Masters champ Jon Rahm squeaks inside the cut line. Several major winners are sent home

Jon Rahm, last year’s Masters champion, faced a nail-biting battle on Friday to secure a spot for the weekend at Augusta. Despite a challenging round where he found himself 6 over par, Rahm’s roller-coaster finish, including crucial birdies and a final par, left him just one shot inside the cut line at 5 over for the tournament.

The cut line, pushed to plus-6 by brutal wind conditions, saw a group of 11 players, including former Masters winners Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott, barely making it through to the weekend. Tiger Woods, on the other hand, made history with his 24th consecutive cut at 1 over after the second round.

However, it wasn’t all success stories. Justin Thomas, experiencing déjà vu from last year, suffered a meltdown over his final four holes, missing the cut by a single stroke. Joining him were other major champions, including Brian Harman, whose disastrous first round left him well outside contention despite a commendable second-round effort.

The list of notable players missing the cut extended to Jordan Spieth, Wyndham Clark, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, and Justin Rose. Spieth’s misfortune on the par-5 15th, resulting in a quadruple bogey, epitomized the struggles faced by many in the challenging conditions at Augusta.

Reflecting on the tournament’s difficulty, Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, acknowledged the unprecedented challenges posed by the wind, with many players finding it as tough as ever.

For Spieth, the disappointment of missing the cut dampened hopes of a comeback similar to his 2017 performance. With eyes now set on next month’s PGA Championship, where he aims to complete the career grand slam, Spieth looks ahead to new opportunities despite the setback at Augusta.