We’re getting late in the day at the second round of the 2024 Masters at Augusta National and due to inclement weather on Thursday morning, the start of the first round got pushed back by 2 ½ hours. Bryson DeChambeau opened the day in the lead at 7 under, but has serious challengers in Max Homa, Nicolai Højgaard, Scottie Scheffler and more.

And where will the cutline end up?

The weather is beautiful at Augusta today, with the sun shining and the green hues popping.

Here is our Friday photo gallery.

Recap: All the action from Day 1 of the Masters

Wyndham Clark had chance on 18, but missed the cut

It came down to the last hole for Wyndham Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open winner who said after Thursday’s opening round that he was happy with his place behind then-leader Bryson DeChambeau because, “We’ve got 54 holes. In LIV Golf they only play 54, so I like my chances.”

Clark made bogeys on Nos. 14, 15 and 17 to fall outside the cut line by a single stroke at 7 over. He missed a birdie putt on 18 that would have snuck him under the mark.

Clark, who was a middle-of-the-pack player for his first five years on the PGA Tour, has improved so much in the past year that his name was being thrown around as a possible winner in his Masters debut. Only three players have done that, the last being Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

New gnome caddie ornament available this year

Six years after the popular debut of the bearded wonder — and three years after the mini gnome was introduced — the Masters Tournament golf shop has added a third sibling to the popular gnome: The Gnome Caddie Ornament.

“I can’t wait to add it to my collection,” said Tabb Hinson, who attended Thursday’s round as a Junior Patron.

Packaged in the same box as its larger brothers, the 2024 Caddie Ornament is outfitted in the same white jumpsuit as the mini gnome.

It costs $25 and was not sold during practice round days. They are limited to one per patron.

Jon Rahm three-putts from 7 feet, was in danger of missing cut in title defense

Thanks to an ugly double on No. 14 defending champ Jon Rahm is in real danger of missing the cut.

Rahm flew the green on the par 4, then chipped to seven feet with an opportunity to save par. He hammered his putt well past the cup, however, and came up well short on a 15-footer coming back up the hill.

The Arizona State product was 6 over with five holes to play but responded like a true champ with birdies on 15 and 16. He finished the day at 5 over, which should be good enough to barely make the cut.

Scheffler finds water on No. 13, drops out of solo lead

Scottie Scheffler found the creek with his second shot on the par 5 13th hole, and even though he made a nice recovery from an awkward lie on his fourth shot, the Texan still made bogey on the hole and fell back into a three-way tie with Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau at 6 over.

It’s getting tight as a total of 16 players are within five shots of the lead.

Jose Maria Olazabal makes crucial mistake, but makes cut

It’s been 30 years since Jose Maria Olazabal captured the Green Jacket, edging Tom Lehman by two strokes. Despite a wayward shot on the par 3 12th hole, the Spaniard looks to have reached the weekend at the 2024 Masters.

Olazabal’s tee shot came up just short and rolled back into the pond in front of the 12th green and he took a triple bogey that pushed his score to 6 over for the tournament.

“Yeah, I paid dearly, I have to say. Yes, just a pity. I played really good golf today. It was just a shame that I put a bad swing on 12. As simple as that. It cost me dearly. I made a triple there,” the 58-year-old said. “I can say I’m proud of the way I played today and the way I handled myself on the golf course.”

When the cut dipped to 3 over it looked like Olazabal would be on the outside looking in, but when winds picked up and the number rose, Olazabal, who is making his 35th appearance in the event, appeared to get new life.

Cut has moved to 5 over as winds howl

As the sun is starting to dip, the cut at the 2024 Masters has moved to 5 over as windy conditions and firm greens have made for difficult scoring conditions.

The wind is really picking up in Augusta. #themasters pic.twitter.com/9zDWR240ZY

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) April 12, 2024

Players who are currently on the wrong side of the line include Adam Scott (6 over, finished), Viktor Hovland 6 over through 10), and Tom Kim (6 over, finished).

Among those battling to stay on the right side is Jon Rahm, who is currently at 4 over after making bogeys on Nos. 3, 6 and 11.

No matter who wins at Augusta, Jay Monahan loses

Our Eamon Lynch opined about the state of golf, the impact of the Masters and the fact that PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan comes out of this week a loser under any circumstance.

From the column:

If the Masters is a ratings hit, then it will be presented as evidence that the majors are healthy while regular PGA Tour golf is wilting, that the game only thrives when the best players are together. Cue increased pressure to finalize a deal with the Saudis to end the division and restore normalcy. The particulars of an agreement have been agonizingly slow to materialize and are a long way from concluding and delivering on it isn’t solely within Monahan’s gift. But it will be his burden to shoulder.

Alternatively, if the Masters is a dud compared to the norm, then it fuels fears that golf is inexorably declining, that the discord has driven fans away and not even the best players on the greatest stage can draw them back. Guess in whose direction fingers will be wagged in that scenario?

This week is a no-win for Monahan.

Patrick Reed on Augusta: ‘Just absolutely will destroy you’

When play was stalled on Thursday, Patrick Reed was in great position, but a stretch of 4 over par on the final three holes of his first round changed all that. He’s still in contention, for sure, but a second-round 74 means he’ll have to get hot on the weekend to win a second Green Jacket.

The conditions on Friday made it difficult for players and Reed thinks his commitment was the key to survival.

“It’s one of those things you just have to believe in what you’re doing. Even if you’re wrong on the wind or club or whatever, you have to have full confidence in it, and I feel like that’s something that (caddie) Kess (Karain) and I have made sure we did all day today is that no matter what we were doing, whether it was what we were hitting off the tee, what shot we were hitting, just full commit, and if you’re going to go down, go down swinging. I think that’s the biggest thing.

“It’s very easy to get guidey when it gets windy like this, especially around a golf course like this,” said Reed, who won the 2018 Masters. “And when that happens, Augusta National just absolutely will destroy you.”

Will Fred Couples be back in 2025? And then some, he said

Fred Couples followed his opening-round 80 with a 76 on Friday, but don’t think you’ve seen the last of the veteran at Augusta National. His back is in bad shape, but the 64-year-old quickly shut down any talk about this being his last trip to the Masters.

“I’m planning on being healthy and making the cut and telling Fred (Ridley) I’m coming back the next year, too,” Couples said. “This was really ugly. Yesterday there were several times I should have not played, but I thought I could help these guys that I was playing with a little bit even though they’re out-driving me by 50 yards with the wind, so I didn’t want to quit.”

Couples certainly had a few highlight moments, including a 57-foot birdie putt that dropped on the 13th hole. He added a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 17.

There were some uneven moments, however as he posted six bogeys.

“It was really, I don’t want to say no fun because it’s Augusta, but swinging was a chore,” Couples said.

Here’s more from David Westin of the Augusta Chronicle.

A Tiger Woods-Phil Mickelson pairing on Saturday? It’s possible

Both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson look to be safely inside the cutline with just a few holes to play on Friday, but the two have occupied the same of the leaderboard for most of the last 24 hours.

As of 3:15 p.m, both Woods and Mickelson are at 1 over. Would Masters organizers pair them together on Saturday, for the third round of action? Seems like a great idea.

The pair have only been paired together twice in the Masters, both times in the final round of play, once in 2001 and again in 2009.

Stay tuned. (And follow our Adam Woodard on the Tiger Tracker to see where he’s sitting.)

Where is the cutline? Right now it’s projected at 3 over

The cutline keeps shifting at Augusta National, but as of 2:14 ET, the number is 3 over.

To make the cut after the first 36 holes of the Masters, a player must be in the top 50 places on the leaderboard, including ties. Previously, anyone within 10 strokes of the lead also made the cut, but that rule was scrapped for the 2020 Masters, which was pushed back to November due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among those on the wrong side as of right now? Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott and Gary Woodland, to name a few.

Best Amateur: Neal Shipley still in lead, but now tied

Four amateurs made their Augusta National Golf Club debut Thursday, and the fifth in the field was making his third start at the Masters. Amateurs are a huge part of the Masters tradition, and the five in the field each had different paths they took during the first round.

Each of the amateurs concluded their first round of play, however, no one is making a run like Sam Bennett did last year. The competition for the Silver Cup remains wide open.

Neal Shipley appeared to be running away with things when he got to 3 under after the third hole of his second round, but he gave strokes away consistently the rest of the day and finished at 3 under.

As for 1:30 ET, Christo Lamprecht is also 3 over.

Another quadruple bogey, this time from Bubba Watson

The two-time Masters champion was teetering around the cutline on Friday before a quadruple bogey on the 11th hole. He hit his second shot in the water before hitting his fourth shot thin and past the hole.

After chipping back onto the green, he 3-putted from there for an 8. He dropped from 4-over, one shot back of the cutline, to 8-over and in a tie for 80th.

Here’s more on the epic meltdown.

Greg Norman spotted at Augusta; needed secondary market tickets

Greg Norman was at Augusta National Golf Club on Wednesday and had this to say to the Washington Post: “I’m here because we have 13 players that won 10 Masters between them. So I’m here just to support them, do the best I can to show them, ‘Hey, you know, the boss is here rooting for you.’”

So how did he get in? Per his son, he had to buy a ticket on the secondary market:

Yes. All this is true.

My dad paid for a ticket on the secondary market to attend the Masters as a patron. He was denied one directly after going through the proper professional channels. He had to be there anyway to support the LIV players.

It was an amazing experience;… pic.twitter.com/Yt5Uk9r7nG

— Greg Norman Jr (@GregJrNorman) April 11, 2024

What’s in the merch tent?

The line to get into the Masters Golf Shop can be intimidating.

Our Adam Schupak braved it on Tuesday afternoon and a patron who was in shouting distance behind me summed up the sentiment of many Masters patrons: “I don’t know if I’ll ever be back so I better go now.”

I hope that guy loaded up on quarter zips, ball caps and divot tools with the iconic Masters logo to last a lifetime. It took about 25 minutes to weave through the stanchions and enter the giant mall of merchandise.

Here are more photos from what we collected.

Max Homa having his best Masters so far

Homa is playing his fifth Masters and he’s having by far his most success at Augusta National.

Here’s how his first four trips around the course went:

• 2023 T-43
• 2022 T-48
• 2021 MC
• 2020 MC

This week? How about tied for the lead in the second round.

Homa is 7 under overall, with birdies on No. 2 and No. 4, the second one coming off a long putt on the 240-yard par 3.

Max Homa, co-leader. #themasters pic.twitter.com/SU4BMsNCHv

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2024

Nicolai Hojgaard would love some more rest

After an outstanding 67 in his opening round of play, Nicolai Højgaard stumbled a bit on the front of his second round, posting bogeys on both Nos. 5 and 6 to slip to 3 under for the tournament.

First round ever at Augusta and you go -5 to be 2 shots off the lead. Nicolai Højgaard was feeling it 🔥

-Averaged 310 yards off the tee
-Hit 10/14 fairways
-72% GIR
pic.twitter.com/ICv4Vc88Xs

— Callaway Golf (@CallawayGolf) April 12, 2024

 

And while he was in a groove through the first round, the native of Denmark could have used a little more shuteye between rounds. He’s making his first appearance in the tournament.

“I’d prefer to have a little more sleep. That’s part of it. You’ve got to adapt,” he said on Friday. “That’s part of it. I can’t complain. I like it. I like the grind. So that’s part of it.”

Jordan Spieth’s collapse isn’t the first one

With a quadruple bogey on the 15th hole, Jordan Spieth essentially ended his chances of making the cut at the 2024 Masters. He followed with a bogey on 17 and another on the opening hole of the second round.

Of course, this isn’t the greatest Masters meltdown for the Texan. He blew a five-shot lead on the back nine Sunday of the 2016 Masters.

At the time, Spieth talked about how he got words of advice from other athletes on how to bounce back from his Masters collapse (although he wouldn’t disclose who those athletes were).

“I received notes immediately following that night pretty much saying, ‘This happens everywhere. No doubt, you’ll be back. Don’t draw on it. It happens to everyone in all sports on different levels,’ ” Spieth said.

He also said he’s received kind words from people around Dallas.

“I’ve got ladies at the grocery stores putting their hand on me and going, ‘Really praying for you. How are you doing?’ ” Spieth said. “I’m like, ‘My dog didn’t die. I’ll be OK. I’ll survive. It happens.’ ”

First round officially completed

All the players have officially completed the first round of play at the Masters. Nicolai Højgaard is the lowest player in the course as of 10:15 a.m., as he’s currently at 5 under, but Max Homa is about to tee off.

Second round featured groups are now on the course. Watch live. #themasters

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2024

Here are the tee times, again.

Pin placements for Friday

Here’s a peek at the pins for the second round of action. You’ll see some good shots on the par-3 6th and at the closing 18th, where the pins are located at the base of slopes that will pull the ball back toward the hole.

A more western wind would affect the east-west holes. Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 15 would be into the wind, as could the second shots into 13; Nos. 7, 9, 14 and 17 would have the wind at the players’ back.

With the wind out of the north, Nos. 2, 5, 10 and 11 will generally be downwind, with Nos. 8, 13 and 18 into the wind.

Based on early returns, the wind will limit players’ chances to go for the green in two on No. 15. We’ve already had three double bogeys this morning: Tyrrell Hatton, Adam Scott and Sam Burns.

Hole locations for the second round of the Masters Tournament. #themasters pic.twitter.com/cyXcHK2Tkw

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2024

Peter Malnati struggled to 82, keeps diary for Golfweek

Peter Malnati qualified for his first Masters by winning the Valspar Championship last month. The 36-year-old veteran hadn’t won in nearly nine years on the PGA Tour. He’s sharing a first-person account of his experience daily only at Golfweek.com.

In his opening round, Malnati struggled to an 82. Here’s some of what he said in today’s entry.

So, definitely not the Masters debut round that I was looking for, but like I said in the beginning, lots of gratitude for this first experience. I think this will serve me well. I don’t think this will be my last Masters. And this one’s not over yet either. I’m going to go out on Friday and try as I do every round to have a really good plan on the first shot and I’ll try to go execute them all as well as I can and just repeat that throughout the round. Easier said than done because the forecast is for blustery conditions and I know it’s going be tough in the wind. I am going to give it my all and go out and have a great day and build some positive momentum. Hopefully it’ll be enough to earn me a weekend tee time here but either way I’m going to have a positive day and build some positive momentum, some good mojo, coming from my first Masters appearance.

Augusta weather update for Friday; Woodland predicts ‘perfect’ weekend

The conditions at Augusta National should be much improved for both the players and patrons as the Masters moves into second-round play Friday.

After a rainy start, the showers and thunderstorms that blanketed Augusta National Golf Club on Thursday are expected to give way to sunshine as the course gets a chance to dry out a little. Of course, the abrupt weather changes are nothing new for this time of year in Georgia.

Golfers who began play in the morning in Thursday’s opening round will tee off later in the day on Friday, while the players with later tee times to start the tournament will get an earlier start in Round 2.

Here’s the latest forecast for Friday’s second round at the Masters.

The AccuWeather forecast for Augusta, Georgia, calls for mostly sunny skies and less humid conditions Friday, with virtually no chance of precipitation and a high around 73 degrees.

How does that translate to the weekend? Gary Woodland says it’ll be optimal.

“I think it’ll be right where we all want it. We all want it firm and fast. This golf course, like I said, going into (Thursday), it was as good as I’d ever seen it, and I think by this weekend it’ll be perfect,” Woodland said.

Max Homa in the hunt

When you play with Tiger Woods, you get bigger crowds, but less attention, if that makes any sense. Max Homa has thrived on the energy around the Woods group, and he dropped the day’s first birdie on the No, 16 to move to 5 under par. The California native sits just two shots behind leader Bryson DeChambeau.

Birdie on No. 16 for Max Homa; he reaches five under par. #themasterspic.twitter.com/vTnCsysk28

— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) April 12, 2024

What hole has traditionally been the toughest?

The par-4 11th has historically been the toughest hole in relation to par, playing to a 4.303 average.

Known as White Dogwood, it was only the third-most difficult hole in 2023, and the hole has seen some changes in recent years.

For example:

1950: Masters tees relocated. Pond left of green built. Green reshaped.
1953: Two small bunkers added at rear of green.
1990: Green rebuilt due to flood damage.
1999: Green, pond and bunker complex adjusted.
2002: Masters tees moved back 30-35 yards and moved five yards to golfer’s right. Portion of fairway landing area recontoured.
2004: Pine trees (36) added to the right of the fairway.
2006: Masters tees moved back 10-15 yards. Trees added to the right side of the fairway and fairway shifted to the left.
2008: Several trees removed on right side of fairway and fairway widened.
2022: Masters tees moved back 15 yards and to the golfer’s left. Fairway recontoured and several trees removed on right side.

Finau got a patent for his Ping putter

Tony Finau has been known to turn his putter, a Ping PLD Anser 2D, counter-clockwise in his hands and strike the ball with the toe-end of his putter, popping the ball onto the putting surface.

In fact, he loves the feeling shots like that create so much that he worked with designers and engineers at Ping to build a prototype putter that replicates the sensations of that shot and was just named as one of three people on a utility patent awarded to Ping (U.S. #11,911,670 B2) for a compact putter head. Tony Serrano, Ping’s principal putter design engineer, and John A. Solheim, the company’s president, are also on the patent.

Finau was presented with a patent certificate in Ping’s PGA Tour van on Wednesday outside the gates of Augusta National Golf Club.

Here’s more on the story.

Who might miss the cut at the 2024 Masters?

With only 89 players competing, the Masters has the smallest field of the four major championships. Even fewer make the cut, which will most likely come Friday night, assuming they can catch up after Thursday’s weather delay.

The top 50 players and ties make the cut at Augusta National Golf Club. It used to be top 50 and ties and those within 10 shots of the lead, but that rule was changed in 2020.

Jordan Spieth sat 2 over thru 11 holes, but posted a birdie at No. 13 early Friday and has plenty of golf ahead of him. The 2015 Masters champ has a pair of par 5s upcoming in the morning, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Spieth move up the board a bit.

Here are some other notables flirting with the cutline at this point.

Jason Day’s clothes, not scores creating buzz

While Jason Day caught some heat for his clothing choices on the first day of the Masters, his play was steady consistent.

There might be some discourse about Jason Day's Malbon scripting today. @PGATOURSMartin's face says it all pic.twitter.com/98gbvNgiS8

— Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) April 12, 2024

During the opening rounds of the 2024 Masters, Day has paired with Tiger Woods and Max Homa.

Day posted a couple bogeys on the front during his opening round but rebounded with two birdies to get to even before the sun went down.

Tee times, Bryson DeChambeau

Leader Bryson DeChambeau goes off at 11:54 a.m. on Friday with Gary Woodland and Thorbjorn Olesen.

Here’s a look at all of the day’s tee times for Friday.