Brooks Koepka opened up a three-stroke lead on the sector in a tumultuous day on the 87th Masters which noticed the second spherical halted when a mini twister hit Augusta Nationwide, inflicting three large pine timber to come back down by the seventeenth tee, narrowly avoiding a significant catastrophe, though thankfully no gamers or spectators had been injured.
The forecast electrical storm failed to totally materialise, however there was sufficient rain to droop play for 20 minutes at 3.10pm, earlier than robust gust of wind then triggered three 100-foot pines to come back crashing down simply yards from the place a whole lot of followers had been watching the motion on Augusta’s sixteenth and seventeenth holes. The dramatic motion was caught stay on air, and it was solely pure luck which prevented fatalities and severe damage.
A horn sounded instantly after the timber had fallen to droop play and one other adopted shortly after at 4.25pm to sign the return of thunderstorms within the space. Play for the day was ultimately referred to as off at 5.45pm.
With 39 gamers nonetheless but to finish their second spherical, the half-way lower is but to be recognized, though it’s prone to be round +3, which can rule out pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy, who slumped to a second spherical 77 to complete on +5, ending what slight hopes his supporters would have harboured of the 33-year-old Northern Irishman attaining the profession grand slam this yr, or ending a drought within the majors that goes again to 2014.
However none of that can hassle LIV golfer Brooks Koepka, who added a second spherical 67 to his opening 65 to steer on 12 underneath from Jon Rahm on -9 and shock package deal Sam Bennett, a 23-year-old American beginner making his Masters debut, who’s on -8.
Rahm birdied 8 and 9 to get to 9 underneath earlier than play was halted, whereas Viktor Hovlan, who shared the first-round lead on -7, has dropped again to -6 after 10 holes.
Collin Morikawa, the 2021 Open champion, shot one other 69 to maneuver to share that spot with Hovland, with Jordan Spieth Jason Day a shot behind on 5 underneath. Day had reached -9 after 15 holes, however dropped pictures at every of the final 4 holes as his contact with the putter abandoned him. Defending champion and world primary Scottie Scheffler additionally struggled with the putter as he carded a three-over 75 to depart him on one underneath, and seemingly unlikely to be retaining his inexperienced jacket.
Heavy rain, stronger winds and colder temperatures are forecast on Saturday and will show pivotal in deciding who wins. There have solely ever been 5 Monday finishes within the Masters’ 89-year historical past however, regardless of sunnier climate returning on Sunday, there may be the true prospect this could possibly be the primary since 1983.
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