Masters 2016 Leaderboard: Latest Scores and Standings from Friday at Augusta
Low scores have been hard to come by on Day 2, but a packed leaderboard will ensure an exciting rest of the weekend at the 2016 Masters.
Jordan Spieth began the day with the lead after shooting a 66 in Round 1 and quickly expanded the margin with a birdie. Before the defending champion got started, however, notable players like Jason Day and Rory McIlroy were on the course while finding it hard to sustain success in tough conditions.
It seemed every time a player posted a few birdies, there were bogeys right around the corner. Only a handful of players during the morning session were even able to stay at even par.
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Still, there is a long way to go with a number of golfers just getting started Friday. Here is a look at the updated leaderboard as well as a breakdown of the biggest stories from Day 2.
What to Watch on Day 2
Top Names Chasing Spieth
Spieth has a long way to go before clinching his second Masters championship, but while others around him are struggling, he had no problem building his lead early in Round 2. Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports was ready to declare the tournament over with a birdie on the first hole:
Of course, we have learned this week already that good starts are not everything. Jason Day would love the opportunity to only play the front nine of this course. He finished with a score of 72 in Round 1, but that came after totaling five strokes under par going out and five strokes over par coming back in.
Will Kent of ESPN noted how the Australian was turning things around early on Friday:
However, the struggles once again came back with a few rough holes to start his back nine in Round 2. He will need more consistency if he is going to contend for a championship.
Other players like Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia came close to moving up the leaderboard but undid their solid work with double-bogeys. McIlroy couldn't make his putts on the par-three No. 4 while Garcia struggled on the ninth hole.
Justin Rose is another experienced player in good shape on the leaderboard, but he gets one of the later tee times of the day, meaning he will have to prove himself in tough conditions Friday.
Bye Bye Bubba?
There are some big names that could be headed home after Round 2 if they miss the cut, including Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel and if he doesn't turn things around, Rickie Fowler. However, perhaps the most surprising might be Bubba Watson, who has never missed a cut at the Masters and has won the event twice.
However, a decent start to the tournament turned south in a hurry, and it has only gotten worse. Watson had six bogeys and a double-bogey in his final 10 holes Thursday, and that carried that negative momentum into Friday with six more bogeys in his first 12 holes.
Michael Shamburger of The Big Lead sums up the rough day for Watson:
This is the same course that seemed perfectly built for the lefty in past years, but somehow he is unable to figure it out this year, likely to the disappointment of quite a few people who bet on the talented golfer.
While the cut line won't be determined until the end of play Friday, the odds are pretty low Watson will still be playing this weekend.
Sleepers Hanging Around
It's hard not to root for Danny Lee, the 25-year-old golfer making just his second appearance at Augusta after an embarrassing showing last time. His only other Masters appearance came in 2009, when he missed the cut after shooting an 81 in Round 2, including a six-putt on the 10th hole.
The mockery was his lasting memory from his last appearance as well as a driving force to return, per Alex Myers of Golf Digest:
"I was very disappointed about it, but Adam Scott and Trevor was just laughing at me. I was like, seriously guys? [...]
After I made the winning putt at the Greensboro Classic, all I was thinking about was coming back to this place. And now it's finally here. I got here a little bit early last Thursday and played a lot of practice rounds. You can't ask for any better golf course. I'm having a blast out here.
"
He is making the most of his appearance with a 68 in Round 1 and is closing in on a solid performance in Round 2. Although last year's PGA Championship was the only major in which he has ever made the cut, he is in good shape in this one.
Meanwhile, players like Paul Casey, Shane Lowry, Scott Piercy, Soren Kjeldsen and others remain in the hunt as Day 2 continues.
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