Cal Golf: Collin Morikawa Fires 2nd-Round 69, Climbs to Tie for 13th at the Masters
Collin Morikawa warmed up in the second round of the Masters on Friday and will enter the weekend in a tie for 13th place, five strokes behind leader Justin Rose.
Morikawa, the 2019 Cal graduate, shot a 3-under 69 in the second round after a 73 on Thursday. His two-under score through 36 holes puts him in a tie with Cameron Smith, Corey Conners and Ryan Palmer.
Collin Morikawa
Photo by Rob Schumacher, USA Today
Things didn’t go as well for the other Cal golfer playing at Augusta National. Max Homa shot a 74 for the second straight day for a four-over score that left him one stroke away from making the cut.
Rose, who shot a 65 on Thursday, played even-par golf at 72 on Friday but retains a one-stroke lead over Will Zalatoris and Brian Harman, both at six under. Jordan Spieth is two off the pace at five under after carding a 68 on Friday.
Justin Thomas is part of a six-way tie for sixth place at at four under after a 67 on Friday.
Rose called his experience Friday “a classic day at Augusta National when you're just slightly off. You can be a foot or two out on certain occasions, and you end up struggling.
"I think maybe off the back of yesterday, it starts to feel pretty different pretty quickly. I kind of told myself going up the eighth hole, you're leading the Masters, your frame of reference is a little bit different to yesterday. Four ahead is something, but you're still leading so like just enjoy it and keep going. I was able to do that.’'
Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, shown in the video interview at the top of this story, shot a 70 and climbed 10 spots to a tie for 21st at two under par.
Morikawa, who won the PGA Championship last year, had a wild Friday at the Masters, but climbed seven spots from 20th after Thursday's opening round. He had birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 8, 12, 13, 16 and 18 against bogeys on 5, 8, 10 and 15.
The 24-year-old is positioned to improve on his finish at his inaugural Masters last fall, when he wound up in a tie for 44th place.
Max Homa shows some frustration after a putt
Photo by Rob Schumacher, USA Today
Homa began his day with a bogey on No. 1, then carded a double-bogey on No. 5 before another bogey on the seventh that put him four over for the day. He rallied with birdies on Nos. 8 and 13 but could not get the one extra stroke he needed to make the cut.
Homa also missed the cut at the 2020 Masters.
Cover photo of Collin Morikawa by Rob Schumacher, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo