Brooks Koepka took benefit of best morning scoring circumstances to place the LIV Golf flag a commanding 4 pictures clear on the prime of the Masters’ early second-round leaderboard on Friday, as rain and thunderstorms took intention at Augusta National.
Koepka, who shared the in a single day lead with Norway’s Viktor Hovland and Spain’s Jon Rahm, returned a spotless five-under 67 to set a 12-under goal for the afternoon wave that headed out beneath menacing skies.
Amateur Sam Bennett continued to be the Augusta shock bundle lurking 4 again with two to play whereas Hovland and Rahm had been simply underway with work in entrance of them sitting 5 off the tempo.
Resurgent Jason Day had seemed poised to problem Koepka till he stumbled to a double-bogey, bogey, par, bogey end for a disappointing 72 that put the Australian within the clubhouse seven behind.
Start occasions had been pushed forward by half-hour in an effort to get as a lot play in as potential earlier than forecasted thunderstorms sweep into Augusta.
Scoring is anticipated to get far tougher on Friday, significantly for late starters like Rahm, who’s within the second to final group out.
While Rahm, winner of three occasions already this season, was all the time anticipated to contend on the yr’s first main, Koepka was not.
But the four-time main winner, who’s match once more after struggling plenty of harm woes, has emerged because the chief of the LIV Golf contingent.
Koepka did all his harm on Augusta National’s 4 par-five holes on Friday, recording three birdies and an eagle whereas taking a single bogey by means of two rounds.
“I just take it one shot at a time, one hole at a time, whatever I got in front of me,” mentioned Koepka. “I’m just interested in the shot I’m looking to hit at that current moment.
“It’s just up to me whether I play good or not. Simple.”
As Koepka was placing the ending touches on his spherical, five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods was teeing off.
Woods, who has by no means missed the Masters reduce as an expert, will doubtless want to enhance on his opening spherical 74 if he’s to maintain his streak alive.
Even in Thursday’s excellent circumstances, Woods slumped to his worst opening spherical since 2005 and with the rain and chilly positive to place his surgically repaired leg to a fair greater take a look at, he might want to discover a number of the Augusta magic that earned him 5 Green Jackets.
Woods, who almost misplaced his proper leg in a 2021 automotive crash, was within the fourth final group with Hovland and Xander Schauffele.
Rory McIlroy was unable to make the most of an early begin as his bid to finish the profession Grand Slam was once more slipping away.
Making his ninth try to affix the unique membership the Northern Irishman was four-over by means of 14 holes and in peril of lacking the projected reduce of two-over.