AUGUSTA, Ga. – On the eve of the 84th Masters, Jon Rahm received a short-game lesson from two-time champion Jose-Maria Olazabal. Rahm won’t say what his fellow Spaniard and short-game wizard told him, but after chipping in for par 5 at 15, Rahm, said, “He saved me a couple of shots.”
Rahm made a short birdie putt at 13 and parred in from there to cap off a 6-under 66 and join the party of five at the top of the leaderboard at 9-under 135. It’s the first time that Rahm has led or co-led at any major.
Rahm, ranked No. 2 in the world, matched the 36-hole total of Abraham Ancer and Cameron Smith as well as World No. 1 Dustin Johnson and No. 3 Justin Thomas. It marked the first time that the top three in the world were tied at the top after any round in any major.
“I’m not worried that they’re there,” Rahm said of Johnson and Thomas. “I’ve been looking at their names all day.”
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Hideki Matsuyama (68) and former champion Patrick Reed (68) reached the clubhouse at 8 under and are one off the pace on a crowded leaderboard. Reed said the greens were “night and day,” and starting to gain their characteristic speed. Of his first putt when play resumed early Saturday morning, Reed said, “I swear it damaged the hole it was rolling so quickly.”
Cooler temperatures welcomed golfers on Saturday morning when play resumed at 7:30 a.m., after being suspended due to darkness on Friday.
The 36-hole cut came at even-par 144 and reduced the field to the top 50 and ties. Two-time champion Bernhard Langer at 63 became the oldest player to make the cut. Jordan Spieth, who made a clutch 15-foot par putt at the last, pre-tournament favorite Bryson DeChambeau and PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa were among those that made the cut on the number.
Two amateurs will play the weekend, with 2019 U.S. Amateur champion Andy Ogletree shooting 70 in the second round and Vanderbilt’s John Augenstein overcoming a triple bogey to shoot 72.
The third round will get underway at 10:20 a.m. ET.
Tiger Woods wrapped up a 1-under 70 and is tied at 5-under 139 with Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. Asked what he’d do before the third round got underway, Woods said, “Eat fast, change of clothes and get after it.”
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