By Will Pearson, europeantour.com
at Augusta National
Following a blistering second day at iconic Augusta National, europeantour.com picked out six talking points from Friday of the 2015 Masters Tournament.
1. Spieth has no fear
You could have forgiven Jordan Spieth if he had struggled on Friday to live up to the heady standards he had set in a sublime 64 during the opening round of this year’s Masters – but struggle he did not.
The 21 year old took not a step backwards during a flawless 66, racing away from the world’s best and inscribing his name into sporting folklore by equalling and breaking a plethora of long-standing records – not least the lowest 36 hole score in Masters history – with his 14 under par 130 aggregate total.
But perhaps the most impressive, the most telling moment came early on Friday on the third green where, facing a potentially momentum-sapping six foot putt to save par after missing the putting surface with his approach, Spieth barely batted an eyelid in striping his ball into the back of the cup.
Displaying a formidable blend of raw talent, grit, determination and focus, it’s no wonder this young man is earning comparisons to another 21 year old who decimated a Masters field back in 1997…
2. Everybody loves Ben Crenshaw
Today was the sad day that ‘Gentle Ben’ Crenshaw finally said one last goodbye to the Masters – a tournament he has cherished so dearly throughout a glittering career. The 63 year old, twice a winner of the Green Jacket in 1984 and 1995, shot 91-85 to miss the cut by a significant margin but the touching ovation he received on tapping in at the 18th, ‘Holly’, will live long in the memory.
"It was incredible, I feel like I won the tournament!” said a teary-eyed Crenshaw after being embraced on the final green by friends, family and his long-time caddie Carl Jackson, who was unable to carry his bag one last time due to illness but stood proud in the traditional pure-white Masters boiler suit nonetheless.
After 43 Masters appearances, in which he played 138 rounds with 44 of those under par, if you were to assume each of those took an average of four and a half hours that would equate to a combined 26 days that Crenshaw has spent walking and competing around the hallowed turf in his golfing life.
“The course has outgrown me by leaps and bounds, and that's fine. I'm just so very thankful to have gone around this place as many times as I have. But it's time to hang the spurs up."
There was a beautiful and poignant symmetry, though, that in the day Spieth was blowing the rest of the field out of the water, setting records left, right and centre, his fellow Texas ‘Longhorn’ and mentor ‘Gentle Ben’ was bowing out of the Masters.
He will be missed.
3. Ernie is good at par fives, DJ is awesome
Ernie Els is firmly lodged inside the top ten heading into the weekend at Augusta as he attempts to win his maiden Green Jacket at the 21st attempt. The 45 year old South African has credited a new, lighter-shafted driver for his success thus far after rounds of 67 and 72 but it is his scoring on the par fives which has done the most damage.
The Big Easy has birdied seven and eagled one of the eight par fives he has played over 36 holes meaning Els is nine under par on Augusta’s longest holes at the halfway stage.
And if you thought that couldn’t be bettered, you would be wrong. Completing a day of record breaking, American Dustin Johnson became the first player to make three eagles in a single round in Masters history on Friday, covering the par fives in just 13 blows in the second round to race up the board and with it earn enough crystal goblets for a small dinner party.
4. Augusta lost a lot of crystal today
Following on from the above motif, there were a grand total of 17 eagles made by the field during the second round at Augusta, equalling the all-time record for the most in a single Masters round set on the Friday in 2009. In fact, Lee Westwood came excruciatingly close to making what would have been just the fifth albatross in 81 years here bylipping out for a two at the par five second.
The revered championship is known for its unique traditions, one of which is awarding some timeless crystal pieces for certain achievements throughout the week. As well as two crystal vases for Spieth and Kevin Na’s joint-best-of-the-day 66s, Augusta will be dealing out a staggering 34 crystal goblets for all of those lovely eagles. An entertaining – albeit expensive – day in Georgia.
5. Experience matters
As legend has it, Augusta is a place that rewards experience and that old adage was on display once again on Friday. American Mark O'Meara hadn't broken 70 at Augusta since 2001, but on Friday the 1998 champion signed for a sweet 68 to head into the weekend in a tie for 12th place.
Also at that mark after 36 holes and with O’Meara a combined 103 years of age, is 2009 Masters winner Angel Cabrera. The Argentine, who also narrowly missed out on a second Green Jacket in a play-off with Adam Scott in 2013, is again going well after rounds of 72 and 69.
Oh and did we mention three-time winner Phil Mickelson?
6. Corey Conners doesn’t do rounds in the 70s
One of the sub-plots to every Masters is the amateur participants. Corey Conners, a 22 year old Canadian who finished runner-up in the 2014 US Amateur to seal his spot at Augusta, began his Masters experience in nervous fashion, carding an eight over par 80 on Thursday before bouncing back with a superb 69 in the second round.
Conners’ was the first sub-70 round by an amateur since Hideki Matsuyama signed for a 68 in the second round in 2011 and although it wasn’t enough for the promising starlet to make the cut, it did however secure the prestige of low amateur for the 2015 Masters. One to watch.
