Masters Cut Line 2021: Latest Projections After Thursday's Leaderboard Analysis

Before some of the top golfers in the world set their sights on chasing down Justin Rose at The Masters, they need to avoid missing the cut. 

Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas and reigning champion Dustin Johnson were among the players who struggled in their first 18 holes around Augusta National Golf Club.

No member of the trio is out of contention for the win yet, but to get into a position to pounce, they must be better on Friday. 

The top 50 players and ties make it through to the weekend. At the end of Thursday's round, everyone at two over or better would make the cut.

The full leaderboard with Rose on top can be found here at Masters.com.

Cut Projections

Dustin Johnson Rebounds From Slow Start

Three years ago, Johnson rebounded from a similar slow start to have a shot at contending on the weekend. 

The 36-year-old opened the 2018 Masters with a 73 and then put together a score that was five strokes better on Friday. 

If Johnson cleans up a few mistakes, he has an opportunity to work back over the even-par mark and get closer to the top 10. The reigning champion dropped three shots with a bogey at No. 16 and a double bogey at No. 18. 

After the round, Johnson admitted that he felt "relaxed" on the course and the high score was a product of the tough conditions, per ESPN.com's Bob Harig.

"No additional pressure," Johnson said. "If anything, I'm a little more relaxed out there. Today, it just played tough.''

Johnson's overall form at Augusta over the last few years suggests that a second-round rebound is in the cards. 

Dating back to 2018, Johnson has not carded consecutive rounds at 71 or above. The worst 36-hole stretch he had in that time was back-to-back 70s in 2019.

Justin Thomas Benefits From Steady Back 9

Thomas did not fare well on the opening nine, as he bogeyed the second, fifth and seventh holes. 

The 27-year-old stabilized his round on the back nine to move within one shot of even par. The consistency shown on Thursday's back nine should lay the ground work for Thomas to improve his overall score on Friday. 

In 2018, Thomas followed a similar opening path as Johnson, and the same thing occurred in 2019. 

In both of those tournaments, the American golfer improved his second round score by at least five strokes compared to his opening mark. In 2018, he started 74-67. In 2019, he went 73-68 over 36 holes. 

Thomas benefited from the low Friday scores in both competitions to finish inside the top 20. He has three straight top-20 placings at Augusta, including a fourth-place finish in November. 

If Thomas brings that same consistency to Friday's round, he should finish above even par and be in a good position to make a run on Saturday.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from PGATour.com.