AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods claimed more history at August National on Friday, making the cut for a record 24th consecutive time.
Of course, his sights were fixated on a far greater goal — a record-tying sixth green jacket.
Woods broke the cut record he shared with three-time champion Gary Player, who advanced to the weekend 23 straight times beginning in 1959, and 1992 winner Fred Couples, whose own streak lasted until 2007.
“It means I have a chance going into the weekend,” said Woods, whose even-par 72 left him 1 over through 36 holes. “I’m here. I have a chance to win the golf tournament. I don’t know if they’re all going to finish today, but I’m done. I got my two rounds in. Just need some food and some caffeine, and I’ll be good to go.”
Willett staying upbeat: Danny Willett was right in the mix in the second round of the Masters until taking two shots to get out of a bunker on the 18th and three putts on the green.
It added to a triple bogey that ruined a hard day of work, and his 75 put him at 1-under 215.
Frustrating? Sure. But for Willett, even playing at Augusta National might be a bigger surprise than when he won the green jacket in 2016.
Willett’s left shoulder was aching so much last September that he had an MRI, which revealed two tears along with a few cysts that had to be cleaned out. His recovery time was expected to be at least a year.
And here he is. The Masters is his first tournament since the BMW PGA Championship last September, and even then he wasn’t sure he could be playing until he got in 18 holes on Sunday.
Hatton’s frustration: Tyrrell Hatton sounded as though he was about to lose his mind Friday in the Masters, and for once it wasn’t because of his own game. Hatton was furious with having to wait on the group in front of him, and he was critical of officials for not responding sooner.
“The lads in front have been so slow,” Hatton said. “It’s pretty poor from the officials that it took 32 holes to put them on the clock. Yesterday they’d lost a hole-and-a-half, and then they weren’t any better even this morning, and then for the second round they were just brutal.”
He didn’t mention names. The tee sheet takes care of that. Playing in the group ahead were Patrick Reed, Sungjae Im and Kurt Kitayama.
“Fine for them. They’re not waiting on any shot that they hit,” Hatton said. “But for us, we stood in the fairway, we stood on the tee. It was really hard to get a rhythm.”
Big blowups: A pair of Masters champions saw their hopes end in a matter of minutes Friday morning when completing their weather-delayed first rounds.
None was more spectacular than Jordan Spieth.
He was 2 over for his round playing the par-5 15th into a fierce wind, meaning he had to lay up. His wedge was just over the back of the green, leaving him a chip down the slope with the wind at his back. The chip kept rolling, past the flag, off the green and into the water.
Spieth went to the other side of the pond to the drop area, went long again, putted weakly and made a quadruple-bogey 9 (he also made a 9 on the 15th in the first round in 2017).
Two holes later, he missed a 2-foot par putt and signed for a 79, his worst score by three shots at the Masters.
Right behind him was Dustin Johnson, who was 1 over for the round until a double bogey from the trees on the 14th, and a double bogey with a wedge into the pond on the 15th. He shot 78. Neither will be around for the weekend.
