Tiger Woods makes record 24th consecutive cut at the Masters
Tiger Woods continues to make history at Augusta National. One of the most decorated golfers in the history of the sport simply continues to add records to his resume. He had two impressive days of managing the tough conditions at The Masters to make his record 24th consecutive cut at Augusta National. That’s the highest number for any player ever at the prestigious event.
The five-time green jacket winner carded a 36-hole score of 1-over par to make sure that was well within the cut line, which ended up being 6-over par due to the brutal weather conditions. Woods currently sits in a tie for 22nd place on the leaderboard, seven strokes off the lead.
Simply making the cut for him this year has been very impressive, no doubt about it. One of the more understated parts of Augusta National is how many hills and slopes there are on the course. It can be a grueling walk and even more so for a player who is basically a bionic man, considering Woods’ surgical history.
And making that many consecutive cuts at Augusta National is perhaps one of the most impressive accomplishments of his career. When you add in the varying levels of weather and just how fickle the game of golf can be at times, that level of consistency is amazing.
For one, the conditions at Augusta National were the toughest in several years in the second round, with the tall, towering pines swirling the unpredictable winds all around the golf course. The wind routinely blew at about 20 miles per hour on Friday, with gusts kicking up to 40 miles per hour in certain instances. The wind was so strong you could see wind getting blown out of the sand traps on the course.
According to Justin Ray of The Athletic, Friday had the highest field scoring average in Round 2 (75.08) of The Masters since 2007. It was just the fourth time in the last 30 years that the field averaged higher than 75 in the second round.
Here’s another stat from Ray that shows just how difficult the conditions were in the second round. The field scoring average at The Masters jumped from 73.43 in round one to 75.08 in round two. That’s the largest increase between the first two rounds in a single Masters since 1976 (+1.85).
There were many extremely talented golfers that won’t be playing this weekend, so Woods should appreciate surviving the brutal conditions, especially considering all he’s put he’s body through over the years. Justin Rose shot 7-over, Jordan Spieth was 9-over, Brian Harman was 9-over, and Dustin Johnson, the former No. 1 in the world, shot 13-over par.
Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and Max Homa are currently tied for the lead at 6-under par. Brooks Koepka shot 2-over par to ensure he’ll be playing this weekend. But that’s surely a disappointing start for a player who’s consistently expected to contend in all of the majors.
There have been a few surprises atop the leaderboard, including Max Homa firing a 6-under par to be tied for the lead after two rounds. Before this year, Homa had missed the cut twice and finished T48 and T43 in his previous four appearances at The Masters. In the 17 majors he’s played in thus far, he’s only made the cut in eight of those 17 tournaments.
His best finish came when he was in the Top 10 (T10 at The British Open in 2023). Homa also had a Top 15 in 2022 at the PGA Championship. He seems to have tapped into a psychological process that has helped him deal with expectations in the majors. For at least the first two days. It’ll be fascinating to see how he finishes and if he can carry that same mindset into other majors in the future.
There are still 36 holes of golf left for most of the field, so plenty can happen. The weather is expected to be much more conducive to better scoring over the weekend, with the winds calming down the final two days of the tournament.