Round 2 Masters grades
— -- AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Ah, back again, are ya? Then I guess I have to give you what you want. You might not like it sometimes -- like medicine -- but in the long run, it'll be good for you. And you know you'll be back for more because you need it.
I find that Friday's grades are the hardest because: (A) I grade the golfers against their performance Thursday; (B) I grade Friday as its own stand-alone day; or (C) I do whatever I want and let y'all be mad either way?
You already know the answer, don't you? I give you Friday's grades!
Adam Scott World Ranking: No. 2 | Scores: 69-72
He made the turn with a D grade, but what champions do better than others is find a way to turn what should be a 76 into a 72. And don't even get me started on how he spent much of the day proving that the anchored putting stroke can't help putting from inside 10 feet. With all that, he's 4 shots off the lead and in position to have an epic showdown with Bubba Watson on Sunday. Please play well enough to make that happen!
Henrik Stenson World Ranking: No. 3 | Score: 73-72
He showed some real fight with the birdies on the 13th and 15th holes Friday, though a bogey on 16 killed the momentum. He's trending in a positive direction. If only he could get the putter going a little bit more. He's still close enough to get in position to get a top-10 finish; the question for him will be: On Moving Day, which way is he going to move?
Jason Day World Ranking: No. 4 | Scores: 75-73
A 3-shot improvement from Round 1 and it was all because of the putter. Round 1 had 32 putts. Round 2? It was 29. And because of that, he'll make the cut by the skin of his teeth. Going into the weekend, Day's got to find more than six fairways a round. Though winning his first major might not be possible this year, two good rounds might get him a top-10 finish.
Phil Mickelson World Ranking: No. 5 | Scores: 76-73
Last night he earned an I (Incomplete) because I felt he wasn't prepared properly. Round 2 started relatively steady and when he made birdie on the eighth hole, I thought, "Hmph, he just might be OK." A bogey at 9 and triple-bogey on 12 crushed those hopes. Masters weekend with no Phil or Tiger? Better start watching for a plague of frogs!
Sergio Garcia World Ranking: No. 6 | Scores: 74-75
More fairways, more greens, but same old Sergio with more putts as well. How is it that the only two birdies he makes Friday (on holes 7 and 11) are on two of the toughest holes on the course, yet in eight tries through two rounds on the par-5s, he can manage only two birdies? I have a really bad feeling that Sergio is going to stay that "best player to never win a major" guy and it's his putter's fault.
Bubba Watson World Ranking: No. 12 | Score: 69-68
Twenty-six holes of bogey-free golf around this temple is impressive enough. Making five straight birdies from the 12th to the 16th brought Sunday roars out on Friday. The bogey on the 18th prevents me from giving him the + next to that A, but at least he has something to strive toward on Saturday and Sunday. If Bubba plays like this on the weekend, he'll win by 7 shots in a massacre.
Keegan Bradley World Ranking: No. 18 | Scores: 75-78, MC
Even the Jumpman golf shoes (Nike Jordans) couldn't save the game he brought to Augusta this week. On the 15th tee it looked like he wouldn't even break 80 in the second round. Lucky for him three birdies coming home saved him that indignity. This is a second-shot golf course with severe greens. Bradley hit only six on Friday. Epic fail.
Jim Furyk World Ranking: No. 22 | Scores: 74-68
The tour's ultimate grinder did exactly what is required to get yourself in position on a Friday. The man who went 14-for-14 in fairways hit also went 14-for-18 in greens in regulation. Twenty-eight putts means a bogey-free 68 and a late tee time Saturday. I don't know that his grinding style can hold up on the weekend, but he sure did show a bunch of guys what can be done at the Masters when you "blue collar" it!