AUGUSTA, Ga. — The plot of the latest episode of the “Scottie Scheffler Show” is unfolding a lot like the previous ones. The world’s No. 1 ranked player handles whatever conditions are thrown at him and ends up on top of the leaderboard. That’s where he is now at the Masters, though with some company.
Scheffler at the top of the pile often leads to a victory for the Texan. He has won two in his past three starts and was a runner-up in the other one.
The 2022 Masters Tournament champion survived the brutal windy conditions at Augusta National on Friday to shoot even-par 72 and remain at 6-under 138.
He shares the 36-hole headlines with first-round leader Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa.
Homa had 71 and DeChambeau, a “strongman” who picked up a signpost that was in his way on No. 13 en route to a birdie, came in with 73.
Scheffler, who has gone 23 holes without a bogey, also led after 36 holes (and 54) in the 2022 Masters and would go on to win by two shots.
DeChambeau’s putter went cold on the back nine. He was 1-under for his round through 13 holes, but played his final six holes in 2-over par, just missing a 14-foot birdie putt on No. 15, failing to convert a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and missing 9-foot par putt on No. 18, which he three-putted.
“Look, I felt like could I have finished birdie, par and been at 8-under. Didn’t happen. That’s in the past,” DeChambeau said.
The always unpredictable DeChambeau pulled a new trick out of his bag on the 13th hole. After hitting his drive in the right woods, he picked up a signpost that was in his way and played to the 14th tee. He hit his second shot 161 yards. From there, he had 131 yards to the pin and he hit his third shot to 14 feet and made the birdie.
“The patrons were nice enough to move over to the side to make sure it was wide enough so if I hit one errant, nobody would get hit by the ball,” DeChambeau said.
Homa beat his hero and playing partner Tiger Woods by six shots on Thursday and one shot on Friday. Woods has shot 73-72 in the first tournament he’s played 36 holes in a year.
“It means I have a chance going into the weekend,” Woods said. “I’m here. I have a chance to win the golf tournament. I’m right there. I’m only eight back as of right now. I don’t think anyone is going to run off and hide right now, but it’s really bunched.”
Indeed it is. Five players are with four shots of the three leaders.
After the three at the top comes Nicolai Hojgaard at 140 (67-73). At 141 are Cameron Davis (69-72) and Collin Morikawa (71-70).
Ludvig Aberg, with the lone round in the 60s (69) on the blustery day, is at 2-under 142.
On a day when wind gusts approached 40 mph out of the brutal northwest, scoring was even more difficult than Thursday when seven players shot in the 60s and the scoring average was 73.427.
“I’ve never experienced Augusta National in these conditions before,” DeChambeau said.
With players craning their necks trying to judge the wind by checking the swaying trees, the tournament got back on track. After 27 players completed their weather-delayed first round on Friday morning, everyone in the 89 player field got in their second rounds. As the day moved on, the winds were up and so were the scores.
The conditions helped end the hopes of Viktor Hovland, who missed the cut, as did British Open champion Brian Harman. The cut came at 6-over 150, and 60 players will play the weekend. Defending champ Jon Rahm 73-76–149 will be one of them.
Woods showed his mental fortitude on a day his injury-wracked body had to go 23 holes because of the restart on Friday morning.
“So all the cliches you hear about him and all the old stories about how he will grind it out, it was fun to see that in person,” Homa said.
It was Woods 24th consecutive cut made, breaking the record previously shared with Gary Player and Fred Couples. Homa was just happy to be along for the ride.
“It was awesome. It really is a dream to get to play with him here,” Homa said.
Woods knows a little something about playing well in major championship – he has 15 major titles – and it might be rubbing off on Homa, whose best finish in 17 majors is a tie for 10th last year in the British Open.
In all, Homa has missed nine cuts in those 17 major starts. “I just know I haven’t (won a major) and I would like to,” Homa said.
With all the talk of the 13 LIV golfers “coming for the green jacket,” DeChambeau is joined by only Cameron Smith (1-under 143) in the top 10 after 36 holes.
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