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LIVE BLOG: Weather Woes Now Impacting Play in Round 2 of Masters

By Brandon Plotnick
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: Weather warning signage sits ready for display during the first round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 06, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Things are going to get very interesting here on Day 2 of the 2023 Masters from Augusta National.

First, let’s catch up. Yesterday was a wild, high-scoring first round, with 36 golfers shooting red numbers. And the top of the leaderboard reads much like the top of the world golf rankings right now.

Brooks Koepka, Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm lead us into the day with two-stroke leads, at 7-under 65.

But what about Friday? Click here for 10 things we expect today.

Expect the unexpected today, and be extremely flexible. Lightning is going to be the other enemy today, as it will cause more delays than the rain itself would.

Enjoy Day 2 of the Masters. It’s going to make for an interesting weekend. Follow along with us all day long.

  • 6 p.m. - Round 2 Officially Suspended

    The Masters - Round Two

    An Augusta National Golf Club member looks over a fallen tree on the 17th hole during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 07, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

    Not that we’re surprised, but Round 2 has been officially suspended until Saturday morning at 8 a.m.

    But things don’t look much better tomorrow.

    Here’s our complete coverage of the halting of play, and the trees falling incident on 17.

  • 5 p.m. - Trees Fell on 17

    The Masters - Round Two

    AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 07: Course officials look over fallen trees on the 17th hole during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 07, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

    A remarkable scene at Augusta National, as trees fell near the 17th hole, leading to the suspension of play. Officials said nobody was hurt.

    High winds started swirling after play had resumed from a lightning delay.

    https://twitter.com/KylePorterCBS/status/1644442204998451204

  • 4:40 p.m. - Rahm Rising and Goodbye Sandy

    While we were dealing with getting that weather alert out there, we had two things come up worth noting.

    First, Jon Rahm got another birdie and moved into sole possession of second place, at 9-under par.

    And second, Sandy Lyle finished his final round at the Masters. Farewell to a legend of the game.

  • 4:23 p.m. - And We're Delayed Again

    Back into a weather delay. Which is probably a good thing, since literal trees are falling at Augusta National.

  • 4:15 p.m. - It's Getting WINDY

    The winds are swirling around Augusta National now, though it looks like any rain or lightning may hold off for at least a couple more hours.

    But that wind is going to change some scores in the next little bit here.

  • 3:50 p.m. - Rahm Gains One

    After stringing together seven straight pars to start his second round, first round co-leader Jon Rahm finally got a birdie on the 8th hole.

    He’s now 8-under, tied for second with amateur Sam Bennett.

    Viktor Hovland is 6-under after giving one back earlier.

  • 3:28 p.m. - Play Set to Resume

    That didn’t take long at all. The 2023 Masters is resuming, after just a 15 minute or so delay for lightning that quickly moved through the area.

    The horn officially sounded at 3:28 p.m. to get things going again. For now anyway.

    And Tiger Woods immediately tapped in a birdie on 8, to get his round back to even par. He’s still 2-over on the tournament.

  • 3:07 p.m. - Masters Play Suspended

    At 3:07 p.m. the horn sounded and play has been suspended at the 87th Masters. The grounds have been evacuated.

    It’s unclear how long the delay will be, but it does look like there is an alley of good weather to resume possibly.

  • 2:50 p.m. - Sam Bennett Having the Time of His Life

    The Masters - Round Two

    Amateur Sam Bennett of the United States reacts on the 18th green during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 07, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

    Amateur Sam Bennett just wrapped up his second-consecutive 4-under, 68 round at Augusta National. Literally only one golfer has played better.

    It’s a remarkable run, that will likely have him in the last pairing or two whenever we get to play a third round.

    Meanwhile, Jon Rahm is even on his round through five holes, he’s at 7-under. Viktor Hovland has given one back and is at 6-under, while Collin Morikawa has finished his round and is 6-under for the tournament.

    With the rain picking up, there’s some nervousness around Augusta National for when the horn may blow to suspend play. And with the national television window looming at 3 p.m., it could get interesting.

  • 2:45 p.m. - Scheffler Drops Back

    Your defending champion is going to need a bit of a miracle to repeat as Masters Champion.

    Scottie Scheffler just finished a 3-over 75 round, putting him at 1-under overall for the tournament. That’s 11 shots back of Brooks Koepka.

    It’s the worst round Scheffler has had at Augusta National.

    The wind is starting to pick up a bit, and the rain is falling.

  • 2:25 p.m. - The Other Round of the Day

    The Masters - Preview Day 2

    Kyoung-Hoon Lee of South Korea walks on the 11th hole during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 04, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

    While Brooks Koepka’s 5-under 67 was the most impressive round (since he’s leading the dang thing), and Sam Bennett is doing remarkable things as an amateur (4-under today, 8-under overall with 2 to play), we want to look back in on Kyoung-Hoon Lee.

    Lee shot a 5-under 67 to put himself squarely back into the hunt, after a 2-over 74 on Thursday.

    Lee had birdies on 1-2-4-9-10-13-15 and bogeys on 5 and 6. Not bad for just your second trip around Augusta National.

  • 2 p.m. - It's About to Get Weird

    The weather is starting to take a turn… slowly yet, but still, it’s about to change.

  • 1:25 p.m. - Hovland With Incredible Save

    Viktor Hovland needs to put some low numbers on the board before the rain comes, but he hasn’t set himself up well yet.

    A 50-foot putt for par has to feel nice though.

    Oh, and Sam Bennett, the amateur…he’s now tied for second at 7-under through 13 holes. Jason Day gave some strokes back and is now -6 through 16.

  • 1 p.m. - And Here We Go

    After a morning that saw Brooks Koepka put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack, the rest of our top players are now on the course, or about to be.

    Koepka just finished his round with a 5-under, 67. He’s now 12-under overall, and three clear of Jason Day at 9-under. Koepka’s 132 is the third-best score EVER going into the weekend.

    Viktor Hovland just teed off, sitting at 7-under, with dark skies off in the distance. Jon Rahm is minutes away from the first tee at 7-under as well.

    And the story of the day belongs to the amateur, Sam Bennett. He’s now 6-under through 11 holes, and in fifth by himself.

    A group of five golfers are at 5-under par, in Collin Morikawa (through 12), Sam Burns (through 10), Jordan Spieth (through 9), Shane Lowry (through 2) and Cameron Young (teeing off at 1:18).

  • 12:15 p.m. - Rory Going the Wrong Way

    The Masters - Round Two

    Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts to his fourth shot on the second hole during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 07, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

    Rory McIlroy just hasn’t had it in this Masters Tournament. He just bogeyed his fourth hole on the front 9, putting him 4-over for the tournament.

    The current cut line is +3, so Rory will need a strong back 9 to get to the weekend.

    On the other side of the spectrum, Jason Day has four birdies and a bogey on his card today, and is now 8-under, in solo second place.

    And Brooks Koepka has another birdie, and is now 12-under. The afternoon golfers have to be getting anxious to get on the course before the weather changes all of this.

  • 11:45 a.m. - Koepka's Lead Grows

    The Masters - Round Two

    Brooks Koepka of the United States plays a shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 07, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

    Another birdie for Brooks Koepka on 13 has his lead up to 4 strokes, as he sits 11-under. He’s fully taking advantage of perfect playing conditions for now.

    Jason Day is through his front 9, and sits at 7-under, after three birdies and a bogey on his card.

    Again, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland do not tee off until this afternoon, when conditions are starting to deteriorate.

     

  • 11:20 a.m. - Look at the New 13

    We’ve talked a little about the changes to No. 13 this year, to help make it longer – and hopefully harder.

    Here’s a look at the new setup. Look how beautiful that tee box is!

  • 10:55 a.m. - Scheffler Struggling

    Scottie Scheffler had about the easiest tournament possible last year, as he cruised to his first Green Jacket. The same can not be said for this one.

    Scheffler did manage a 4-under 68 in Round 1, but so far in Round 2, he’s been frustrated quite a bit.

    On the first, he found a bogey, after he sent his tee shot into the rough right of fairway, and then his second shot landed in the deep green-side bunker. His wedge out wasn’t terrible, but found the slope and rolled too far away for a reasonable par attempt.

    On the Par 5 second hole, Scottie found the bunker on his drive, but did manage to scramble his way to a par after laying up.

    And then again on the Par 4 fourth hole, he flubbed his second flop pitch to the green, leaving him a difficult up and down to save par.

    Meanwhile, amateur Sam Bennett isn’t going away quietly. He has a birdie on his card, and is 5-under, but just hit into the bleachers on 4.

    Collin Morikawa is starting to wake up as well, he just birdied the fourth and is also 5-under on his round.

    They’re all lucky though, as Brooks Koepka just lipped out birdie putts on two holes in a row, and is still 10-under through the front 9.

  • 10:23 a.m. - Brooks Taking Advantage

    With Brooks Koepka the only one of the leaders teeing off early today, he had a golden opportunity to post a score before the weather started to become a factor.

    And with an eagle on the 8th hole, Koepka has done just that. He’s now 10-under for the tournament, and 3-under on the day. He’s three shots clear of Jason Day (who is playing well right now), and Viktor Hovland and Jon Rahm, who don’t tee off until 12:54 p.m. and 1:18 p.m. respectively.

    Also… umm, sorry Phil. We jinxed you.

  • 10:10 a.m. - Changing Stories

    Remember the days of every Masters conversation pretty much being about Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson? My how times have changed.

    With Phil off in the LIV Tour now, and Tiger a shell of the magician he used to be, those conversations are different now.

    Phil is on the course now, and he’s actually off to a nice little start. He’s 2-under on the tournament, and 1-under on his round. Currently tied for 18th.

    Tiger will be out in the afternoon, after limping to a 3-over 75 in Round 1.

    Meanwhile, we mentioned Gary Woodland starting off a nice day moving up the leaderboard. Well, that’s changed too. Woodland has bogies on 5 and 7, and is back down to 3-under, in a tie for 13th.

    Oh, and Jason Day… he’s birdied another one, and is now 7-under through 4 holes, just one shot back of Brooks Koepka on top.

  • 9:50 a.m. - Update on Mike Weir

    We mentioned Mike Weir and his lonely round yesterday, and not having a playing partner today.

    Well, we have some good news. Weir will have a playing marker along-side as he tees off at 10:36 a.m., in the form of Augusta National member Michael McDermott.

  • 9:45 a.m. - Day On The Rise

    The Masters - Round Two

    Jason Day of Australia reacts to his putt on the second green during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 07, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

    Another quiet round yesterday came from Jason Day. He finished with a 5-under, 67 and somehow nobody really noticed.

    He’s started today with a birdie already, and is now at 6-under, two shots back of Brooks Koepka, who has been saving pars to stay on top of the leaderboard.

    Day has had some great finishes at The Masters, including a runner-up in 2011, a third place in 2013 and a tied for fifth in 2019. He missed the cut the last two years, however.

  • 9:30 a.m. - Can Bennett Keep It Up

    It seems like every year, there’s one amateur who plays out of his mind at Augusta National, at least for the first round. But sustaining that into the second round is a challenge.

    The last two Masters, no amateurs have even made the cut. Viktor Hovland finished 3-under in a tie for 32nd in the 2019 Masters as an amateur. So there’s a LITTLE precedent.

    But what Sam Bennett did in Round 1 was astonishing. He was 3-under through two holes, and then had another birdie on 6. All the rest of his round was pars. No blemishes.

    That left him at 4-under, and tied for 7th overall. But can he keep it going today? He tees off at 10 a.m., so weather shouldn’t be a factor for him today.

  • 9:20 a.m. - Sepp Straka's Wild Thursday

    The Masters - Round Two

    Sepp Straka of Austria plays a shot on the first hole during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 07, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

    Austrian Sepp Straka is chilling at 3-under right now, with a birdie on the second hole today. Nice and calm. But that’s nothing like what he faced Thursday.

    Straka had a brutal double bogey on the first yesterday, before going par-birdie-bogey on his next three holes. Another bogey at 8 sent him into the back 9 at 3-over.

    But then Straka got to hole 12, which he birdied. And hole 13, which he birdied. And hole 14, which he birdied. And hole 15, which he birdied. And hole 16, which he – you guessed it – birdied. Par-par on the final two holes left him with a 2-under round of 70.

    Here’s hoping his day remains a little more calm today.

  • 9:10 a.m. - Kyoung-Hoon Lee Making a Move

    We still don’t have a ton of golfers on the course yet (23 of the 86 have finished a hole), but Kyoung-Hoon Lee is already making waves to start the day.

    He entered Friday at 2-over, after a 74 in Round 1. But birdies on his first and second holes have him back to even par, and looking good for the weekend.

    Sure, there’s a lot of golf to play, but it’s a good start.

  • 8:50 a.m. - Woodland Quietly Lurking, Koepka On Top

    Gary Woodland flew mostly under the radar yesterday, despite posting a solid 4-under 68. He’s now 5-under after a birdie on the second, tied for fourth.

    Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka had a birdie on the second, and he’s now your solo leader at 8-under. Koepka made a beautiful save out of the right-side bunker to get close for birdie.

  • 8:25 a.m. - Koepka Tees Off, Thursday Incident Scrutinized

    Co-leader Brooks Koepka is now on the course, with the earliest tee time of the major players in contention.

    That made us pay a little attention to an incident Thursday on the 15th hole, as Golf Central reported:

    “Koepka made birdie on the par-5 15th, one of eight birdies in a 7-under 65,” Golf Central said. “After hitting the green in two with a 5-iron, Koepka’s caddie, Ricky Elliott, appeared to mouth “five” twice to playing competitor Gary Woodland’s caddie, Brennan Little.”

    That would potentially be an illegal situation regarding getting advice from anyone other than your own caddy. But officials said it was much ado about nothing.

    “Following the completion of Brooks Koepka’s round, the Committee questioned his caddie and others in the group about a possible incident on No. 15. All involved were adamant that no advice was given or requested. Consequently, the Committee determined that there was no breach of the Rules.”

  • 8:15 a.m. - A Lonely Mike Weir

    The Masters - Preview Day 2

    Mike Weir of Canada plays a shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 04, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

    Mike Weir had a lonely back 9 Thursday, as playing partner Kevin Na withdrew with illness. They were already an interesting pairing, instead of a three-player group, so that left Weir all alone in his thoughts on the back 9.

    Weir finished with an even-par 72 in his first round, and didn’t have the benefit of a playing partner maybe hitting similar shots to show you what you might need to do, especially on the greens.

    To combat that, The Masters typically will go with letting a member of Augusta National play with a solo golfer, serving as a marker.

    For many years, that player was Jeff Knox, according to this Golf Monthly piece. In 2022 he was replaced by Michael McDermott. There are some reports that Weir will have a marker with him today when he tees off at 10:36 a.m., but no official word yet.

  • 8 a.m. - Weather Woes

    Tee times were moved up 30 minutes today, to try and avoid as much bad weather as possible. And by the looks of things, our late tee times are going to be in a heap of trouble.

    The final two groups of the day don’t tee off until 1:18 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. (Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Cameron Young, Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im), and conditions will not be ideal for much of their round it appears.

    The front coming through around 3 p.m. should make things very, very interesting.

  • 7:20 - Top 50 and Ties

    IF we can get the second round completed today, we’re looking for the Top 50 and ties after Round 2 to make the cut.

    That would put the mark at 1-0ver as it stands now, with 53 golfers making it through. But that’s probably going to be a dramatically different number by the end of a wild and wooly day ahead.

  • 7 a.m. - Tricky Setup

    There’s not much mercy from the Masters team today, with difficult pin positions all over the course.

  • 6:30 a.m. - First Off the Tee

    Jose Maria Olazabal and Cameron Champ will get things started for us today. They’ll head to the first tee 30 minutes earlier than expected, now at 7 a.m.

    Brooks Koepka is the earliest among our leaders, going off at 8:18 a.m.

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