AUGUSTA, Ga. — We've hit the midway point at the 89th edition of the Masters, and plenty of golfers were scrambling to make the weekend at Augusta National. One who did not succeed on that front was Brooks Koepka, who imploded on his final hole on Friday afternoon.
Koepka made an eagle at 15, which got him to even par on the day and seemingly in a comfortable position to make the cut. But then he bogeyed No. 17 and quadruple bogeyed the 18th to drop all the way back to 5-over. That was well outside the cut line, and sent him home early.
Other big names who missed the cut include Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, and Adam Scott. Bernhard Langer just barely missed the cut in his 41st and final Masters, too. No amateur made it to the weekend either, with San Diego State University senior Justin Hastings leading the group at 4-over.
The top 50 golfers, and those tied, made the cut after Friday’s round to stay in the running for the green jacket. The cut line officially closed at 2-over.
Justin Rose backed up his 7-under 65 on Thursday with a 1-under 71 on Friday to retain the lead, though it shrunk from three strokes to just one as Bryson DeChambeau's 4-under 68 moved him into second place. Rory McIlroy rallied to get to 6-under too, which has him just two shots back alongside Corey Conners.
The cut officially closed at 2-over on Friday night. Here's a look at those who snuck into the weekend, and the notable golfers who are headed home early.
Just inside the cut line at +2: Charl Schwartzel, Denny McCarthy, J.J. Spaun, Patrick Cantlay, Akshay Bhatia, Jon Rahm, Zach Johnson, Danny Willett, J.T. Poston, Stephan Jaeger, Nick Greyserman, Joaquin Niemann.
Among the notable names who missed the cut:
- Dustin Johnson (+3) - Johnson struggled with a bogey and double-bogey finish, missing the cut for the fourth time in his last six major championship starts. After opening with a 2-over 74, he finished with a 73, leaving him at 3-over for the tournament.
- Russell Henley (+3) - Henley, who has been solid on Tour this spring, fell just short of making the cut despite a strong second round. After a disastrous opening round of 79, he shot a 68 on Friday but missed the cut by just one stroke.
- Bernhard Langer (+3) - In his 41st and final Masters appearance, Langer was two-under for the day and level par overall before a double bogey on the par-5 15th led to his early exit.
- Phil Mickelson (+5) - The three-time Masters champion shot 75-74, marking only the fourth time he has missed the cut in 32 Masters starts.
- Sergio Garcia (+4) - Garcia's struggles continued at Augusta, where he shot 72-76, marking his sixth missed cut in seven starts at the Masters since his 2017 triumph.
- Brooks Koepka (+5) - After a promising eagle on 15, Koepka's round unraveled with a bogey on 17 and a quadruple bogey on 18, marking yet another disappointing finish for the five-time major champion.
- Sepp Straka (+5) - Straka, who entered the week second in the FedEx Cup standings, shot 78-71, missing the cut due to a bogey on 17 and a triple bogey on 18.
- Cameron Smith (+6) - Smith, who has had success at Augusta in the past, struggled with his game this week, finishing 71-78 and missing the cut by four shots.
- Will Zalatoris (+8) - Zalatoris had a disappointing performance, finishing with his worst-ever Masters score after rounds of 74-78.
- Nick Dunlap (+17) - Dunlap opened with a disastrous 90 but showed resilience with a one-under 71 in the second round, still missing the cut.
The absence of these notable players adds an unexpected twist to the tournament, as the field narrows heading into the weekend. With Justin Rose leading the charge, fans will be eager to see if he can maintain his position against a strong field.
As the weekend approaches, the excitement at Augusta National continues to build. Will the leaders hold their ground, or will someone emerge from the pack to challenge for the coveted green jacket? Only time will tell as the Masters unfolds.
