled figure.

Improvement remains possible, but only if he can shrug off Friday's losses.

There were others, including those who missed the cut. If anyone else had a bad second day, it didn't completely derail their Masters chances - but they will need better come today's third rounds.

You sense a few people want to see the 27-year-old Dallas resident fly at this year's Masters and it had started well with an opening 70.

But yesterday was a bit of a mess, with a regular littering of bogeys - including two in the final three holes (16 & 18) leaving him with a five-over 77 and tied-30th.

Zalatoris finished second at the Masters in 2021, which indicates the level he can operate. But that sort of finish already looks beyond him after his Friday struggles.

Oh Rory. This time it was supposed to be different, but then maybe that's been the case for a few years now.

Round two on McIlroy's 16th Masters' appearance needed to be sharp to keep the Northern Irishman in contention for the only major he's yet to win. Sadly it got away form him with a five-over 77 - although the damage was contained to two bogeys in three front hols (5 & 7) and a double-bogey on 11.

Now +4 for the tournament and despite McIlroy's hopes to make moves on moving day, it already feels like yesterday was the moment it got away again.

Maybe the obvious winner from yesterday was the man who hit the best round, that being Masters debutant Ludvig Aberg.

An impressive 69 featured six birdies and while the gusting 18th saw the 24-year-old into the pines and the sand for a bogey, there was still plenty of shine on his Friday's work.

Aberg sits -2 for the championship, alone in 7th ahead of today's play.

So they were our winners but it wasn't good news for everyone. Next up, our second round losers...

It was usually big but not always clever from the first overnight leader on day two, and the odd putt got away from him during his second round 73.

But rather than tripping up, Bryson DeChambeau's Friday was the ideal back-up to his opening 65 and ensures his eighth Masters could yet be a career-defining moment.

The new irons are working, while a 372-yard tee shot on 17 exemplified why DeChambeau has a shot at a first green jacket and second major.

Max Homa has yet to win a major but he is having the Masters of his life so far.

Any rounds under-par were good rounds yesterday, and Homa's 71 was the perfect back-up to his Thursday - giving him a genuine platform to go all the way.

Likeable and charming, Homa makes it to moving day with momentum as good as anyone.