Rory McIlroy at halfway point
Yesterday, Rory McIlroy stood on the 15th fairway with 241 yards to the green. At that moment, he was tied for second place, and the course seemed primed for the taking. Unfortunately, McIlroy blew his iron approach well long of the 15th green, leaving a 60-foot delicate chip shot we’ve seen so many struggle to get up and down. In his defense, this green was recently renovated and could not be firmer. Ultimately, McIlroy flew his third shot too far, the ball bounced on the green like it landed on pavement and rolled into the water. McIlroy returned to the drop zone, played his approach, and carded a deflating double bogey.
Two holes later, a similar occurrence happened when McIlroy’s 171-yard approach ended up deep, well past the green. His comeback chip shot raced beyond the hole, resulting in a three-putt double bogey.
Two double bogeys in his final three holes saw McIlroy move from second place to even-par, tied for 27th place. Watching his coverage felt like releasing air out of a balloon.
McIlroy opted out of talking to the media.
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During his first nine, McIlroy had only one highlight on No. 2, which somehow resulted in a birdie. After an errant tee shot leaked into the pinestraw, the Northern Irishman was forced to lay up. He crisscrossed the fairway with a 168-yard punch shot. For his third shot, McIlroy’s 116-yard approach came to rest six feet from the hole, where he converted the birdie. He turned in 35 strokes, far behind the leaders.
Things changed at the start of the second nine. From the fairway on No. 10, McIlroy threw a lightning bolt into the dangerous green. He has 177 yards and landed his iron shot within a foot of the hole. McIlroy tapped in, moved to two under par, and walked confidently to the 11th tee.
More of the same excellence on No. 11 as McIlroy’s 159-yard approach landed five feet from the hole. Another birdie, one rung higher up the leader board.
Shane Bacon proclaimed, “He’s starting to bounce!” after his approach came to rest.
Luck was on McIroy’s side when his tee shot on No. 12 bounced over the green, rolled into the hedges, and popped back onto the fringe. He putted up to the hole, eventually making an escape artist par.
On the 13th, lightning struck again. McIlroy blocked his drive into the pinestraw on the right. From 214 yards, he struck his risky approach to nine feet from the hole. This shot reminded me and probably plenty of you of Phil Mickelson’s miraculous shot from the trees on No. 13 in 2010. Once on the dance floor, McIlroy drained the eagle putt to reach five under par, erasing many of the mistakes from Thursday evening.
Countless “C’mon Rory!” cheers moved across Amen Corner.
The cheers followed him down No. 14, where his drive faded off to the right into the pinestraw. With a close-knit group circling his position, McIlroy faced 160 yards through a tight window in the canopy above. He compressed his iron well, hit the window, and landed the ball pin high. The crowd responded with claps and jeers.
McIlroy came to 15 ready to conquer the demons of yesterday. Another drive down the fairway led to a similar second shot. Today, McIlroy’s 231-yard approach landed safely on the right side of the green. A tidy two-putt from 90 feet secured the birdie on 15 and maintained the magical momentum.
On this day, McIlroy finished with par-par-par to get into the clubhouse without worry.
Sitting down with Scott Van Pelt, Rory said “ I had to remind myself not to push too hard too early.” This quote speaks to how good McIlroy is after a bogey-free 66. He pushed today, yet he didn’t seem to be pressing or playing outside of himself.
As we look to the weekend, McIlroy will need to do more of the same against a difficult golf course and inevitable competitors.
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Who is going home early? The surprising missed cut always looms at Augusta
Each year, golf fans around the globe do their best to predict who will play well and/or win the Masters Tournament. We build our fantasy golf lineups and hit submit, considering stats such as recent finishes and course history. Inevitably, one or two popular competitors forget to pack their game as they drive down Magnolia Lane.
This year, Russell Henley wins the most-surprising-missed-cut award. The Georgia Bulldog recently won at Bay Hill, tied for fifth at Pebble, and tied for sixth in Palm Beach. All signs pointed to a good week for Henley, who finished fourth here in 2023. Unfortunately, his first-round 79 proved too tall of a task to tackle. Henley carded six birdies alongside two bogeys (one of which happened on the final hole) this afternoon to shoot a 68. Once he had tallied his score, he positioned himself at three over par, one shot off the cut line.
Russell Henley hangs his hat on consistent play, grinding out scores to make cuts, and taking care of business. Considering the level of his play this season, I think Henley will hang his head as he heads home to Columbus, Ga. earlier than planned.
MORE: Justin Rose leads day 1 of the Masters Tournament at 7 under par
Bryson DeChambeau climbs the leaderboard into contention
Last year, Bryson DeChambeau battled at Augusta National en route to a sixth-place finish. So far this year, he’s shaping up to make another strong finish.
DeChambeau birdie three of his first five holes to start his second round. On the fourth, the roars began. On the downhill 240-yard par-3, DeChambeau pulled his tee shot left into the greenside bunker. From the sand, he hit a soft shot that rolled into the hole like a putt. Once the ball found the cup, DeChambeau tipped his cap to the crowd like Phil Mickelson back in the day. A strong fist pump followed.
On the eighth, he showed off his power. DeChambeau hit his drive 306 yards, then boomed his 249-yard approach to 20 feet from the hole. DeChambeau missed the eagle putt, but he tapped in a stress-free birdie on a steep, uphill, intimidating par 5. DeChambeua made four birdies on the front, set himself one stroke behind the leader, and moved to the second nine.
A string of pars from Nos. 10 through 15 meant that DeChambeau held his position at seven under par. He slipped up on No. 16 with a bogey. With the hole located short right on No. 16, DeChambeau’s tee shot settled on the left side of the green, 39 feet away. For birdie, he raced his attempt by the hole some nine feet and two putted from there. Like a goldfish, he quickly corrected his scorecard with a birdie on No. 17. A working man’s par on the final hole cemented his position at seven under par, one shot behind leader Justin Rose.
Post round, DeChambeau told the media, “Golf throws you weird stuff, and you have to battle that adversity.” Today’s weird stuff included tricky winds to read, flyer lies he faced, and the undulating greens of Augusta National. His fist-pump finish communicated to everyone how he battled the adversity today and how he’s ready for the remaining action.
