Winds, Augusta National batter field on Masters Day Two

Beneath relentless brutal winds gusting in unexpected directions, dancing through the Georgia Pines above Amen Corner, sending the parade of players across Augusta National into chaos, the world's best golfers were beaten into submission on Friday as otherwise clear skies forced the second round of the 2024 Masters to be played to completion, leaving the 88th renewal of the Master Tournament with three wobbly competitors tied atop the leaderboard.

The carnage across the field of 89 was widespread and total from the outset. Those forced to finish Round One were met by an early-morning bluster so strong the reigning Open champ (Brian Harman) could put up a triple-double-double finish before returning for Round Two. Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth left the par-5 15th with a quadruple bogey 9 that carried him to a first-round, 7-over-par 79. 

Once the second round began, 44 of the 89 players shot 75 or higher, 21 posted 78 or higher. It was a survival-mode round. 

The reigning U.S. Open champ and a three-time winner on the PGA Tour in the last 15 months (Wyndham Clark) was beaten into a 6-over-par 78.

One former Masters champ (Sergio Garcia) and one former U.S. Open champ (Gary Woodland) each struggled to a 7-over-par 79. 

A winner of a PGA Tour event just two weeks ago (Stephan Jaeger) struggled in with an 8-over-par 80. 

Last year's PGA Tour Championship winner (Viktor Hovland) ballooned to a 9-over-par 81. 

Even the defending Masters champ (Jon Rahm) struggled, managing to a 4-over-par 76.

"I can imagine they were very close to calling it a few times, especially when we were on 11 green and we were getting those massive gusts every couple of minutes or so," said Rahm. "It was extremely difficult."

A four-time major champion (Rory McIlroy) was unable to post a single birdie for the first time in a Masters round since 2016.

Eight golfers out of 89 managed a round below par, the same number posting 80 or higher. Only one - Ludvig Aberg - managing to break 70, posting a 3-under-par 69.

Eight other golfers managed to shoot par, a group that included Tiger Woods, who set a Masters record by making the cut for the 24th consecutive time, pushing past Fred Couples and Gary Player to hold the record all by himself.

" I don't think anyone is going to run off and hide right now, but it's really bunched," said Woods. "The way the ball is moving on the greens, chip shots are being blown, it's all you want in a golf course today." 

By Friday's end, 60 golfers managed to play 36 holes in 150 strokes or less to make the cut, all chasing World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, 2020 U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau, and 6-time winner on the PGA Tour Max Homa, all tied for the 36-hole lead at 6-under-par. 

Scheffler, who posted the only bogey-free round in Thursday's first round, carded three birdies against three bogeys for an even-par 72. It's the third time he's on the lead after 36 holes in a major. 

" it was extremely challenging. The winds were up very high, and it blows from everywhere out here. I think even par this afternoon was a really good score.

And, yeah, I couldn't really describe how windy it is and how difficult the gusts are just because, I mean, I think you just have to be out there and experience it."

If Scheffler were to win, he'd become become the fourth-youngest player to win more than one Masters, behind Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros.

Scottie Scheffler's Major Championship Record

DeChambeau, who eight birdies en route to an opening-round 65, managed three birdies along with four bogeys on Friday. 

"I've never experienced Augusta National in these conditions before," said DeChambeau. "Being able to stay patient and place the ball in the correct locations and just allow myself to be okay with not so great shots out there was a key aspect of me playing well."

Bryson DeChambeau's Major Championship Record

Homa, who has been questioned about his major-championship record with only one top-10 in 17 previous majors, finds himself tied for the 36-hole lead in a major for the first time in his career. Homa posted a 1-under-par 71 on Friday that included two birdies and a single bogey. Homa birdied the second and fourth holes and bogeyed No. 11, which played as tough as any hole on Friday.

"Obviously been quite difficult out there," said Homa. "I struck the ball really well. I've really done everything quite well on the golf course, but most proud of what's gone on with our course management and just controlling thoughts and expectation and all that."

Max Homa's Major Championship Record

Augusta National under Friday's winds played like a scary carnival ride, reminding the golf world just what a championship can be like when conditions are less than ideal. The day-long winds were strong when Round One re-started at 7:45am, and just got stronger as the day progressed, and those winds made several holes as challenging as ever. 

The par-4 11th hole, the first hole on Amen Corner, yielded just two birdies (Kurt Kitayama, Grayson Murray) while the rest of the field posted 28 bogeys, two doubles and a triple. 

Holes 4 & 5 presented the field with a challenging 45 minutes of golf as only those holes yielded 64 bogeys and two doubles whle only nine birdies were posted.

The seventh hole dealt out 34 bogeys and five doubles, while yielding only eight birdies.   

The 14th hole forced the field into 26 bogeys and four doubles, while allowing seven birdies. 

And nobody could get complacent because Augusta National saved its best for last on Friday. The closing three holes, the par-3 16th, par-4 17th and 18th, yielded a grand total of 26 birdies while doling out 72 bogeys, 14 doubles and a triple. Yes, it was brutal out there. 

Par-5 scoreboard: 

No. 2 - one eagle (Taylor Moore), 42 birdies, 6 bogeys, 1 triple (Viktor Hovland).

No. 8 - one eagle (Danny Willett), 23 birdies, 8 bogeys. 

No. 13- 0 eagles, 27 birdies, 13 bogeys, 1 double. 

No. 15- 0 eagles, 15 birdies, 10 bogeys, 7 doubles. 

Just a note: Viktor Hovland played Augusta National's four par-5s in 4-over-par with a triple bogey on 2, a double on 15, a par on 8, and a birdie on 13.