AUGUSTA, Ga. — World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau all maintain a share of the lead on the 2024 Masters after the primary two rounds at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.
This match has featured solely 14 scores underneath par as excessive winds have befuddled a number of the greatest gamers on this planet throughout 36 holes. DeChambeau, who held the lead at 7 underneath heading into Friday, shot a 73 — 8 strokes worse than his first spherical — however was capable of keep atop the leaderboard going into Saturday.
“I am very excited,” DeChambeau stated. “I get a possibility to point out my talent set, and hopefully it is ok to do one thing particular this weekend. I really feel like the sport is in a fantastic spot. Mindset is in a strong place. Caddie is preserving me in test. We’re joking on the market, having enjoyable in some powerful situations. So I really feel like every little thing is lining up fairly properly.”
To have the ability to don a inexperienced jacket, DeChambeau should combat off 2022 Masters champion Scheffler, who has gained twice already this season and was the favourite heading into the week. Scheffler started the second spherical 1 stroke behind DeChambeau’s first-round lead and shot an even-par 72 Friday after coping with brutal wind situations throughout his late spherical within the afternoon.
“It is simply so troublesome when you’ll be able to’t inform the place the wind is coming from,” Scheffler stated. “You possibly can solely make actually an informed guess and attempt to go from there. Every part out there’s extraordinarily troublesome when it is this windy so I used to be positively happy to get in there at even par.”
Homa, whose greatest end at Augusta is a tie for forty third final 12 months, has appeared comfy in these situations, capturing one of many few under-par rounds Friday. He additionally excelled in powerful situations eventually 12 months’s Open Championship, the place he completed tied for tenth — his best-ever end at a significant. On Friday, Homa stated the wind has pushed him to be affected person to keep up tempo with Scheffler and DeChambeau.
“I’ve actually performed every little thing fairly properly on the golf course,” Homa stated. “However most pleased with what’s gone on with our course administration and simply controlling ideas and expectation and all that. So it has been enjoyable.”
“He is obtained all of the expertise on this planet,” Tiger Woods stated of Homa, his taking part in accomplice throughout the first two rounds. “I obtained an opportunity to play with him on the Open Championship at St. Andrews, and his ball flight, as strong as he hits it, it is only a matter of time earlier than he begins profitable in bunches. I noticed it up entrance; he would not actually mishit photographs. That is one thing you simply should do round this golf course.”
The final time three gamers representing the US have been tied for the 36-hole lead in a significant was the 2012 PGA Championship, when Woods, David Toms and Jim Furyk shared the lead.
Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard fell all the way in which to three underneath and rose all the way in which to six underneath throughout his Friday spherical, however finally the 2023 Ryder Cup member shot a 1-over 73 and settled at 4 underneath, ok for fourth place.
Two-time main winner Collin Morikawa has two top-10 finishes on the Masters up to now two years and has an opportunity for one more after a 2-under spherical of 70. Except for Homa, Morikawa is the one different participant who has shot two rounds underneath par.
Australian Cam Davis has performed in just one different Masters, throughout 2022, when he completed tied for forty sixth. This time round, Davis has quietly shot one spherical underneath par and one other at even par Friday to place himself solely 3 again of the leaders. Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg is a first-time participant at Augusta and after a first-round 73, he shot the low spherical of the day (69) Friday and jumped all the way in which to 2 underneath and seventh place heading into the weekend.