By Frank Pingue
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson’s hopes of adding to their respective collection of major championships got swept away in brutally windy conditions at Augusta National on Friday as they were among the high-profile players to miss the halfway cut.
On a day when only eight players broke par, Spieth actually shot a respectable two-over-par 74 in the second round but it was not enough to undo the damage from the 79 he posted in the opening round of the year’s first major.
Spieth, a three-times major winner who is 18th in the world rankings, finished nine over on the week and three shots outside the cut line.
LIV Golf’s Dustin Johnson, who set a Masters scoring record in November 2020 when he finished at 20 under to win his second major, left Augusta National scratching his head as he was 13 over on the week after rounds of 78 and 79.
Johnson, with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman on site following his progress, had no answer for the tricky conditions as his second round featured eight bogeys and a birdie which left him near the bottom of an 89-player field.
Twice PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas finished one shot outside the cut after a horrendous finish to his second round during which he made three double-bogeys and a bogey over his closing four holes.
Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who came into the week fresh off a playoff loss at the LIV Golf event in Miami, posted a seven-over-par 79 in the second round that left him at seven over on the week.
Among some other notables who failed to score well enough to play the weekend were reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and 2023 British Open winner Brian Harman.
Clark, making his first Masters appearance, was in the day’s final group and needed a birdie at the last hole to make the cut after three late bogeys but his putt from 13 feet rolled just right of the hole.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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