Several big-name players failed to make the cut at the 2021 Masters, including the defending champion, Dustin Johnson. It can’t be fun having to wait around for a weekend in Augusta because you have to put the green jacket on someone else. Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, Jason Day and Sergio Garcia were among the other notables who missed the cut, but thanks to a 67 on Friday, Bryson DeChambeau starts the third round six shots behind the leader, Justin Rose.
It’s expected to be another warm day in Augusta, with temperatures climbing into the high 70s, but clouds will be covering the course most of the day as a front approaches. The winds are expected to gain strength, with gusts predicted to reach up to 25 miles per hour.
Things could get wild today at the #masters.
“Southerly winds pick up into this afternoon and become the strongest of the tournament, sustained at 12-18 mph with gusts of 20-25 mph for a 3 to 4 hour period this afternoon.” pic.twitter.com/9RMxhzn1I6
— David Dusek (@Golfweek_Dusek) April 10, 2021
With the greens already hard and fast, the wind could play havoc with the leaders as they try to stay near the top of the leaderboard.
For DeChambeau, the best scenario would be to post a good score and then let the winds howl once he is in the clubhouse. He drove the ball well on Friday and had lots of birdie chances, converting on six opportunities. Let’s see what happens on moving day at the 2021 Masters.
DeChambeau is scheduled to tee off at 1:00 p.m. with Australia’s Matt Jones, who won the Honda Classic last month.
Hole 3 – Par 4
Hitting a fairway wood off the tee, Bryson’s ball goes down the right side of Flowering Peach and hits a branch of a pine tree. Luckily for him, the ball comes down fairly straight and leaves him an 89-yard shot to the front-right hole location. It’s an unobstructed shot, but his wedge from the first cut comes up well short, leaving Bryson a chip from the front-right portion of the green. He knocks it to 5 feet and makes the putt.
The third hole is tricky. A birdie there is great, but par is not a bad score and after hitting a tree, DeChambeau should realize that could have been worse.
BRYSON ON THE DAY: Even thru 3, -1 overall and six shots behind the leader.
Hole 2 – Par 5
Through 14 holes, Phil Mickelson has the low-round of the day going at 3 under, but does that mean Augusta National will be harder today? After all, the guys who go out early at the majors barely made the cut, while the hot golfers go out later. Regardless, it seems like guys need to take advantage of the par 5s early in the day in case the wind gets crazy, and off the tee, Bryson hits a driver 361 yards down the right side into the pine straw. From there, his second shot goes short and left of the greenish bunker on the left, leaving an awkward pitch to a back-left hole location.
Bryson’s pitch goes past the hole and finishes 15 feet above it, but he misses his birdie putt and has to settle for a third-consecutive par on Pink Dogwood. For the week, No. 2 has been one of the easiest holes on the course and Bryson hasn’t birdied it yet.
BRYSON ON THE DAY: Even thru 2, -1 overall and six shots behind the leader.
Hole 1 – Par 4
With the leaders not scheduled to tee off for an hour and 20 minutes, Bryson used a long iron off the tee on the first hole. He’s played No. 1 three times this week and used three different clubs, going with a drive on Thursday that went into the trees on the left, then a fairway wood that found the fairway on Friday. The shot went 265 yards and left him on the upslope, but in the fairway, 181 yards from the flag.
With the hole location on Tea Olive in the back-right corner, Bryson’s approach shot landed in the middle of the green and took a big hop, then rolled off the back of the green and into the first cut long and left. From there, he played a delicate pitch shot to 6 feet and was able to make his putt for par.
If the greens are going to be that firm today, Bryson could have an advantage because he can bring the ball in more vertically than most players and get it to stop faster. Theoretically.
BRYSON ON THE DAY: Even thru 1, -1 overall and six shots behind the leader.