Masters 2016: Predictions, Live Stream and TV Coverage Hub for Saturday
It looked like Jordan Spieth was set to make the Masters his own personal playground as the second round got underway.
Building on his first round score of 66, Spieth birdied two of the first four holes Friday and it looked like a runaway was at hand.
That all came to a halt at the fifth hole. Spieth's putter, perhaps the most valuable tool in his golf bag, let him down on that hole, and he had an shocking four-putt for a double-bogey. Suddenly, the rest of the field perked up and had hope, working under the theory that the Texas native would not embark on his second consecutive Masters rout.
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Spieth would oblige the rest of the way. While his score had reached eight-under after the fourth hole, he was back to four-under by the conclusion of his inconsistent round.
Rory McIlroy, the No. 3 player in the world, seemed to cope with the winds that had impacted the field better than Spieth. He shot a one-under par 71 in the second round and that got him to three-under for the tournament.
McIlroy understands he has strong competition in Spieth and Jason Day, but he wants to return to his best form.
"I want to dominate. I want to go back to the summer of 2014 [when he won back-to-back majors] and play like that for the rest of my career," McIlroy told Ian O'Connor of ESPN.
Spieth and McIlroy will play in the final pairing Saturday, and the golf world will wait with bated breath for those two to tee off at 2:50 p.m. ET.
| CBS | 3 - 7:30 p.m. | 2 - 7 p.m. |
| Live Stream (Masters.com) | April 9 | April 10 |
| Featured Groups | 10:15 a.m. - 7 p.m. | 10:15 a.m. - 7 p.m. |
| Amen Corner | 11:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. | 11:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. |
| Masters - On the Range | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
| Holes No. 15 and No. 16 | 12:30 - 6:30 p.m. | 12:30 - 6:30 p.m. |
| Broadcast | 3 - 7 p.m. | 2 - 7 p.m. |
All times ET. Online coverage available throughout the weekend at Masters.com.
Day, the No. 1 player in the world, came into the Masters in top form. He had won his two most recent tournaments, and his front nine Thursday produced a scintillating 31. He was not able to build on that the rest of the first round or on Friday, but the Australian star is just five strokes behind Spieth at one-over par. He can get himself back into contention on Moving Day with a strong round.
While Spieth and McIlroy have commanded most of the headlines and the highlights to this point in the season's first major, five other players find themselves under par and have a chance to contend at the Masters. Danny Lee and Scott Piercy are tied for third at two under par, while Hideki Matsuyama, Brandt Snedeker and Soren Kjeldsen are tied for fifth at one-under par.
The explanation for just seven players reaching red figures is that the wind has been treacherous each of the first two days. The wind has not been howling from start to finish, but it has been gusting, and that's what has caused problems for everyone in the field. Wind will continue to be a factor in Saturday's round, according to the Weather Channel.
Phil Mickelson, Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel, Zach Johnson and Jason Dufner are among the players who felt the impact of the wind and failed to make the cut at this year's Masters.
Bubba Watson appeared to be in that group after shooting 75-75 in his first two rounds, but he earned his spot to finish the last two rounds when Spieth fell to four under. All players within 10 strokes of the lead made the cut.
Prediction
While Spieth has the lead as he enters the third round, he was not a happy camper throughout much of the second. His normally calm demeanor turned to agitation as he saw his lead diminish over the final 14 holes.
Look for Spieth to get it together by the time he tees off. He may not play a perfect round, but he will get his putting stroke back and that will ensure he has a solid round.
However, McIlroy found his momentum on Friday, and he is going to build off that performance. Look for McIlroy to hit the ball with power and consistency and to make enough birdie putts to take the lead away from Spieth.
Those two will continue to dominate the top of the leaderboard, but their positions will be reversed when Sunday's final round gets underway.
Expect Day to climb up the standings and get into red numbers. Day has not played badly through the first two rounds, but he has had a couple of struggling stretches that impacted his scorecard. He knows he is close enough to get back into contention, and he will take advantage of his opportunity.
Matsuyama and Snedeker are not going to fall apart, either. Those two will remain in contention, and don't be surprised if Dustin Johnson joins them. Johnson shot a one-under 71 in the second round, and he appeared to get more comfortable as the round went along.
While Johnson has had a series of problems in the final rounds of majors in the past, he appears to be in a strong position at even par through 36 holes to overcome those issues here.
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