Welcome to Augusta National! I know we’re all missing the Masters, so, in the spirit, we at LeanTossup are trying our hands at simulating them – with a huge shout out to start with to Senior Writer Tyler Stephens, who did most of this work. We’ll be updating today on the first two rounds, and then on Saturday and Sunday we’ll be back for the weekend – just as we would have been for the real thing. Now, enough rambling – here’s the key takeaways from the LeanTossup Masters through Friday:

Kuchar, Bubba, and EVR Lead

What do you get when the player with the best career without a major, a former Augusta Champion, and a man Golflandia willed into becoming a thing walk into a Georgia golf course? This leaderboard, where Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson, and Erik van Rooyen lead the tournament at -8. Kuchar went low on Friday, posting a 7-under 65, while Bubba posted back to back 68s. For van Rooyen, an underrated player who broke onto North American golf radars with his final pairing performance in Mexico, a 67-69 start has him in the lead, two up on the chasers.

Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy Are Lurking

Two back of the leaders is Patrick Reed, the winner of that WGC-Mexico in February and 2018 Masters champion. After an opening round 73, the former champ found his groove, shooting a 7-under 65 to sit comfortably in fourth, just two off the pace. For Rory McIlroy, trying for the career grand slam, things haven’t been amazing, but he’s still lingering at -2 after a 73-69 start to his tournament. Tommy Fleetwood and Ian Poulter at -5 represent England’s best chances, only three back of the lead.

Quite A Group At Even

Jordan Spieth (71-73), Tiger Woods (72-72), Xander Schauffle (74-70), Jon Rahm (73-71), and Bryson DeChambeau (74-70) sit in a tie for 30th at even. For Bryson, who should have won the WGC-Mexico, it’s a disappointment, and it sucks to see Tiger unable to find the magic that won him the Masters in 2019. For Spieth, 30th would represent his worst ever finish at the Masters, if it were to hold, but making the weekend has been a struggle for him recently, so success in some way has been accomplished. For Rahm and Xander, going out early on Saturday with no pressure may enable a low score, but they’d need two low days to really get close to the action.

Brooks and JT Make The Weekend – Barely

Two of the bigger surprises come in the group at +2, the group who made the weekend cut on the number. For Brooks Koepka, the Major slayer, there is some reason – his offseason knee surgery is still showing signs of trouble for him, clearly, and he’s not able to be Brooks in the way he has been in the past. In the other side of this coin, however, is Justin Thomas – in good form, with a strong finish in Mexico and a win in January, Thomas was a oddsboard darling, flirting with 20/1 for a time before crashing to 14 once he won the Sentry Tournament Of Champions. That he couldn’t put it together at Augusta is puzzling – he doesn’t have the best record there in the past, but it isn’t a course that should instinctively be bad for him. At least he made the cut, unlike some…

Dustin, Day, and Cantlay Miss The Cut

Clearly Dustin Johnson’s knee is still fucking with him too, given his lacking performances at a course where he has come second before and generally does very well at. A Thursday 4-over 76 probably doomed him, but he still followed that up with a 74 Friday to be nowhere close to the cut. For Patrick Cantlay and Jason Day, they at least missed the cut on the number – Cantlay with a 71-76 tournament, and Day with a 75-72. For Cantlay, this has to be a disappointment after a 2019 Masters where he briefly held a lead after an eagle on the 15th hole. He’s an elite player, but didn’t show it this week. As for Day, the fact he didn’t WD on Thursday is probably a good sign, but it’s just another sign that Day isn’t the player so many hoped and dreamed he would be after his stellar 2015 season, and winning the 2016 Players.

Anything Can Still Happen

52 players made the cut this week at Augusta National. Anything can happen on the weekend – and there’s nothing like Sunday at the Masters.

Leaderboard

B. Watson -8

Kuchar -8

van Rooyen -8

Reed -6

Poulter -5

Fleetwood -5

Rose -4

Matsuyama -4

An -4

NOTABLES

Stenson -3

Mickelson -2

McIlroy -2

Garcia -1

Spieth E

Woods E

Rahm E

Dechambeau E

Fowler +1

Koepka +2

Thomas +2

MC

Day +3

Cantlay +3

Willett +4

Leishman +5

D. Johnson +6

Couples +9