Rd. 2 Masters notebook: Different Bubba, Rd. 3 tee times, Reed lurking

AUGUSTA, Ga. – A year ago, Bubba Watson missed the cut at the Masters after shooting a second-round 8-over 80, his highest-ever single-round score here since he started competing at Augusta National in 2008.

This Friday, it was a much different – and much better – performance.

The two-time Masters champ shot an even-par 72 in the second round, leaving him at 1 under through 36 holes and with a tee time for Saturday’s third round.

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It’s further indication that he’s starting to regain his groove after a lengthy recovery process following knee surgery in the summer of 2022 to repair a torn meniscus.

“It was a different time,” the RangeGoats GC captain said. “Still battling, trying to get back 100% on the leg. I was 100% health-wise but just to get it stronger.

“I’ve been working hard this offseason, and we think it’s pretty close now. Golf has showed that. … We’re in a better spot than last year.”

Watson suffered three early bogeys but bounced back with a birdie at the par-3 second and an eagle at the par-5 eighth, sinking a 30-foot putt after he found the green in two.

He’s hoping to make some noise this weekend but is worried that his two three-putts this week – including on Friday at the fifth hole when he missed a short par putt – may come back to haunt him.

“Most winners don’t have three-putts,” Watson said. “So there’s a few things that I wish was better. But I always think I have a chance, especially around this place.”

Round 3 tee times for LIV Golf League players (all times ET)

REED QUIETLY LURKING

4Aces GC star Patrick Reed wasn’t happy with his putter in the opening round. He might be feeling a little better about it after two days.

Reed’s 2-under 70 moved him to 3 under for the tournament and in a tie for 12th as he seeks his second Masters win. It’s his best position after 36 holes in the last five years.

Reed average 1.50 putts per hole on Friday, an improvement on his 1.67 average the previous day that included one three-putt. (He had none in the second round).

Of course, it helps when you chip in for eagle, which Reed did on the second hole to get his round off to a flying start. He played the remainder of the 16 holes at even par, with three birdies and three bogeys.

RAHM RALLIES

After an opening 3-over 75, Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm knew he had work to do just to make the cut. It wasn’t easy, but his grind of a day produced a 1-under 71 that gave him a chance to make the cut at 2 over.

Now he’s hoping for a big move on Saturday; his target score is a 6-under 66 or better.

“I can let myself try to somehow make a positive out of that, enjoy it, because looked rough there for a little bit,” said the 2023 Masters champ. “You made it to the weekend. It wouldn’t be the first time somebody teeing off on Saturday morning posts a score.”

Rahm entered the week feeling good about his game, with top 10s in each of his first five LIV Golf starts this season and ranking third in the season-long points race. He said his scores haven’t reflected how well he’s swinging the club.

“It feels very close,” Rahm said. “I wish I could explain it. There’s a lot of good swings that I just haven’t gotten the reward I thought I was going to get, but it feels a lot cosder than the score reflects.”

CHARL’S ‘STUPID’ BOGEYS

Stinger GC’s Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champ, had a rollercoaster second round, with six birdies, six pars and six bogeys en route to an even-par 72 that left him at 2 over and barely inside the cut line.

“Today was a big scrappy,” he said. “A few bad iron shots, so I made stupid bogeys.”

He referenced his bogey at the closing hole, the par-4 18th, as an example. His drive found the middle of the fairway, but his golf ball had mud on it for his approach shot. Instead of making the adjustment, he opted to stick with his game plan – and his ball landed in the patrons’ seats left of the green.

“I know it’s mud,” he explained. “I see it but I don’t trust it. I don’t trust that it’s going to throw it left, so I still aim for the wind. But mud is must stronger than any wind.

“There’s just things that I know that I can see but I don’t calculate and react to it.”

It was his second consecutive bogey on the final hole. It was the final dagger of a back nine that started out promising with a birdie at 10 – his fourth during a seven-hole stretch – but turned poorly after back-to-back bogeys. His approach at 14 was a foot short of his target, and it turned a potential 10-foot birdie putt into a ball rolling off the green. At the 15th, he was again a foot short and found the water.

“It’s one foot this way, one foot that way makes a big difference,” he said. “… Small margins.”

BROOKS’ TOUGH FINISH

With two holes left Friday, Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka was in position to lock up a spot for the weekend. He was 2 under on his round after an eagle at the par-5 15th, and even par for the tournament.

But then disaster struck.

His approach shot at the 17th came up short and rolled off the front of the green and he couldn’t get up-and-down for par.

It then got worse on the par-4 18th.

His tee shot sailed left into the trees, forcing him to re-tee. He then four-putted – including one putt from off the green – for a quadruple-bogey eight, his worst single hole at the Masters.

It left him at 5 over for the tournament as he suffered his fourth missed cut in his last six starts at Augusta National.

(Photos by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)

Quick Hits

Bryson DeChambeau leads the field in dricing distance with a 331.6 yard average. He also has the longest drive at 358.6 yards on the fifth hole Friday. …

DeChambeau is the only player in the field to shoot in the 60s in each of the first two rounds. …

Tough back nine for Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith, who was even par on his round at the turn before suffering a bogey at the 10th, a double at the 11th, then bogeys at 13, 16 and 17 to shoot 78 and miss the cut at 5 over. …

Smith, to no one’s surprise, led the field in putting average for the first two rounds (1.39 per hole) …

HyFlyers GC Captain Phil Mickelson also finished poorly after playing his way inside the cut line. Mickelson suffered a double bogey at the 15th and bogeys at 16 and 18 to shoot 74 and finish at 5 over. …

4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson dropped three shots on the last two holes to miss the cut by a stroke. …

The back nine also took its toll on Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, who suffered bogeys at 10, 13 and 18 and a double at 15. But he managed to make the cut on the number at 2 over.