2022 Masters - Day Two

Live coverage of the second day of action from Augusta National

  • 4/8/2022 12:15:31 PM
    Seconds out, Round Two of the 2022 Masters is up and running. Malachy Clerkin here and I will be manning to blog all the way till teatime. Fore please!
  • 4/8/2022 12:18:37 PM
    Day One was Tiger's Day, of course. He's not in the lead, he's almost certainly not even a contender. And yet there he was yesterday, the lightbulb the draw all available moths to the opening day. Here's our golf correspondent Philip Reid on a day nobody thought possible 14 months ago.

    Woods shows glimpses of yore on return to happy hunting ground

    The Irish TimesFive-times Masters champion opens with a 71 as Cameron Smith makes strong start
  • 4/8/2022 12:28:25 PM
    Tiger leads only in the news sense, of course. When it comes to the altogether more prosaic matter of the actual leaderboard, that is topped by South Korea's Sungjae Im. His 67 yesterday was virtually flawless and anything like it today will surely put him in control of the tournament.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (2.39)
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (3.12), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (1.55), Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
  • 4/8/2022 12:33:56 PM
    On the Irish front, it was far from a spectactular opening day's work. Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy fared best, both of them posting a one-over-par 73. Seamus Power's first trip around Augusta ended with a 74, the same score as Pádraig Harrington. Harrington was actually well up on the board through the early hours of yesterday but faded on the back nine. Here's when all four go out today.
    Seamus Power (2.06)
    Rory McIlroy (3.45)
    Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
    Shane Lowry (6.08)
  • 4/8/2022 12:37:12 PM
    By all accounts it's pretty chilly at Augusta this morning and the wind is due to get up in the afternoon. So you'd imagine the likes of Im and Johnson will be looking to kick on and post a score. Puts a bit of pressure on Rory too surely - if he doesn't post in the 60s here, he'll be an also ran on the weekend.
  • 4/8/2022 12:47:39 PM
    The very early scores aren't hectic, it has to be said. Eight players have completed at least one hole and five of them are over par for their day already. One of those who isn't, Cameron Champ (level par), will almost certainly be after he walks off the second. His drive on the par -five has gone into the trees on the left and he's had to take a penalty drop and chip out. He needs to get up and down from 251 yards for par. That's not going to happen.
  • 4/8/2022 12:53:49 PM
    Of the 18 players who broke par yesterday, Corey Connors will be the first on-course when he tees off in about 10 minutes. Champ got away with a decent enough six in the end, by the by. We've been playing for almost an hour and there hasn't been a birdie.
  • 4/8/2022 1:08:25 PM
    Canadian Corey Connors is on the course. We're nothing if not alliterative here. Connors has speared a fine drive down the left-hand side of the first fairway. It's a tricky shot into that green today to a front-left pin guarded by a bunker and he hits a sensible approach to the middle of the green. He has a 30-footer for par. Still no birdie on the course this morning - the 14 players out there are a combined 11-over-par.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (2.39)
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (3.12), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (1.55), Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Seamus Power (2.06), Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
  • 4/8/2022 1:14:58 PM
    Seamus Power is underway. A 74 in his first ever round at the Masters is no disgrace but you feel he will need to shoot par today to be around for the weekend. That's a decent drive on the first, just trundling to the left side of the fairway, with 149 yards left to the pin.
  • 4/8/2022 1:19:06 PM
    Connors raced his putt on the first eight feet past the hole but made the tricky par save and walks to ther second on two-under-par. And we have a birdie! It comes courtesy of 2011 champion Charl Schwartzel who plays a lovely bunker shot on the par-five second and rolls in the four-footer. He moves to the big group at one-under-par. Well done folks - it only took an hour and a quarter...
  • 4/8/2022 1:27:12 PM
    Power whistles a fine approach to the middle of the green, more or less exactly where Connors was a few minutes ago. He has 34 feet for birdie but he'd pay reasonable money for a par. That's a lovely effort, just trickling it down holeside and he taps in for four. Solid start - all he needs is 17 more of those and he'll be playing the weekend.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (2.39)
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (3.12), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (1), Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Seamus Power (1), Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
  • 4/8/2022 1:35:00 PM
    So close! Connors plays an fantastic chip on the par-five second hole, very nearly holing out from 27 yards for an eagle. As it is, he'll be happy with his birdie and he moves to -3 and a tie for third place. Behind him, Power's drive on the second has been gobbled up by the fairway bunker on the right so he'll be laying up.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (2.39)
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Corey Connors (2), Dustin Johnson (3.12), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Seamus Power (1), Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
  • 4/8/2022 1:39:17 PM
    If it's even possible, that awful shirt is probably the best thing about Eric Van Rooyen's day so far. He's three over for his first five holes today and four over for the tournament.
  • 4/8/2022 1:42:06 PM
    Power chipped out fo the bunker to the middle of the fairway but his approach to the second green is only so-so. He'll have a putt of around 40 feet for birdie.
  • 4/8/2022 1:43:27 PM
    Meanwhile, the leader is on the course. Sungjae Im has nailed a terrific opening tee shot down the middle of the fairway, leaving himself 139 yards to the pin.
  • 4/8/2022 1:48:44 PM
    Seamus gives his birdie putt every chance but leaves himself four feet for par. It really was a careless approach shot - that pin on 2 today is very inviting, right in the centre of the green up towards the back. Power had 150 yards and could take dead aim but he didn't get it up onto the top shelf and the spin took it back 40 feet away. He rolls in his par putt to stay at +2 but in all honesty that was a chance missed.
  • 4/8/2022 1:50:41 PM
    Up ahead, Connors leaves himself another tricky eight-footer for par, this time on the third hole. He was off to the right of the green with his second shot and chipped up to here. Ah, that's well holed and he stays at -3. Two eight-foot pars and a birdie from his first three holes - Connors has the feel of the greens anyway.
  • 4/8/2022 1:55:02 PM
    Im's approach to the first is not good at all. He was in position A in the middle of the fairway but he has tugged his second shot left of the green, just over the bunker that was guarding the pin. He's made a mess of the pitch too, landing it on the apron and watching it roll back down almost to his feet. He gets up and down for his bogey. That's a really silly start from the Korean - he got far too greedy with his second shot and was duly punished. He drops back to -4.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -4 Sungjae Im (1), Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Corey Connors (3), Dustin Johnson (3.12), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Seamus Power (2), Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
  • 4/8/2022 2:00:57 PM
    So much for the early wave going to town on the course. After two hours of play, the field is so far a combined 18-over-par.
  • 4/8/2022 2:04:41 PM
    Best on show so far has been Tom Hoge, who has birdied the first two holes to move to -1. His second included a wild shot into the crowd on the right of the green, followed but a glorious chip to two inches. Up ahead on the third, Seamus Power has airmailed the green after a good drive and has a tortuous up and down ahead of him.
  • 4/8/2022 2:09:25 PM
    Sungjae Im is in the bunker beside the second green in two - a good chance here to get a up and down for his birdie and wipe out the dropped shot on the first. Power has played a nice chip from the bank behind the third green and has four feet left for par. Up ahead, Connors has made a mess of the fourth and drops back to -2.
  • 4/8/2022 2:14:21 PM
    Nice up and down from Power there on the third to leave him at +2. Im's bunker shot on two comes up a bit short and leaves himself 11 feet for birdie. He has to settle for a five and the joint lead with Cameron Smith. There's a pleasing symmetry to the leaderboard just below the principals - we have are 10 players on -1, 10 on level par, 10 on +1 and 10 on +2. 
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -4 Sungjae Im (2), Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (3.12), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (4), Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Seamus Power (3), Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
  • 4/8/2022 2:19:30 PM
    Some of the biggies are filtering out onto the course now. Dustin Johnson stitches a beautiful opening drive to just off the left side of the fairway but Collin Morikawa hoiks one to the right and has a job of work on his hands to get a par. Up on the second, a birdie for Webb Simpson lifts him to -2 for the first time today.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -4 Sungjae Im (2), Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (3.12), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (4), Webb Simpson (2) Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Seamus Power (3), Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
  • 4/8/2022 2:25:57 PM
    Power swishes a good tee shot to the long par-3 fourth, leaving himself 35 feet away below the hole. He takes a decent run at it but has four feet left for his par. That's well holed. Four pars to start as he heads to the very difficult fifth.
  • 4/8/2022 2:32:24 PM
    At the third, IM hits the middle of the green with a sensible approach and gets his reward! He holes a 25-footer to wipe out that opening bogey and it means he goes back into the solo lead at five-under-par. Brilliant birdie from the Korean.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (3), 
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (1), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (5), Harold Varner (2) Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Seamus Power (4), Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
  • 4/8/2022 2:33:56 PM
    Morikawa got an incredible break on the first and was able to find a gap in the trees. He hits a majestic shot to 11 feet and rolls in the birdie putt. That's him back to level par. He has to be a danger to the field if he gets moving.
  • 4/8/2022 2:36:39 PM
    Oh no, Seamus. The fifth hole is hard enough from the fairway. Seamus Power is not on the fairway. He has sprayed his drive way right into the trees. This isn't good. He will do really well to get out of here with just a bogey. Needs a bit of luck now.
  • 4/8/2022 2:47:19 PM
    Seamus chips out of the woods, spears a terrific long iron to the front of the green and gets down in two. That's not a bad bogey at all after the tee shot. He obviously got a bit of luck with where it was in the woods. He moves on at +3. Not great but not the disaster it could have been. Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy is on the first tee...
  • 4/8/2022 2:52:33 PM
    And he scorches a Rory special down the middle, leaving himself 120 yards to the pin. Meanwhile, Im two-putts from 30 feet for a regulation par on the fourth.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (4) 
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (2), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (6), Harold Varner (3) Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (3.45), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
    +3 Seamus Power (5) 
  • 4/8/2022 2:57:40 PM
    More trouble for Power on the sixth. That's the second time today he has overshot a green with an iron and unlike on the fourth, he doesn't get away with hit this time. He fluffs his chip and it sticks in the grass just on the fringe of the green. He has 15 feet downhill for his par but it slithers away. Another shot gone abnd he's out to +4. Power has to steady the ship here.
  • 4/8/2022 3:03:20 PM
    By contrast, McIlroy has played two magnificent shots into the first green. His drive was the best we've seen there all day from anyone and he has speared his wedge in to 10 feet. It's a tricky putt dowhill so he has to be careful with it but this is a good chance... Ach, it slides by. Ah well. A four is more than okay on the first. He stays at +1.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (4) 
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (2), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (6), Harold Varner (3) Patrick Cantlay (3.23), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (1), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
    +3 Seamus Power (5) 
  • 4/8/2022 3:07:11 PM
    Up on the fifth, Im has six feet left for his par. The pin on the fifth today is brutal, right up on a mound at the back of the green. Im's first putt runs six feet past and that's a lovely hole-out. He stays at -5. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm has started birdied-birdie to move to level par.
  • 4/8/2022 3:08:15 PM
    Ah, Rory. The best driver in the game, the best drawer of a golf ball on the planet and he has whaled one miles to the right on the second hole. He needs some luck here.
  • 4/8/2022 3:13:07 PM
    Power is safely aboard the seventh green in two and just finishes a foot away with his birdie try. That's fine. He needed a par and has steadied the ship. Could do with a birdie on the long eighth now. 
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (5) 
    -4 Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Dustin Johnson (3), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Corey Connors (7), Harold Varner (4) Patrick Cantlay (2), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    +1 Rory McIlroy (1), Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
    +4 Seamus Power (7) 
  • 4/8/2022 3:16:03 PM
    Oof, that's a glorious shot by Dustin Johnson on the long par-three fourth. A towering iron in to five feet, which is as close as anyone's been there today. A few holes back, Rory has indeed got his slice of luck on the second and is able to get a five-wood on the ball from the pine straw. He's just right of the green in two and if his wedge game is up to it, this is another birdie chance.
  • 4/8/2022 3:19:09 PM
    Im's approach to the par-3 sixth comes up 40 feet short of the pin and he thwacks his putt uphill to the side of the hole. That's four feet left for his par and he's been rock steady on these since the start of play yesterday. Two-putt par, still leads on -5.
  • 4/8/2022 3:23:50 PM
    Ah yes Rory, that's more like it. He takes advantage of his lucky break on the second to play a sumptuous chip up to two feet. That's his first birdie of the day and he moves to level par. Meanwhile up ahead, Corey Connor grabs his birdie at the long eighth and that's him up to -3. At the fourth, Johnson slides his birdie putt in and suddenly he's just one behind Im.
    Stuff. Is. Happening.
    LEADERBOARD (tee-time/hole completed in brackets)
    -5 Sungjae Im (5) 
    -4 Dustin Johnson (4), Cameron Smith (6.30)
    -3 Corey Connors (8), Danny Willett (5.57), Joaquin Neimann (6.41), Scottie Scheffler (7.03)
    -2 Will Zalatoris (3) Patrick Cantlay (3), Jason Kokrak (5.57)
    The Irish 
    E Rory McIlroy (1), 
    +1 Shane Lowry (6.08)
    +2 Pádraig Harrington (4.18)
    +4 Seamus Power (7) 
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