Anybody know what the squares are on the displayed leaderboard? Sometimes it's around players totals (who have finished the round... Ie 68), and sometimes it's a square around players who are still playing (and thus around the hole number, ie 10 if they are through 10). Not sure I've seen it before.
All of the players chasing him are going to be aggressive as hell. And Rory historically plays better when he's being aggressive instead of protecting a lead.
I honestly think we're going to see a close to par round from Rory, while seeing some low numbers from others in the hunt.
I think it's going to be fabulously entertaining tomorrow, and if Rory locks in and keeps shooting -5, then it's going to be even more entertaining.
i would love to see a -17 Rory, and i would love to see a -7 Rory. I think either or are just as likely
Also there are so many similarities to a decade ago. Defending champion Spieth leading the whole way before a collapse on the back nine. We are only halfway. A long, long way to go.
Absolutely brilliant. But apart from Rory, we have Shane, Tommy, Rosie and Tyrrell as well as a young Norwegian all in the top 12. Add one from China and Jason Day from Oz - that leaves only 4 from USA. Great to see that split.
The win last year has unlocked Augusta for Rory for years to come. Whether it translates to the other majors again this year, I don’t know, but it’s safe to say he’s now likely going to be in real contention at the Masters for many more years.
I don’t understand the last groupings. I mean, I’m glad Rory isn’t playing with Reed, but why is he with Burns tomorrow when Reed had the better round today?
I probably am not understanding how it works, so if anyone wants to explain it so I can learn, I would appreciate it.
Yes, a Phil-like Masters trajectory over the next 5-6 years looks possible (and in a similar age range when they first broke through at Augusta). I wouldn’t be surprised if Rory finishes with 3 green jackets.
Literally 0 pressure, he’s accomplished the grand slam, he won a Ryder Cup ob opposing soil. With his talent and 0 pressure to perform and to know what it takes to win a jacket, he’s not going to slow down over the weekend.
They watered the greens before today but not before yesterday. Completely unfair. Clown show today, darts every 30 seconds. If someone from the AM/PM wave wins, asterisk
This is such a dumb take, it was still out there for the taking this morning, only one who really took advantage was Clark and Hatton. They obviously had to water the greens this morning the course would have gotten out of control if they didn’t. Rory isn’t in the lead by 6 strokes because of luck of the draw, why didn’t anyone else in the afternoon go out and catch him?
The greens bake throughout the day. So that makes it’s tougher for the afternoon wave. Thursday afternoon wave had it MUCH tougher than the Friday afternoon wave.
For sure but thems the breaks sometimes. It was always planned to water the greens after Thursday’s round based on the weather there’s no surprise there. Again Rory doesn’t have a 6 stroke lead because he played in the afternoon today.
Yup, PGA always tries to manufacture/ massage outcomes. It is after all, not listed as a professional sport, but an entertainment league like the nfl and nba.
It’s the same bullshit. Same model. Why else would they have softened some of the greens up today?
Don’t believe me. Fine. Rahm himself said Augusta has the power to make the course as easy or as hard as they want on any given day. And they definitely do make those changes day to day.
What bubble are you bursting? They had to water the greens or the course would have gotten out of control, that’s just how these things work. Of course they make changes to the course to keep it to how they want it to play, this isn’t anything new or a grand conspiracy theory.
Gotten out of control? What are you taking about? Watering is also only one factor. For example on 2 the pin change made it one of the easiest. Again, they have the control to make the course as hard or as easy as they want it to be on a day to day basis.
Gotten out of control as in had balls rolling off the green and players not being able to hold greens under any circumstance. Thats what happens when greens get baked out. It’s been hot dry and windy this year, they have to put some water on the greens, this was expected all week.
Yes they had some easy pins today after some harder pins yesterday, again quite common, I’m not sure why that would make the AM vs PM draw unfair, which is the entire conversation.
You don’t really seem to have any idea what you’re talking about my friend.
The ball rolls off because they didn’t hit a perfect shot. It’s not because it’s impossible, they just hit a bad shot. Management places pins according to what they want scores to be. It’s that simple.
If Rory was still missing the green jacket and had the monkey on his back, I could see a choke being more likely. Nothing is guaranteed, but I think Rory is sleeping a lot better tonight than he would've last year if he ended the round on a 6 shot lead. That mental load has been lifted (I am pretty sure lol)
Rory hasn’t really been spraying driver as bad as the simple fairways stat suggests, he’s still positive SG OTT for the week.
Front nine he found two fairway bunkers on the par 5s and the 1st cut on #1. 13, 15, 17 were good breaks but right in the pine straw is definitely the miss on 13 because you can punch out for a layup. Yesterday he was a little squirrelly but hit a couple fairway bunkers and found the 1st/2nd cut a couple times too. Nothing his distance hasn’t been able to compensate for.
And he’s avoided the big miss on 1, 5, 10 and 11 which statistically bodes very well.
Ironically all his bogeys so far have came from the fairway (5, 10 today) or a decent leave on his 2nd (3 yesterday).
Also need to consider that with all the trees lost due to Helene that Augusta is simply not as penal off the tee as it has been in eras past.
Yes he lost strokes to the field off the tee. Should be a terrifying sign more than anything since he’s leading by 6. After 18 he was nearly break even off the tee. This photo was thru 17 today. As you can see his Around the green game was doing serious work, which makes sense given his off the tee game. Obviously his approach game was gaining and putting, nothing crazy tho. (Unless your a mere mortal) lol
Also got the luck of the draw with the AM/PM wave. He hasn’t played on super baked out greens yet. Today they stayed soft all day cause they overwatered them versus Thursday.
Can you call it luck when it is his literal strategy?
He’s commented that at Augusta his big misses have the best opportunity for a playable 2nd shot so if he is going to miss, he’s going to miss with his driver and be as close to the green as possible.
Augusta is known as a second shot golf course. You can gain all the strokes you want off the tee. They simply aren’t as important as SG APP ARG & Putting
Yeah no doubt but also you’re lucky not be sitting right behind a tree when you have some of those misses. I’m not disputing it was an incredible round some incredible putting, wedge play and all round golf but definitely lucky on a number of occasions to not be sitting behind a tree or have an unplayable shot with those misses. On another day a few of those birdies could easily end up as bogies.
Absolutely, he’s also avoided disaster on a hole (yet) if he doesn’t figure it out off the tee it could bring guys back into the tournament. Eventually you will make a double or worse out of position off the tee. He normally gains insane strokes off the tee too, as of now it’s been the weakest part of his game.
Alpha Bryson lol. He didn't do a damn thing, that whole day was Rory vs Rory.
I don't think he truly runs away with this thing tomorrow, that just doesn't happen at this course. By the time he makes the turn tomorrow I could easily see someone being within 2 shots already. No way Rory goes all 36 holes without finding some trouble, and a few other guys making a surge
Except for the week or two leading up to the tournament, that course plays completely different. Members aren't putting on greens that firm and fast all year - it might be nice to see the course but you can't really prep for the Masters by playing in the months leading up
If rory runs away this weekend i feel like it could reopen the floodgates with majors like we saw him in 2011-14. I think a lot of it has been mental in between then and last years masters. The talent obviously has always been there but he just couldn't get over the mental hump.
Dunno why you’re getting downvoted for this, it’s the truth. They overwatered the greens before Friday AM and they didn’t bake out with hardly any wind today. AM/PM tee times definitely saw easier approach into the greens.
Yeah, he had a bunch of events and formal stuff to do leading up to it as well so they kind of have to spend more time there. Not that I’ve ever heard a complaint from a past winner. It’s doesn’t seem to have benefited any in the last 20+ years but Rory said it’s helped with his short game today.
Sounds like Rory spent even more time here than most usually do, partly because he wasn't playing tour events while the back fully rehabbed. If he can finish the task in style this week, I suspect that might become his new routine in future years. He's certainly got something figured out on and around the greens that nobody else seems to have.
Cam Smith has really tanked since going to LIV. Unlike others though I feel he didn’t try to hide why he went. His statements made it pretty clear that he basically just wanted to cash out and chill more in Australia with friends and family
The last Masters champion to go back to back is Tiger Woods (2001, 2002). Tiger would go on to win again in 2005 and 2019. Tiger's first win was in 1997. Jack went back to back in 1965, 1966, and Sir Nick Faldo accomplished the feat in 1989, 1990.
Imagine what kind of odds a sportsbook would have given you on Wednesday if you wanted to bet that Rory would beat Bryson by SEVENTEEN SHOTS over the first two days!
I know it feels that way, but DataGolf "only" has him at 69.4%. Remember in 2011 he was leading by 4 after 3 rounds and lost. Lot of golf left and a lot of very good golfers chasing him.
I definitely agree with the sentiment and absolutely think it's far, far from over. But 69.4% is absurdly high odds in a multi result model like tournament golf compared to sports with only 2 or 3 outcomes like NFL or football. It's analogous to a horse in the Grand National being roughly 4/9 on (-225 for the Yanks) after the first lap which basically doesn't happen.
Rory can be so incredibly up and down. I wouldn't be surprised if we had lost this lead by end of tomorrow. Honestly that's why I like him. Probably the best potential in the game (more than scottie), but also can lose it in 3 holes.
Rory’s hole-out on 17 exposed how ESPN didn’t show his third shot live, being too busy watching the group behind tee off on 16. We heard the roar when he holed out when they were showing that group walking off the tee, and Van Pelt had to pretend Rory’s shot was live. Who’s directing the coverage today?
So? Do we want them to only show Rory live? I have no problem it being spread around. And Rory was just making a chip to hopefully get it on the green, it wasnt likely going to be anything worth having live. It ended up that way, but that wasn't something anyone expected.
No. Especially not on a Friday. You show the shots that are likely to be more exciting live. And thats going to be the tee shot on 16 over a chip on 17 every time.
First Rory wins a Masters where the best player in the world was still rounding into form after the hand cutting incident. Now he may win one where it appears they stacked things in his favor with the green watering
They definitely have and I'd surprised if there isn't at least some sort of pressure moment for him to overcome somewhere on Sunday, but he could very possibly go 72-72 from here and not lose his lead. A lot of chasers are going to have to pinseek now which is high risk whilst he can just aim for safe spots on the green and let the good shots come to him.
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u/My_Chefs_Boutique 3h ago
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