2016 Masters Day Two This And That
/Still waiting to see what is filed and will add to this post below, but for now...
If the weather forecasts are to be believed--and they've been spot on all week--it's going to get cold and the course even edgier this weekend. I explain for GolfDigest.com why the lean growing conditions will mean firmer, faster surfaces and more U.S. Open-style golf.
Bill Haas is picking Rory McIlroy after seeing him up close for two days, Ian O'Connor reports.
Dave Kindred trailed McIlroy's round and feels like this might be the one, too.
GolfDigest.com's Birdies and Bogies from round two.
Brentley Romine at Golfweek.com on Bubba Watson playing himself out of contention and admitting he needs to play better in the winds. But great news! He gets Jeff Knox
Jordan Spieth's group was put on the clock on 11 and there was an implication that he had to rush to avoid dealing with a gust.
Spieth's round in under 3 minutes, from Masters.com:
Watch leader @JordanSpieth's second round in under three minutes. #themastershttps://t.co/nvK3JHwrCT
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2016
Alice Stenson tried to let the air out of Spieth's tires, according to her dad:
Brandt Snedeker thought Bryson DeChambeau's drop ruling on the 18th was botched.
Am I the only one who thinks that ruling for Bryson on 18 was botched??? I
— Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) April 8, 2016
Tom Watson said goodbye in style and not without a fight, says E. Michael Johnson on the legends' last Masters.
Watson on the last hole:
Watch two-time champion @TomWatsonPGA make par on his final competitive hole and say farewell at #themasters.https://t.co/kMEcfFE7S9
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2016
Three geezers made the cut. Love and Langer were believable, Larry Mize wasn't. Jay Coffin reports for GolfChannel.com.
Ernie Els got off to a tough start but rallied a bit, though he leaves Augusta pretty demoralized. Nancy Armour reports.
Steve Elling on Els battling through the day, talks to David Leadbetter about Els' latest effort to battle the yips with a mental coach.
A follow up on Ernie Els' rough first day, from Scott Michaux's column that ran in the Friday morning Augusta Chronicle.
He had just given not one, but two interviews trying to explain the “unexplainable” putting infarction that derailed his 22nd Masters Tournament before it even got past the first green.
“How you holding up?” I asked.
“I’m a little dead inside,” Els admitted.
Ian Poulter helicoptered a finish.
Poulter with a helicopter club toss https://t.co/rSbxXYNwmk pic.twitter.com/G2nXt604RW
— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) April 8, 2016
Round 1 ratings were were down (1.7 averaging 2.398 million viewers) from 2015 when Tiger made his big return to Augusta (2.2). The last time he didn't play, the first round number was 1.5 according to ESPN.
Also, ESPN touted big increases for its WatchESPN digital streaming numbers.
Golf fans were streaming ESPN’s live telecast of Round 1 of the Masters Tournament on Thursday, April 7, in record fashion on WatchESPN.
Thursday’s telecast marked the most-viewed Masters Round 1 ever on WatchESPN, with an average minute audience of 40,100 and 10.8 million total minutes viewed, both up three percent from 2015.
Stephen Hennessey ate and graded the Masters food.
