Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm survive Masters massacre in brutal wind at Augusta National

American trio share lead at halfway stage as posse of big names are left licking wounds

It was a Masters massacre. In wind gusting up to 40mph, reputations were left in tatters on the second day of the event’s 88th edition at Augusta National.

As the first round was completed early in the morning, there was no way back for 2015 champion Jordan Spieth after he’d run up a quadruple-bogey 9 at the 15th, having done exactly the same thing there in the opening circuit in 2017.

Managing just one birdie in 36 holes, 2021 winner Dustin Johnson also left battered and bruised on this occasion, as did double champion Bubba Watson and last year’s Open winner Brian Harman.

Rory McIlroy reacts on the 18th green during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

As the day wore on, both defending champion Jon Rahm and career grand slam-chasing Rory McIlroy found themselves battling to avoid being added to the list of big-name casualties. They both made it to the weekend but not with a lot to spare.

Back to defend his title as a LIV Golf player, Rahm dug himself out of a hole with a couple of late birdies. "it was a last-ditch effort at the end to try and make the cut,” admitted the Spaniard. “Luckily I was successful in doing so.”

In a round that didn’t include a single birdie, McIlroy signed for a 77, but he’ll be hoping a 17-footer to save par at the last can help galvanise his bid to join Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as one of the game’s greats.

“Tough day, really tough day,” admitted Rory McIlroy. “I won from ten back in Dubai at the start of the year. But obviously the Dubai Desert Classic and the Masters are two very different golf tournaments.”

Sergio Garcia, the 2017 winner, finished with a double-bogey 6 to miss the cut but it was an even more painful early exit for two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas. He was level par with four holes to play but finished double bogey-double bogey-bogey-double bogey to fall a shot short for the second year in a row.

In the last group of the day, US Open champion Wyndham Clark dropped three shots in the last five holes to become another casualty. As a result of all that carnage, the cut eventually fell at six over, meaning late reprieves for 11 players, including Green Jacket owners Jose Maria Olazabal, Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, as well as former Scottish Open champion and this year’s Par 3 Contest winner Rickie Fowler.

Even world No 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled at times in the conditions but, at the same time, there was little damage done in his bid to win this event for the second time in three years.

He signed for a level-par 72 to sit on six under par, sharing the halfway lead with compatriots Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau. It’s the first time a trio of Ameicans have topped the leaderboard at this stage since Tom Watson, Craig Stadler and Payne Stewart were out in front in 1985. “I think even par this afternoon was a really good score,” said Scheffler while DeChambeau, having had to be content with a 73 to add to his opening 65, confessed: “I've never experienced Augusta National in these conditions before.”

Dane Nicolai Hojgaard sits two back on his debut followed by 2021 Open champion Collin Morikawa and Australian Cameron Davis on three under, with Swede Ludvig Aberga one further behind after being the only player to break 70 in the second circuit with a 69.

Those still standing, including five-time winner Tiger Woods after he overcame having to play 23 holes in the one day to set a new record of making 24 consecutive cuts here, will be glad to know that Mother Nature had little left to offer in terms of puff over the weekend.