Masters 2023 Tournament Update

Tournament Update

Augusta National Golf Club can confirm that no injuries were reported from three trees that were blown over to the left of the No. 17 tee due to wind. The safety and well-being of everyone attending the Masters Tournament will always be the top priority of the Club. We will continue to closely monitor weather today and through the Tournament.

The Second Round has been officially suspended for the rest of the day. Play will resume Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. EDT. Ticket gates will open at 7:00 a.m. EDT as scheduled.

Spieth Tied for Sixth After Play is Suspended

_{Masters champion Jordan Spieth plays from the No.2 fairway during the second round of the 2023 Masters | Images by Logan Whitton/Augusta National}

Jordan Spieth savors the memory of going out in a Masters-record 130 for the first 36 holes. Mostly because he went on to win the Green Jacket that year (2015).

But that doesn’t mean he’d suggest he knows the mindset of Brooks Koepka, who after rounds of 65-67–132, is setting a blistering pace for others to chase in the 87th Masters.

“For me, I was 21 and hadn’t won a major yet,” said Spieth, who eight years ago shot 64-66-70-70 to win by four. “Brooks is 32 and he’s won four. He’s slept on these leads way more often than I had at the time.”

Having shot 70 on Friday to back up a first-round 69, Spieth, at 5-under 139, knew he was seven behind Koepka, the Clubhouse leader when dangerous weather conditions caused play to be suspended for the day. The Tournament will resume at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Various factors have contributed to Spieth’s plight – playing the second nine in 1-over for two days hasn’t helped, for instance, and “I would say I hit some uncharacteristic chips,” he said – but he chose to circle one serious hiccup.

“The one thing I have not done well at all this week is hit greens in regulation, and it’s one of the most important stats out here,” said Spieth, who has hit just 11 greens each round. That was understandable Thursday, given that he hit only eight fairways. But Friday? Spieth drove the ball beautifully, hitting 12 fairways, and still struggled with his iron play at times.

While Spieth calls attention to his play on the second nine, he knows he’s made one birdie, two pars, and a sloppy double bogey on Nos. 13 and 15 – the par 5s that offer prime scoring chances and are crucial if you want to win. Koepka is 2-under on those same holes.

Nor was he saying that the seven-stroke deficit is unsurmountable. “In some cases, you could argue that’s a good thing to have a big lead,” Spieth said, “but in other cases you could argue if (Koepka) kind of falters a little and you kind of are able to shoot an under-par round somehow, you could make up a lot of strokes easily.”

Spieth has clearly been on his game each day going out on the first nine. Having gone out in 32 on the first nine Thursday, Spieth played those holes in 34 Friday so nothing wrong with being 6-under there. Disappointing is the 1-over total on the second nine.

“It’s been a couple of mental errors more than anything else,” said Spieth, pointing to a water ball at No. 13 Thursday and a drive left at 15 that precluded him from trying to reach in two Friday and a poor third shot. “If I clean those up, my game is in as good a spot as it’s been in quite a while.”

Spieth paused, as if to let reality settle in, then added, “But seven shots is a lot to overcome.”