Patrick Reed took a two-shot lead Friday at the Masters after firing the low round of the day to get to 9-under par.
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He recovered with birdies at the two par-fives – 13 and 15 – to pull clear of the cut mark, although a three-putt from the fringe led to a bogey at the par-three 16th, leaving him with some work still to do over the closing holes.
He hit his second shot into the water, and then had his next four shots with a wedge roll back into the water. He finished second, three shots back of Willett. He now sits two clear of Marc Leishman (-5), and four shots ahead of the rest of the field.
The omens could hardly have been better for McIlroy as he looked to strengthen his bid for the career grand slam on day two of the 82nd Masters. The six left him hovering just above the projected cut line.
He dislocated his ankle celebrating a hole-in-one during the Par-3 Tournament on Wednesday and then popped it back into place.
Sergio Garcia made a splash at the Masters. At the second, after having to punch down the fairway when his tee shot hit a tree, he again had fewer than 100 yards to the hole and failed to hit it close. Five major champions were right behind. It’s The Masters – live from the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA.
It is also the first time since 1996 and 1997, when Ben Crenshaw and Nick Faldo missed cuts in consecutive years as defending champions, that it has happened twice in a row.
It was a typical Thursday at the Masters for Tiger.
The meltdown left Garcia at 10 over in the opening round and 14 shots behind the leaders.
The 75 was his highest score at the Masters since a second-round 75 in 2014. “You just take the right mindset knowing that you just have to go out there and battle it and get the best of it”.
Much before Jordan Spieth (66) tore up the back nine of the Augusta National with five birdies in five holes from 13th, Tiger Woods battled around for a round of 1-over 73 to be T-29th. “And I fought hard to get it back and I’m back in this championship”.
Rory McIlroy is remaining patient at the Masters as he shot a one-under 71 on Friday to keep himself in contention for the green jacket. He struggled to a 78 that included dumping another ball in the water at No. 11 and ended up at 15-over 159.
Looming was Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, who made a 45-foot par putt on the 16th to atone for several birdie putts in the 10-foot range he missed.
Golf legend Greg Norman, known as the “Great White Shark”, thinks Tiger Woods will fall short of a victory in his return to the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
Woods gave the stroke back on the next hole when his tee shot found a greenside bunker. He had 17 putts through nine holes, not the start he was looking for at a course he knows that putting is at premium.
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Here’s a look at other notables to miss the cut: – Thomas Pieters (73-78), who finished fourth a year ago in his Masters debut. It’s such a hard golf course to chase on, and if you start to go for pins and you start chasing it, that’s when you can bring in some trouble and make some mistakes.
