Smith loses ground but stays in touch as Scheffler shines
Cameron Smith in action this week – photo Kohjiro Kinno Augusta National
Cameron Smith’s second round of 74 on Friday at the Masters has seen him slip from a share of 2nd after the opening round of 68 to a tie for 6th but two late birdies today have kept him in touch with contention as the event heads into the weekend.
Smith trails the 36 hole leader, Scottie Scheffler, by six shots but, importantly for his chances of challenging for the title over the weekend, he is just one shot out of a four way tie for second place.
In strong winds and cool temperatures, Smith struggled to build any momentum after a bogey at the the opening hole today, his first birdie coming after a delightful pitch to two feet at the par five 15th, followed by another at the 18th when his second finished 4 feet from the hole.
It was the ideal finish and turned an ordinary round into something more than acceptable, especially given the troubles many others in the field were experiencing.
“Yeah, it was good,” said Smith. “Pretty brutal day out there today. Lots of quality golf shots that go to 40, 50 feet, and it gets quite frustrating at times. Just hung in there and made a few nice swings in there. Good for a couple of birdies.
“I feel as though I hit lots of really quality shots into the green and just really didn’t have any birdie opportunities. It was so windy and gusty out there, quite hard to get the speed on the greens as well.
“Yeah, it was, I think, 2-over in the end. Probably wasn’t the worst.”
When asked his thoughts on the weekend he responded; “More of the same. It’s windy tomorrow, so, yeah, just stay aggressive. I think the course will probably firm up a little bit. Just something to be wary of, but just stay aggressive and try to make some birdies.
“I typically don’t love the cold, but a little bit of probably extra warming up, I guess, in the morning and get the body prepped and get ready for a good one tomorrow.”
Smith leads the Australians by six shots, Adam Scott, Minwoo Lee, Cameron Davis and Marc Leishman all finishing on the cut mark of 4 over and playing their way into the weekend field.
Lucas Herbert was the only Australian to miss the cut finishing two shots outside the required mark.
Scott fought his way back from an opening round of 74 to be at even par for the tournament through nine holes. He would bogey the 10th but was still well enough placed when about to play his third after laying up at the par 5 15th.
His pitch there however would spin back off the green into the water and he would eventually finish with a triple bogey and although he birdied the 16th after a tee shot to three feet, he then three putted from just off the green at the 17th and needed a par at the last to stay in the tournament.
Scott was able to do just that but he needed an nine foot par saving putt to do so.
“It was tough,” said Scott. “I was playing really well, and 15 bit me. That’s Augusta National. You live on a knife’s edge every hole honestly, and I was playing with a guy who made it look easy. But that’s how he’s playing at the moment.
“I was playing really, really solid stuff and just misjudged it into 15 and pitched it probably two yards short of my number and ripped it in the water. That hole can give you nightmares, and I had one today.
“I like where my game’s at. It was a tough day out there today. It was really tough on the greens, and I missed a couple putts, but I also made a lot of putts too, which is good news. If I can just kind of keep a big number off the card over the weekend, I think I can have two solid days.
“I’d be surprised if I can get myself right up there. He’s a long way away from me at the moment, but you just never know around here. 11 holes ago, I was three off the lead, so it can turn around quick.”
Leishman made the turn at 1 over for the tournament and appeared to be comfortable as far as his weekend aspirations were concerned.
Things did not quite turn out that way as he bogeyed the 10th, 15th and 18th to finish right on the mark for weekend work.
“I mean today should have been up my alley,” said Leishman. “It was, but as I say, the putts weren’t dropping. We’ll try and sort that out this afternoon and get a clear head. You know how it goes when you’re not making putts. You feel like you’re never going to make another one again.
“Hopefully I can be here in a different frame of mind tomorrow afternoon talking to you and talking about how good my 63 was.”
Lee and Davis have done extremely well to make the weekend on their debuts at Augusta National.
Lee’s round of 75 was a roller coaster, five bogeys and two birdies but importantly the second of those birdies came at the par 3 16th when, after all but playing his way out of the tournament, his tee shot finished eight feet from the hole and when converted he was back on the cut line where he remained.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Lee. “It was just a grind out there. It’s a really tough track. Obviously with the wind, the back nine is just tough. I gave my mom a hug, and it’s really — and dad a hug, and it’s really, really nice, I guess. You work hard to get to this point. Just made it into the top 50 at the end of the year to get into the tournament.
“Getting into the tournament’s a good achievement, but to actually play well, it’s another step. So I knew I had to keep my head down. I’m glad some of my best golf has come now.”
Davis might well have been thinking what he might do for the weekend when he bogeyed the 10th and 11th after an outward nine of 39 to be 8 over for the tournament and four shots outside the likely cut.
The Sydney golfer would however record a remarkable burst over the closing six holes with four birdies in that stretch including one from 18 feet at the last to make the cut on the number. It was a stunning comeback and has given him the chance to play the weekend at the Masters on debut.
The leader however has stolen quite a march on the field. Scottie Scheffler is playing his third Masters and with two top twenties previously and a run of three wins in his last five starts he is the in form golfer and one who is building experience on the nuances of Augusta National.
Importantly for his chances is that despite his relative newness to the PGA Tour, he has recorded top tens in the three other major championship and and could well go on with it over the weekend.
That he has reached the mantle of world number one so quickly in his career is a reflection on not only great brilliance but great consistency and while his five shot lead is perhaps a surprise that he is leading is not.
Augusta National has a way of evening things out over the final 36 holes on a golf course where there is such a fine line between pleasure and pain but a five shot lead has given Scheffler reason to believe he can not only be the world number one but a major winner as well.
