The Masters: Scheffler in control at Augusta, but don't rule out Lowry
Brian Keogh
9 April 2022
Fraught moving day ahead
Golf might be the ultimate numbers game these days, but it's also a game of feel, nuance, guts and golfing intelligence.
With 36 holes to go in the Masters, world number one Scottie Scheffler continues to ride the wave of confidence that comes with winning three of his last five tournaments and leads by five shots on eight-under-par from 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, 2020 runner-up Sungjae Im, defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open champion.
There are 36 players within 10 shots of the lead, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, and with a 20 mph west wind expected again today, moving day promises to be entertaining and fraught with disaster.
Largest lead
The Masters Tournament committee controls its golf course like no other organisation and twiddles the golfing knobs like masters of the universe, tweaking tees and pin positions to achieve the score they think will set up a thrilling back nine on Sunday.
Scheffler's second-round 67 for a five-shot lead ties the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history with Jordan Spieth (2015, won), Raymond Floyd (1976, won), Jack Nicklaus (1975, won), Herman Keiser (1946, won) and Harry Cooper (1936, 2nd).
He's 2.18 to win his first major championship with Matsuyama 14, Johnson 15.5 and Lowry at 16 alongside Cameron Smith, who is only six back on two-under.
Justin Thomas is seven shots behind Scottie Scheffler after a superb second-round 67
Look out for Lowry
Of that chasing pack, Lowry is the man who stands out. As a major winner and a man in form, as he showed with his runner-up in the Honda Classic, he's also comfortable in tough conditions and a player whose biggest wins are all of major proportions — the Irish Open as an amateur, the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and The Open on home soil in 2019.
His putting can be his Achilles' heel, but when he's on, he's hot, and this week he's fifth for putting and in total control of his game.
While pre-tournament joint-favourite Justin Thomas is only seven back after a 67, Patrick Cantlay and Matthew Fitzpatrick remain attractive options at 92.
Getting into the red appears to be the prerequisite for a chance on Sunday, and should McIlroy or Woods move under par, their mere presence on the leaderboard on Sunday may be enough to give Scheffler and Co food for thought.
The Tiger factor
Nobody knows how to read a leaderboard like Woods and he knows what may lie in store. "I got back in the ball game," Woods said. "I'm four shots back of second. That's the thing. But Scottie is running away with it right now."
"Tomorrow is going to be tough. It's going to be windy. It's going to be cool. It's going to be the Masters that I think the Masters Committee has been looking forward to for a number of years. We haven't had it like this."
He added: "Tomorrow is going to be an important day with as cool and as tough as they're predicting. It's going to be quick, and I need to go out there and put myself there.
"If you're within five or six on that back nine going into Sunday, you've got a chance. So I just need to get there."
Recommended bets
Shane Lowry @ 16
Cameron Smith @ 16
Matthew Fitzpatrick @ 95
Brian Keogh
9 April 2022
