AUGUSTA -- The predominant participant here Friday didn’t take a swing or even wear spikes. It was the U.S. Weather Service, which issued a high wind advisory for the region, and the entire field during the Masters’ second round spent the day in continual genuflection.
The third round will open in a three-way tie between Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa at 6-under par, the trio having treated the lead like a wet bar of soap much of the day. Credit was earned for holding the line under trying conditions; they were a combined even-par on a day that could have left any of them gone with the wind.
Brisk swirling winds, gusting up to 25 mph, blew over chairs, knocked off hats and made a fantasy of holding golf. Bunkers played like something out of “Lawrence of Arabia.” Even short putts were blown off-line.
Said Irishman Shane Lowry after a hard-earned 74, “You can be made to look like an idiot out there today by not doing too much wrong.”
But a great day to own a kite. In all, just eight players broke par, low round going to Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg with a 69 in his first appearance in a major championship, good enough for seventh place. Only 14 players of a field of 89 were in the red at the halfway mark.
The leaderboard’s biggest mystery guest is Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, a Masters rookie who went 67-73-140 and, at 4-under, is the closest contender behind the three leaders. One shot back are Australian Cameron Davis, in his second Masters appearance, and Collin Morikawa, who played two sub-par rounds (71-70).
Relief arrives today with calming conditions throughout the weekend, though Augusta National is expected to play firmer with drier conditions. No bargain there either.
“I think major championship golf has a tendency to just be very mentally grinding,” Scheffler said. “And days like today I think are the extreme of that.”
The cut came at 6-over 150, the highest number in seven years. Tiger Woods broke the Masters record with 24 consecutive cuts made, his hard-fought 72 leaving him at 1-over and seven shots off the lead. Ex-champions Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh (4-over) made it to the weekend as did defending champion Jon Rahm (5-over)
Missing the cut was Viktor Hovland, the world’s No. 6-ranked player, who shot 81 to fall to 9-over. Other former champs eliminated included Zach Johnson, Mike Weir and Sergio Garcia (7-over), Jordan Spieth (9-over), Bubba Watson (10-over) and Charl Schwartzel (11-over), Fred Couples (12-over) and Dustin Johnson (13-over)
Following up on his impressive opening 65, DeChambeau produced a vacillating round that included three birdies and four bogeys, taking a share of lead and then losing it five times. He briefly dropped to 8-under -- no one else ever got that low -- with a 14-foot birdie on No. 13 for a sole grip of the lead. But bogeys at No. 14 and No. 18, with a closing three-putt from 65 feet, delivered the lead to Scheffler, who still had seven holes to play.
“Look, I felt like I could have finished birdie, par and been at 8-under. Didn’t happen,” DeChambeau said. “That’s in the past. Playing great golf. Golf swing is in an awesome place. Putting is in a great place. Chipping is in a great place.
“Just have to be smart around this place and give myself an opportunity come the back nine on Sunday.”
Scheffler responded to DeChambeau’s last bogey by promptly bogeying No. 13 from out of the creek. From there, he could gain no ground, his best birdie chance coming at No. 17, a 46-foot putt just gliding past the left edge of the cup.
After playing 22 holes without a bogey, he carded two on Nos. 5 and 7, ending with another seesaw round with three birdies and three bogeys. Even-par 72 was almost euphoric.
“It was extremely challenging,” Scheffler said. “The winds were up very high and it blows from everywhere out here. I think even par this afternoon was a really good score.”
After quickly playing himself into the lead with two birdies in his first four holes, Homa earned a medal for closing out with eight straight pars to remain among the leaders. He has missed the cut in nine of his 17 career majors, hasn’t cracked the top 40 in four stabs at the Masters but finds himself in the middle of action at age 33.
“It’s been quite fun,” he said. “I am very glad to be inside, I will say.”
