How Tiger Woods inspired Phil Mickelson

Who’s on top of the leaderboard in the final round of golf’s newest tournament?

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AUGUSTA, Ga. — A long day in the small window of daylight that comes with a Masters Tournament in November didn’t settle anything except that Dustin Johnson is playing like a top player and Justin Thomas has finally figured out Augusta National. RELATED: Leaderboard | Johnson, Thomas take share of lead | McIlroy bounces back They were among four players atop the leaderboard Friday when the second round was halted by darkness, a product of the most unusual Masters ever trying to catch up from a three-hour weather delay at the start. Among those still on the course was Tiger Woods, stuck in neutral on a day when the greens picked up a little more speed and the autumn leaves shook slightly with some wind. Bryson DeChambeau was struggling to make the cut after a lost ball that led to a triple bogey. Abraham Ancer, one of 26 newcomers to the Masters, ran off six birdies in his round of 5-under 67 that allowed him to join Johnson (70) and Thomas (69) as part of the clubhouse lead at 9-under 135. Also tied was Cameron Smith of Australia, who played his last four holes with an eagle and three straight birdies for a 68. Another Masters rookie, Sungjae Im (70), was in the group another shot behind that included Patrick Cantlay (66), who contended for the green jacket last year. "You have to really throw all the past knowledge out the window this week, as weird as it is," Thomas said. "A lot of the history and things that you know about the golf course, it can sometimes hurt you this week because of what you’re used to. But at the end of the day, it is a lot softer and a lot more scorable." He served up one example from Friday morning when he was among 44 players who had to finish his opening round. Thomas was well left of the 15th green in two with the pin to the right, leaving a pitch that typically is nearly impossible to hit close. He hit a hard, low pitch that hit the brakes at the hole and spun gently to tap-in range for birdie. "I had to trust that I just had to gas it and hit it pretty hard and it was going to spin," Thomas said. "Balls are making pitch marks with chip shots and pitch shots." Johnson was among three players to finish one shot behind Woods at the last Masters, and he appeared to be hitting his stride with four birdies on the back nine to cap off a 65 in the morning. That gave him a share of the 18-hole lead with Dylan Frittelli and Paul Casey. Johnson quickly became the first player this week to reach 10 under with three birdies around Amen Corner. But then he had some mud on his ball — that’s not unusual this week — that sent his ball to an impossible shelf on the 14th green, leading to a three-putt bogey. Next, his 3-iron caught a small gust on the par-5 15th, and that was enough to hit the front of the green and roll back into the water. That led to bogey. Momentum gone? Johnson shrugged. But he followed with 11 straight pars — shots in the bunker cost him good birdie chances on the par 5s on the front nine — until stuffing his last approach to 6 feet for birdie on No. 9. After a wet start, the forecast was shaping up for a nice weekend, and there was a buzz at Augusta National on Friday. It wasn’t from the crowd — no patrons were allowed this year — but from the motors of the sub-air system. "I think it can firm up a little bit, but it’s going to be tough for it to get firm," Johnson said. "I think it’s going to be soft enough to where you're going to have to attack the golf course and play aggressive and keep swinging like I am. I like where I'm at. I like my position." Of those still on the course, Hideki Matsuyama was at 8 under with three holes to play, while Jon Rahm birdied the par-3 12th hole to reach 8 under when play was suspended. Woods left the course on Thursday with only three players ahead of him. He was tied for 10th when the first round ended, and he was tied for 22nd when he left Friday night with two birdies on the par 5s and bogeys on the third and seventh, the latter from a tee shot close enough to the Georgia pines that his only shot was to hit a runner into the front bunker. DeChambeau, the betting favorite coming into the week because of his enormous bulk and power off the tee, took a big swing on No. 3 and never found the ball. With the altitude on his shots, it could have buried under the soft turf. Either way, he went back to the tee and drove in about the same spot, made a mess of his flop shot and took a triple bogey. He followed with two more bogeys but was in good position for a birdie to get back to even par for the tournament. The cut is top 50 and ties, and among those who will be sticking around are young and old — 23-year-old U.S. Amateur runner-up John Augenstein and 63-year-old Bernhard Langer. The two-time Masters champion shot 68 in the morning on a long, soft course. He followed with a 73 and will be the oldest player to make the cut at Augusta National. "It actually makes me feel older when I play with these young guys and I see how far they hit it and how short I hit it," Langer said. "I like this golf course. I think I know how to get around it, even though I hit very long clubs. But it's certainly not easy." It was plenty hard for Rory McIlroy, who opened with a 75 and was in danger of the weekend off until he rallied with a 66 to at least get back in the mix in his pursuit of the final leg of the career Grand Slam.

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If you’ve never played Augusta National Golf Club, take a moment to daydream that you will. Now imagine that you’re competing in the Masters. How would you approach the experience? Did you determine why the par-4 first hole is so hard? Were you in a position to understand the optical illusion of the massive fairway bunker on the par-4 10th? Did you figure out the nuance of positioning in the fairway on the par-5 13th? And then there’s all of the intel gleaned from putting some of the slickest and most undulating surfaces on the planet. If there’s a secret at the home of the only major that doesn’t migrate, it’s personal experience, and there’s only one way to acquire it. Since the most accomplished in the sport compete here annually, experience has proven to be the most valuable component among winners and contenders. This Power Rankings slots all 87 in the field, equal to the smallest gathering of the last 22 editions. Scroll past the groupings for what the field already knows about Augusta National, what’s new and more. WILD CARD Phil Mickelson … Who else? With no top 35s in his last five starts upon arrival and without a top 20 at Augusta National since a T2 in 2015, expectations must remain tempered. The counterargument is that he’s wanted to target courses that allow him the best chance to succeed, which means competing where there’s little rough. That’s easier said than done as he’s needed to stay warm, but the absence of something positive as one of the nearest objects in the rearview mirror is reason for mild concern. CHALLENGERS There’s never enough room for everyone to popular a Power Rankings, but none of these guys did anything that’s warranted abandoning elevated expectations. Think of this group as the Draws that would normally appear in my Fantasy Insider column. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (years of Masters victories, where applicable; # – second appearance) Tommy Fleetwood Bryson DeChambeau Webb Simpson Brandt Snedeker #Xander Schauffele Ian Poulter Adam Scott (winner: 2013) #Tony Finau Charley Hoffman #Cameron Smith Charl Schwartzel (winner: 2011) Matthew Fitzpatrick Branden Grace SLEEPERS This usually gets stand-alone space on Tuesdays, and it goes only five deep. It’s expanded by just one with a small field. Each presents a certain level of cachet and intrigue. No two are alike. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (# – second appearance) Patrick Cantlay Kiradech Aphibarnrat Stewart Cink Thorbjørn Olesen Kevin Na #Hao Tong Li TWEENERS None of these guys can be mistaken as a Sleeper for various reasons, but each packs potential despite little support that normally would lift him higher on the page. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (best finish, year) Keegan Bradley (T22, 2015) Kevin Kisner (T28, 2018) Billy Horschel (T17, 2016) Rafa Cabrera Bello (T17, 2016) Gary Woodland (T24, 2011) Fred Couples (Win, 1992) J.B. Holmes (T4, 2016) Si Woo Kim (T24, 2018) Zach Johnson (Win, 2007) Emiliano Grillo (T17, 2016) Tyrrell Hatton (T44, 2018) QUESTION MARKS With due respect to all of the guys listed here, each appears with doubt on his résumé. Whether it’s current form, age or the absence of an inspiring track record, there’s reason not to get too excited about the possibilities. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (years of Masters victories, where applicable; # – second appearance; * – debutant) Charles Howell III Jimmy Walker Martin Kaymer Shane Lowry Alex Noren Kyle Stanley *Eddie Pepperell *Matt Wallace *Keith Mitchell Danny Willett #Corey Conners *Justin Harding Bernhard Langer (winner: 1985, 1993) *Aaron Wise Vijay Singh (winner: 2000) #Patton Kizzire #Satoshi Kodaira Trevor Immelman (winner: 2008) Ã�ngel Cabrera (winner: 2009) Mike Weir (winner: 2003) DEBUTANTS (not ranked above) It’s the kind of fact that you’ve likely seen in a trivia contest. Only three of the 82 winners prevailed in a first appearance at Augusta National: Horton Smith (1934; inaugural edition), Gene Sarazen (1935) and Fuzzy Zoeller (1979). There are 17 first-timers in this year’s field, 11 of whom are professionals. Last year’s crop of professional debutants went 4-for-10 with one top 25 (Tony Finau, T10). Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (Official World Golf Ranking) Kevin Tway (98) Lucas Bjerregaard (43) Andrew Landry (128) Shugo Imahira (77) Adam Long (108) Michael Kim (330) AMATEURS Six amateurs automatically qualify for the Masters. Each much retain his amateur status to compete in the tournament. Given the mountain of challenges, it’s not so much about chasing victory as it is the probable once-in-a-lifetime experience that qualification makes possible. Yet, the Silver Cup, which is awarded to the low amateur who survives the 36-hole cut, is claimed almost every year. In 2018, Doug Ghim earn the hardware with a T50. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (World Amateur Golf Ranking) Viktor Hovland (3) Ã�lvaro Ortiz (69) Takumi Kanaya (7) Kevin O’Connell (47) Jovan Rebula (39) Devon Bling (115) LEGACY Win the Masters and you’re exempt for life, and you never take the place of another competitor because there are no alternates. It’s a great place to be for any professional golfer of a certain age. With Craig Stadler (2014), Ben Crenshaw (2015), Tom Watson (2016) and Mark O’Meara (2018) concluding their careers in the tournament, only four previous winners at least 50 years of age and no longer active on any world tour are committed this week. Ranked in order of Rob’s confidence (years of Masters victories) Larry Mize (winner: 1987) Sandy Lyle (winner: 1988) José Maria Olazábal (winner: 1994, 1999) Ian Woosnam (1991) Augusta National’s challenges are as consistent and reliable as its beauty and splendor. While precision into defined landing areas off the tee is preferred, golfers who can move it are benefited as fairways are as generous as the second (read: longer) cut of grass. Last year’s field averaged over nine (of 14) fairways hit on the stock par 72. That’s comfortably within the top-half easiest of any course measured on the PGA TOUR. The inverse relationship between freedom and inflexibility begins on approach into large targets guarded by sizable bunkers and unyielding run-offs. This combination of the tee-to-green dichotomy is why Augusta National is a second-shot test. Hitting GIR is all but a prerequisite for success. Consider that last year’s field average a little over 11 per round – 12th-lowest of all courses last season – before recording the fifth-lowest scrambling rate and fifth-highest putts per GIR. (ShotLink technology isn’t used at the Masters.) The par 3s and the par 4s are just plain hard. The par-4 fifth hole, which typically ranks among the top-half hardest holes on the course, will displace a handful of even harder holes this year. Since Patrick Reed slipped on the green jacket last year, a new tee was constructed that’s extended the hole by 40 yards to 495 yards. The course now lists at 7,475 yards, longest of its 83 editions. The four par 5s aren’t easy, but they’re gettable and must be exploited. Reed proved this by leading his field in par-5 scoring average last year at 4.19. He played them in bogey-free 13-under with two eagles. While experience at Augusta National is a priority, it’s meaningless without talent. And almost as much the club can use its SubAir system to dial in green speeds, which are not publicized, the course has served as a factory for breakthroughs in majors. Seven of the last eight winners, including each of the last four, were first-time major champions. It doesn’t hurt that the tiny field on the tony track is subject to a favorable cut. At the conclusion of 36 holes, the low 50 plus ties and all within 10 strokes of the lead will play another 36 holes. After a line of thunderstorms passed through on Monday afternoon, the SubAir system likely will be called into duty. Rain might fall again in between the first two rounds, if not early on Friday as well. The threat will return overnight on Saturday and extend into Sunday. Winds will freshen with each episode. Daytime highs will eclipse 80 degrees. In short, a textbook spring forecast in the Southeast. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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