Bryson DeChambeau's quest for a maiden Green Jacket ended in disappointment as he failed to make the cut at the Masters on Friday. The American, who opened with a 76 after a triple bogey on the 11th, looked set to recover with four birdies in his second round, but a second triple bogey on the 18th—after needing two attempts to escape a bunker and seeing his third shot roll off the green—left him at six over par, two shots adrift of the cut line.
DeChambeau was not alone in his early exit. Six former champions also missed the cut: Fred Couples (1992), Jose Maria Olazabal (1994 and 1999), Vijay Singh (2000), Zach Johnson (2007), Bubba Watson (2012 and 2014), and Englishman Danny Willett (2016). The oldest of the trio, Singh, Olazabal and Couples, are aged between 60 and 66, making their departures less surprising.
Other notable names to miss the cut included US Open champion JJ Spaun (+5), Ryder Cup winner Nicolai Hojgaard (+6), Bob MacIntyre (+7), Cam Smith (+7), Akshay Bhatia, Daniel Berger, and Min Woo Lee. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, however, holds a commanding six-shot lead after a stunning second-round 65, during which he birdied six of the last seven holes. He leads American pair Patrick Reed and Sam Burns.
McIlroy's playing partner, US Amateur champion Mason Howell, missed the cut at +9. Among those chasing McIlroy are Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, and Justin Rose, all at five under par. McIlroy's six-shot advantage after 36 holes is the largest in Masters history; of the six previous occasions a player held a five-shot lead, five went on to win.
