With questions on future Masters Match qualification standing for LIV golfers, securing a victory would erase considerations for Brooks Koepka.
Successful the Masters ensures a beginning spot for all times. Koepka leads at 12-under after the primary two rounds at Augusta Nationwide as golfers have battled climate delays and wet, windy circumstances.
“Yeah, the entire purpose is to win the Grand Slam, proper,” Koepka mentioned after posting a 67 on Friday. “I really feel like all of the greats have gained right here they usually have all gained British Opens as nicely. Look, I assume it is another field for me to tick to really really feel like I’ve achieved what I ought to have completed on this recreation.”
Tune in: Listed here are 2023 Masters Saturday third spherical tee instances, pairings
Who made the minimize on the 2023 Masters: Is Tiger Woods taking part in the weekend at Augusta Nationwide?
Three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson is in a great spot getting into the third spherical at 4-under, and 2020 champion Dustin Johnson, 2018 champion Patrick Reed and 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel will make the minimize. Different former Masters champions-turned LIV golfers did not fare as nicely. Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson is not going to play the third and fourth rounds and can be more likely to miss the minimize
The second spherical was suspended a second, and eventually, time Friday after three pine bushes fell close to the seventeenth gap. A number of patrons on website mentioned nobody was injured, and the membership later confirmed that report. The second spherical resumed at 8 am on Saturday.
This is the place every LIV golfer stands after the primary two rounds within the 2023 Masters Match:
Brooks Koepka | Chief, 12 beneath
Brooks Koepka shot 5-under 67 on Friday after posting a 65 on Thursday.
“Identical mindset,” he mentioned when requested about taking part in from the lead. “Received me this far, so it must be all proper on Saturday, Sunday. It is simply as much as me whether or not I play good or not. Easy.”
Phil Mickelson | Tied for tenth, 4 beneath
Phil Mickelson shot a 3-under 69 after posting a 71 on Thursday.
Mentioned the three-time Masters champion: “I am really wanting ahead to the weekend. I do know I have been hitting it, taking part in higher than I have been scoring, and I am wanting ahead to simply placing one spherical collectively that I do know I am able to, and if I try this, it should be a very enjoyable weekend.”
Joaquin Niemann | Tied for tenth, 4 beneath
Joaquin Niemann shot a 3-under 69 Friday after posting a 71 on Thursday.
Niemann and fellow LIV golfer Mito Pereira are each from Chile.
“I do not suppose we have had two gamers from Chile taking part in on the identical time on the Masters,” Niemann mentioned Friday. “In order that’s constructive. Then I believe we’re clearly not right here simply to play, and I believe we have got sufficient recreation to be aggressive. Hopefully we will preserve preventing for extra Masters within the coming years.”
Patrick Reed | Tied for seventeenth, 3 beneath
Patrick Reed shot a second-round 2-under 70 after posting a 71 on Thursday.
“It is simply the golf course is clearly going to play lots longer,” Reed mentioned Saturday. “It may be longer. If it rains extra, the greens are going to decelerate. You must choose whether or not the ball goes to skip or simply form of plop. It is simply going to be a guessing recreation once you’re on the market . You must form of know what you need to do, the place you need to depart the ball.”
Cameron Smith | Tied for twentieth, 2 beneath
Cam Smith shot a second-round even-par 72 after posting a 70 on Thursday.
Harold Varner III | Tied for twenty eighth, 1 beneath
Harold Varner shot a 1-under 71 Friday after posting a 72 on Thursday.
Dustin Johnson | Tied for twenty eighth, 1 beneath
Dustin Johnson shot an even-par 72 Friday after posting a 71 on Thursday.
Abraham Ancer | Tied for twenty eighth, 1 beneath
Abraham Ancer shot a second-round 1-under 71 after posting a 72 on Thursday.
This one, the climate wasn’t the perfect, sadly, however that is the way it goes,” he mentioned Saturday after ending his second spherical. “Majors, that is a giant half relying on the place you find yourself. I performed good each days.
“Pleased with my outcomes up to now. Clearly did not play simple this morning, and I nonetheless needed to play many of the again 9. However, yeah, preparing for a fast turnaround and preserve taking part in.”
Mito Pereira | Tied for thirty sixth, Even
Mito Pereira shot a 2-under 70 Friday after posting a 74 on Thursday. That is Pereira’s first Masters look.
“Takeaway, this place is good,” he mentioned Friday. “It is robust to play it, however when you play it the precise means, you may have some alternatives. I performed stable these first two days, actually stable from the tee to the inexperienced. Simply my placing hasn’t been actually working nicely, however I managed to get some birdies coming in.”
Talor Gooch | Tied for forty sixth, 2 over
Talor Gooch shot a second-round 2-over 74 after posting a 72 on Thursday.
Thomas Pieters | Tied for forty ninth, 3 over
Thomas Pieters shot a second-round 1-over 73 after posting a 74 on Thursday.
Charl Schwartzel | Tied for forty ninth, 3 over
Charl Schwartzel shot a 1-over 73 on Friday after posting a 74 on Thursday.
Mentioned the 2011 Masters champion: “I felt like I performed okay at instances, I performed good at instances after which just a few actually unhealthy pictures. It was a mix of all of it. After I had good possibilities, I hit good putts. They did not go in at this time. For me it felt like a irritating 73.”
Bryson DeChambeau | Tied for 56th, 4 over — missed minimize
Bryson DeChambeau shot a 2-over 74 on Friday after additionally posting a 74 on Thursday.
Sergio Garcia | Tied for seventieth, 7 over — missed minimize
Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, shot a second-round 5-over 77 after posting a 74 on Thursday.
Jason Cockrak | Tied for 76th, 8 over — missed minimize
Jason Kokrak shot a second-round 7-over 79 after posting a 73 on Thursday.
Bubba Watson | Tied for 79th, 9 beneath — missed minimize
Bubba Watson, the two-time Masters champion, shot a second-round 4-over 76 after posting a 77 on Thursday.
Louis Oosthuizen | Withdraw Saturday
Louis Oosthuizen withdrew on Saturday with one gap left to play in his second spherical. He shot a 4-over 76 Thursday within the opening spherical.
Kevin Na | Withdraw throughout Thursday’s opening spherical
Na withdrew after 9 holes on Thursday resulting from an undisclosed sickness. That left 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir to play solo on the again 9.
“He mentioned earlier he wasn’t feeling nicely,” mentioned Weir, who shot an even-par 72. “So I am unsure what’s occurring, however he instructed me earlier he wasn’t feeling nicely.”
This text initially appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Brooks Koepka leads 2023 Masters. This is how all LIV golfers carried out