Brutal Augusta test takes high profile casualties

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Friday at the Masters saw a brutal Augusta test. With only four players breaking par, there were a slew of high profile casualities.

After round one of the Masters, the leaderboard had a distinctly British feel. Spieth was out in front but was followed by the likes of Rose, Casey, McIlroy, Westwood and Willett. But as Rory was one of only four players to break par on day two, both Rose and Casey saw their chances takes a serious dent after shooting rounds of 77. They both start round three on +2 for the tournament, six off the lead of Jordan Spieth.

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For Willett, the news was better. A round of 74 was not to be sniffed at in such difficult conditions and the Sheffield man is tied 8th going into the weekend at level par. Lee Westwood’s 75 left him on the same score as Casey and Rose.

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In a tournament where so many players had a realistic chance of winning, there were always going to be high profile players missing the cut. As so it was with Mickelson, Grace, Zach Johnson, Fowler, McDowell and Schwartzel all the wrong side of the plus six cut mark. Narrowly scraping in were Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott.

However, Jordan Spieth is only 10 shots better than Bubba Watson (who made the cut on the mark at +6). Wit so many top class players within striking distance it looks set to be a classic Masters weekend. The strong winds are forecast to continue on Saturday so whilst the birdie-fest of previous years is unlikely to be repeated, the challenge ahead appears just as fascinating as ever.

Neil Tappin
Editor

In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf. 

Throughout his time with the brand he has also covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points. 


Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons: PING Blueprint S (4&5), PING Blueprint T (6-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X