Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy’s searches for a green jacket will have to wait at least another year after both failed to make the cut in Augusta.
Many in the golf world thought that if there was a year in which McIlroy, a four-time Grand Slam champion, could finally complete the Grand Slam, now was the time.
McIlroy had seven top-10 finishes in his last nine Masters and finished second last year after a final round of 64. Although it was a year ago, he thought that was the momentum for 2023.
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However, that was not the case. Normally a slow start at Augusta, he shot 72 pars in the first round. But Friday was a disaster. He bogeyed seven holes and won a stroke just twice on the day, resulting in a 5-for-77.
When play was called off Friday, Thomas was sitting in a good spot at 2-under that day. However, he was unable to acclimatize to the bad weather and started early on Saturday morning. He double bogeyed 11 and then bogeyed four more of the last seven holes. From holes 11 through 18, he was 5-over-par, and his 42 on the back nine completed a 6-over-78 for the round.
Thomas even looked like he would make the cut on the 16th hole. His bogey on the 17th put Tiger Woods inside the cut line and Thomas on the edge of it. But when he too bogeyed at 18 it resulted in an early finish.
MASTERS LEADER BROOKS KOEPKA AVOIDS PENALTY AFTER FIRST ROUND CONTROVERSY
Bryson DeChambeau (4+), 2016 champion Danny Willett (6+), 2017 champion Sergio Garcia (7+) and two-time champion Bubba Watson (9+) will also return home early.
Fred Couples, 63, became the oldest player to make the cut in tournament history, and fan Sam Bennett not only made the cut, but is in the final third-round pool.
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Over two rounds, Brooks Koepka (12-under) led Jon Rahm by two shots.