Bryson DeChambeau shares the 36-hole lead with Max Homa & Scottie Scheffler
This week marks the 88th edition of the Masters Tournament, the second event since the split between the PGA TOUR and LIV Golf Tour reshaped the golfing world. Jon Rahm, last year’s champion, triumphed while representing the PGA TOUR. However, he has since transitioned to the LIV Golf Tour. As a result, this tournament promises another showdown between the two tours, a rivalry that has characterised major events since the tours separated.
Last year, the tournament witnessed three LIV players finishing inside the top 5. Phil Mickelson, the three-time green jacket winner, and Brooks Koepka tied for 2nd place at 8-under par, while the 2018 Masters Champion, Patrick Reed, finished tied for 4th at 7-under par.
A similar scenario is unfolding this week as LIV player Bryson DeChambeau leads after the first two rounds.
The PGA TOUR, as customary, will showcase its top-tier players, including multiple green jacket winners and Scottie Scheffler, the current World No.1 and the 2022 Masters Champion, who has been in solid form this season with consecutive victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and THE PLAYERS Championship.
Scheffler is also the favourite this week to win his second green jacket and along with Max Homa is tied with DeChambeau for the lead at -6 after Rd 2.
Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala, the latest victor on the PGA TOUR, will inject a distinct Indian-American essence into the competition and both have made the halfway cut. Regrettably, for the sixth consecutive season, we are devoid of any Indian players in the field, following Shubhankar Sharma’s participation in the major back in 2018.
LIV players such as Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, are around on the weekend but Dustin Johnson is one of the big names to miss the cut.
Rory McIlroy, who has yet to secure a green jacket in his career and hasn’t won a major since his triumph at the Open Championship in 2014, has survived the cut as has defending champion Jon Rahm. Whether they can mount a challenge on the weekend remains to be seen.
Photo – Ben Walton Golf Digest