Three South Koreans – Ahn Byung-hoon, Kim Si-woo and Kim Joo-hyung – made the cut to start the weekend of play at the Masters Tournament. Lim Sung-jae shot a 2-over-par 74 on the second day of the windy event, but was unable to overcome the five strokes he lost on the first day, falling just one shot short and missing his second Masters cut.
The second round of the 88th Masters Tournament at Augusta National GC in Georgia, U.S., on Monday (July 13). The winds were blowing hard enough to knock over signage and blow white bunker sand onto the course. Wind gusts reached up to 45 miles per hour (72.4 kilometers per hour), according to tournament organizers.
A momentary lapse in concentration could mean a bogey or worse. After four years, Ahn was back on the course of his dreams. But it didn’t go according to plan. After three consecutive birdies on Nos. 1-3 the day before, he only made par on three consecutive holes. Unfortunately, he made his first bogey of the day on the fourth hole (par-3). He then birdied the eighth (par-5), but three consecutive bogeys on the ninth through 11th holes threatened to derail him, and fortunately, he was able to stay focused and finish with two birdies and no bogeys to finish with a 1-over par 73. Midday total of 1-under par 143. He finished the day in a tie for eighth place.
Ahn’s goal for this tournament is to earn his first top 10 in a major. If he finishes in the top 10, he will be eligible for the Category 12 (top 12 finishers in the last tournament) status, which means he will automatically qualify for the 2025 Masters. Ahn is also just five shots off the lead. Depending on how he plays this weekend, he could even win the tournament.
While Ahn is in the hunt for the lead, Kim Joo-hyung and Kim Si-woo dramatically survived missing the cut.
Kim started the day with two birdies and three bogeys, dropping just one stroke through 16 holes. However, a bogey on the 17th followed by a double bogey on the 18th quickly cost her two more strokes. He shot a 4-over 76 on the day. At 6-over-par 150, it looked like Kim would miss the cut at the end of the day. The same was true for Kim Joo-hyung. After a solid first 토토 day with an even-par 72, Kim faltered today. Two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine kept him in contention, but the back nine was a problem. After a bogey on the 10th, he dropped three strokes in one shot with a triple bogey on the 11th, the first hole of the ‘Amen Corner’. Another bogey on the 13th put him in trouble. He then birdied the 15th and 17th to get out of trouble, but a bogey on the 16th and a double bogey on the final 18th put him in danger of being eliminated.
However, as the afternoon wore on, the cut standard dropped as players in the afternoon group lost strokes, and the 50th-place finisher, who carded a 6-over-par 150, was able to make the cut.
The highest score in Masters Tournament history is 154 (10-over par), set in 1982. Today’s 150 was the highest score since 2017.
Among those lucky enough to make the cut in a tie for 50th place were Kim Si-woo and Kim Joo-hyung, as well as some familiar faces. Former winners Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, along with ‘veteran’ Jose Maria Olazabal, also made the cut to defend their senior golfers’ pride.
