Brooks Koepka opened up a three-stroke lead on the sphere in a tumultuous day on the 87th Masters which noticed the second spherical halted when a mini twister hit Augusta Nationwide, inflicting three big pine timber to come back down by the seventeenth tee, narrowly avoiding a significant catastrophe, though thankfully no gamers or spectators have been injured.
The forecast electrical storm failed to totally materialise, however there was sufficient rain to droop play for 20 minutes at 3.10pm, earlier than robust gust of wind then prompted three 100-foot pines to come back crashing down simply yards from the place a whole bunch of followers have been watching the motion on Augusta’s sixteenth and seventeenth holes. The dramatic motion was caught dwell on air, and it was solely pure luck which prevented fatalities and severe damage.
A horn sounded instantly after the timber had fallen to droop play and one other adopted shortly after at 4.25pm to sign the return of thunderstorms within the space. Play for the day was finally referred to as off at 5.45pm.
With 39 gamers nonetheless but to finish their second spherical, the half-way lower is but to be recognized, though it’s more likely to be round +3, which is able to rule out pre-tournament favorite Rory McIlroy, who slumped to a second spherical 77 to complete on +5, ending what slight hopes his supporters would have harboured of the 33-year-old Northern Irishman reaching the profession grand slam this 12 months, or ending a drought within the majors that goes again to 2014.
However none of that may hassle LIV golfer Brooks Koepka, who added a second spherical 67 to his opening 65 to guide on 12 beneath from Jon Rahm on -9 and shock bundle Sam Bennett, a 23-year-old American newbie making his Masters debut, who’s on -8.
Rahm birdied 8 and 9 to get to 9 beneath earlier than play was halted, whereas Viktor Hovlan, who shared the first-round lead on -7, has dropped again to -6 after 10 holes.
Collin Morikawa, the 2021 Open champion, shot one other 69 to maneuver to share that spot with Hovland, with Jordan Spieth Jason Day a shot behind on 5 beneath. Day had reached -9 after 15 holes, however dropped photographs at every of the final 4 holes as his contact with the putter abandoned him. Defending champion and world primary Scottie Scheffler additionally struggled with the putter as he carded a three-over 75 to go away him on one beneath, and seemingly unlikely to be retaining his inexperienced jacket.
Heavy rain, stronger winds and colder temperatures are forecast on Saturday and will show pivotal in deciding who wins. There have solely ever been 5 Monday finishes within the Masters’ 89-year historical past however, regardless of sunnier climate returning on Sunday, there’s the true prospect this may very well be the primary since 1983.
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