No. 18: Tiger Just Misses Birdie to Close Day 2

It had to end this way, of course. Tiger Woods needed an inch here, or a foot there, all day during Round 2, but Augusta wouldn’t oblige. And so it went on the 18th hole, when Tiger needed a birdie to put more breathing room between his score and the cut line. It wasn’t to be. His birdie shot, yep, just missed, and he settled for par to finish at +4.

It will be enough to enable him to make the cut, barely, which is anticipated at +5. He missed some putts and seemed to have issues with his distance control throughout the round. He did birdie both par-5s on the back nine, which was an improvement from yesterday, when he did not make a single birdie on any of the par-5s. Woods came in with a lot of hype, after strong showings at the Valspar Championship and Bay Hill. But it was his first time playing at Augusta since 2015 and clearly there is still some rust to shake off. That being said, he did enough to give himself a chance to compete this weekend.

Reed Buries Yet Another Birdie

Patrick Reed is the first to double digits under par with another birdie — this time it’s his third in a row — on the par-5 15th. He is the only player to birdie all four of the par-5s at Augusta two days in a row. That’s a good formula for success at the Masters, which is partly why he holds a three-shot lead.

No. 17: So Close to Birdie

Tiger wanted this one. His birdie shot just missed, and his entire body expressed disappointment. Bent head. Bent knees. Slumped back. After making par, Tiger remains at +4.

Tiger has made the cut in four of his six events this season.

No. 16: ... And Tiger Gives a Shot Back

Tiger’s stay at +3 was shortlived after he bogeyed the par-3 16. He drops back to +4. The final two holes — both pars for him on Day 1 — will be stressful for anyone planning to spend the weekend watching Tiger play golf. The projected cut line is +5.

Reed Comes Back With Another Birdie

Reed responds with a wedge shot from 129 yards within three feet for a tap-in birdie — his second in a row — to take him to -9 after 14 holes and six-under for his round. He has a 2-stroke advantage over Leishman, who just missed a flat birdie try on 16.

Leishman Closes in on Reed With an Eagle

Leishman answers with an eagle on the par-5 15th. His second shot from 224 yards, carrying the water, may be the shot of the day as it rolled to within six feet of the cup. He tapped in the putt and is now just one stroke behind Reed at -7.