2016 Masters: Friday Birdies & Bogeys

By GolfDigest.com Staff

April 08, 2016

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Birdie: Jordan Spieth

On a taxing day that tested all competitors, Spieth wasn’t spared from the blustery conditions. Emotions got to the reigning Masters champion at times, as he dropped four strokes over his last 14 holes to cut his lead to one stroke. Still, to be holding the Masters lead for a sixth-straight round, which ties Arnold Palmer’s streak from 1960 and 1961, is an achievement the 22-year-old should be proud of. Friday saw Spieth’s first over-par round in the Masters. But Saturday will put the 2015 champion in the final tee time for a third straight Saturday at Augusta National. That’s a position he would’ve signed up for at the beginning of the week. -- Stephen Hennessey

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Bogey: Mother Nature

Augusta National was angry, my friends. High winds drove Masters competitors mad on Friday, wreaking havoc in club selection and putting lines. There were no rounds in the 60s on Day 2, with only four players finishing in the red for the round. And on the off chance that you're a player reading this, cover your eyes: The weekend forecast calls for chilly temperatures and heavy, consistent rushes of wind. Not your ideal scoring conditions. -- Joel Beall

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Birdie: Rory McIlroy

For a second-straight day, McIlroy followed up an early charge with a stumble, but this time, he rallied. After dropping four shots in eight holes, McIlroy recovered to birdie three of the final six holes. Without a victory in 2016, McIlroy was happy to enter this week somewhat under the radar. But a final pairing with Jordan Spieth on Saturday is certainly going to change that. McIlroy has emerged as the defending champ’s biggest challenger, and if he can take him down over the weekend, he might just complete the career Grand Slam. -- Alex Myers

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Bogey: Bubba Watson

Opening the Masters with a three-over 75 on Thursday, Watson was in desperate need of a low round on Day 2. Instead, Watson carded four bogeys in his first six holes, quickly erasing green jacket aspirations in 2016. To his credit, Bubba navigated the back nine without trouble, but it looks like too little, too late for the two-time Masters champ. -- JB

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Birdie: Bryson DeChambeau

One of the most anticipated amateurs to play in the Masters, DeChambeau has backed up all the hype through two days. Playing alongside Jordan Spieth, the reigning U.S. Amateur champ topped the defending Masters champ in the second round to secure a late tee time on Saturday. DeChambeau could have been earning a degree from SMU this spring if not for an NCAA postseason ban against the university that caused him to drop out of school and pursue golf full time. But now he has a chance to don a green jacket instead of a graduation cap. Of course, he’d have a much better chance if not for. . . -- AM

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Bogey: Bryson DeChambeau’s 18th hole

A storybook round for DeChambeau quickly turned into a nightmare on the final hole. The amateur’s much-talked-about irons weren’t to blame, but rather his driver. A wild tee shot left began an adventure that included another wild drive after a return to the tee, a stop near a patrons’ bathroom and a walk through the woods to an area near the eighth tee for a drop. When it was all over, DeChambeau had made a triple bogey to tumble from T-2 to T-8. -- AM

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Birdie: Ernie Els

Those following the Masters online streaming coverage were reminded of Els' putting woes only, oh, about 84 times during the telecast. But after another debacle on the first hole -- Els doubled after missing a tap-in -- the Big Easy played the final 17 holes under par. He's going to miss the weekend, but Els' commendable effort will not be forgotten at Augusta. -- JB

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Bogey: Jason Day's back-nine troubles

The world's No. 1 player enters the weekend at Augusta 1-over par. While not out of the hunt, Day could be leading this rodeo if he figured out the back nine. For the week, he is eight-over par on the side, a number head-scratching in itself, but especially perplexing given Augusta National's second nine historically rewards aggressive players like Day. If he hopes to make a run at the green jacket, the reigning PGA Champion needs to collect himself when he makes the turn on Saturday. -- JB

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Birdie: Danny Lee

As soon as his winning putt at last year’s Greenbrier Classic fell, Lee admitted that Augusta National was on his mind. After playing at the Masters in 2009, the happy-go-lucky former U.S. Amateur champion would be making another trip down Magnolia Lane. Lee has made the most out of the return trip to the Masters thus far. He bogeyed his last two holes to shoot 74, but at two-under par for the tournament, Lee is in a position to make some noise. "I'm just happy I get to play on the weekend and I have a chance,” Lee said. -- SH

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Bogey: Ian Poulter

It wasn’t on an Ernie Els level of embarrassment, but the shank Poulter hit at the 14th hole Friday morning was one of the worst shots of the 2016 Masters. After making five birdies Thursday en route to a three-under 69 that had the Englishman quietly a couple shots off the lead, Poulter gave all those shots back with a six-over 78, with the lowlight being the double on 14. It couldn’t have helped playing in the same pairing as Bubba Watson and Branden Grace, who both scuffled around all day. That group’s total? A combined 14-over par in the second round. -- SH

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Birdie: Scott Piercy

Piercy is going to bed Friday night tied for third at the Masters. His round today consisted of twelve pars, three birdies and three bogeys, which seems like a good, ho-hum kind of round for a PGA pro. But it was a lot more than that in the second round. Tough conditions, highlighted by strong wind, put a fortress up around Augusta National. Piercy said of the day: “For the most part I just kind of hung in there, made pars when I needed to, tried to make a birdie when I could, and tried to eliminate the bogeys.” That kind of straightforward strategy could keep him hanging around all weekend. -- Keely Levins

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Bogey: Phil Mickelson

The three-time Masters champion carded his worst-ever score in his 90th career Masters round, a 79 that sent him home early from Augusta for just the third time in 24 years. What’s amazing is that he stood at one-under par through five holes, looking to be in the mix. But his putter was shaky, four-putting No. 7 and missing a handful of short ones. Then Lefty hit it into the water on Nos. 15 and 16. Mickelson came into this week hoping to win his fourth green jacket; now the 45-year-old will be watching the rest of the tournament miles away. -- SH

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Birdie: Brandt Snedeker

In the land chock full of bogeys, the par-shooter is king. So it was for Snedeker, who actually only made nine on Friday but still finished with an even-par 72 that pushed him inside the top 10. After a Thursday 71, Snedeker was happy with the position he’s in -- you would be too if you’re one of only a handful of players under par for 36 holes -- but he believes he’ll need to push himself a little more to be truly in the hunt on the weekend. “I have to make some birdies,” he said. “I’ve been trying to survive on pars, and left birdie putts short. That’s not who I am. I like being aggressive and not running putts by. I have to change up a little tomorrow.” -- Ryan Herrington

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Bogey: Zach Johnson

A winner at Augusta National who added a second major at St. Andrews last year, Johnson was expecting big things in 2016’s first major. Instead, he’s going home early -- and for an unusual reason. Johnson looked like he missed the cut when he carded what he thought was a 78. However, he earned a respite -- like all players who finished at six over -- with the combination of a Jordan Spieth stumble and the Masters’ 10-stroke rule. But then Johnson was assessed a two-shot penalty after his round for touching Rae’s Creek accidentally on No. 13 during his backswing. The infraction could only be seen on a slow-mo replay, but it resulted in a fast exit. -- AM

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Birdie: Davis Love III and Bernhard Langer

Who said golf is a young man's game? While the rest of the field withered in windy conditions, this set of seniors turned in impressive rounds. Love lit up the front nine to the tune of a 33, and although he came back to earth on the back, he enters the weekend at two-over par. Langer sits one shot ahead thanks to a steady 73. With a combined age of 109 years, both Love and Langer have a viable chance at posting top-10 finishes. Not bad for a couple of old timers. -- JB

Birdie: Tom Watson

Watson said goodbye to the Masters on Friday. To quote another writer, parting proved to be sweet sorrow. On a day where playing conditions produced a lot of misery, you didn’t see that from Watson. He carried himself with simple joy, a smile on his face even when a few bad shots proved enough for him to miss the cut. He played humbly, the way he’s been playing Augusta National since Nixon was President. And that massive boomerang putt on 18 that almost fell? Classic Watson, giving us something to cheer about right up to the last shot. -- KL

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Birdie: Hilary Watson

On No. 11, Watson’s wife, Hilary, threw a Snickers bar at her husband, Tom. There’s no malice involved but rather Hilary has saved the day. "They were out of Snickers bars on 11,” said Tom afterward. "I go up to 11, have a drink and a Snickers bar to get through the back nine. That’s been my routine for over 30 years, but they were out of Snickers bars." -- E. Michael Johnson

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RBC Heritage

2016 Masters: Friday Birdies & Bogeys

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Birdie: Jordan Spieth

Bogey: Mother Nature

Birdie: Rory McIlroy

Bogey: Bubba Watson

Birdie: Bryson DeChambeau

Bogey: Bryson DeChambeau’s 18th hole

Birdie: Ernie Els

Bogey: Jason Day's back-nine troubles

Birdie: Danny Lee

Bogey: Ian Poulter

Birdie: Scott Piercy

Bogey: Phil Mickelson

Birdie: Brandt Snedeker

Bogey: Zach Johnson

Birdie: Davis Love III and Bernhard Langer

Birdie: Tom Watson

Birdie: Hilary Watson