Rory McIlroy admitted he faced an uphill task to play his way back into contention as Tiger Woods remained focused on an unlikely Masters triumph.
McIlroy struggled to a birdie-free second round of 77 at a windswept Augusta National to fall 10 shots off the lead shared by world number one Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau.
Woods was three shots closer to the leaders after a battling 72 saw him make a record 24th consecutive cut in the Masters, with the whole field separated by 12 shots after the cut fell at six over par.
McIlroy said: “I won from 10 back [at halfway] in Dubai at the start of the year, but obviously the Dubai Desert Classic and the Masters are two very different golf tournaments.
“We’ll see. Hopefully the conditions are a little better. I still think I can go out and shoot a low one, get back into red numbers, and have half a chance going into Sunday.”
Woods sounded more optimistic than McIlroy when asked to assess his position.
“It means I have a chance to win the golf tournament,” Woods said.
“I’m right there. It’s really bunched. The way the ball is moving on the greens, chip shots are being blown, it’s all you want in a golf course.”
Shot of the day
Former champion Danny Willett holed his approach to the eighth for an eagle.
Statistic of the day
Top statistician Justin Ray highlights the tough task for the chasing pack.
Quote of the day
“You can be made to look like an idiot out there today by not doing too much wrong” – Shane Lowry on the difficulty presented by the strong, swirling winds.
Hardest hole
The 11th played as the hardest hole for the second day running with just one birdie, 30 bogeys and 10 double bogeys leading to a scoring average of 4.494.
Easiest hole
The par-five second hole was the easiest, yielding one eagle, 42 birdies and just six bogeys for a scoring average of 4.607.
Key tee times (all BST)
1555 Rory McIlroy, Camilo Villegas
1745 Tiger Woods, Tyrrell Hatton
1915 Ludvig Aberg, Matthieu Pavon
1935 Scottie Scheffler, Nicolai Hojgaard
1945 Max Homa, Bryson DeChambeau
Weather forecast
Mostly sunny with temperatures set to reach the mid-70s. A few wind gusts to 20mph may occur between 12-5pm. Mostly sunny and warmer on Sunday, with the temperature climbing into the mid-80s.
Samuda and Munn-Barrow triumph at AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament
Owen Samuda and Jodi Munn-Barrow emerged as champions of the AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament, held at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine over the weekend. The annual event, one of Jamaica’s most prestigious golf tournaments, saw over 80 golfers competing despite challenges posed by recent weather conditions.
Samuda, who has been enjoying a stellar run of form, dominated the male category with back-to-back rounds of one-under-par 71, finishing with an impressive two-under-par 142. He won by a commanding 13-stroke margin, cementing his reputation as one of the country’s top golfers.
Reflecting on his victory, Samuda shared, “After the disappointment in the Jamaica Open last week, I realized that you can’t drive a car while looking behind you. I came into this tournament with a lot of confidence and positive thoughts. I played really well yesterday, and even better today, so I feel great about the win.”
Samuda’s performance marked the only under-par scores across the tournament. Former national champion Oshae Haye finished second with an 11-over-par 155, while Zandre Roye and Sean Morris tied for third at 14-over-par 158.
In the female category, Jamaica Golf Association President Jodi Munn-Barrow delivered her trademark consistency to claim the Ladies 0-6 title. Munn-Barrow posted scores of 75 on both days, totaling six-over-par 150 to secure her win by a comfortable 21 strokes over Michele McCreath, who finished at 171.
“It was a little more difficult this time,” Munn-Barrow admitted. “I haven’t been playing much because of my involvement with the Jamaica Open, so my game this weekend was scrappy. But I managed to get the ball around, and I’m happy with how I performed despite not being at my best.”
The tournament also featured numerous category winners, including Quentin Hugh-Sam and Philip Gooden, who scored 168 to win the Men & Men Senior 7-12 section. Other winners included Gifford Wilmott (Men & Men Senior 13-24) with a score of 157, and Diane Hudson, who topped the Ladies 13 and over category with a score of 184.
The event, held for the 29th year, is a tribute to seven of Jamaica’s past national golf representatives: Milton "Buddy" Josephs, Izette Rhone, Lenan "Lennie" Chin, John Fulford, Al Chong, Claude Stewart, and Mark Chin. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Lawes Street Trade Training Centre, with the goal of raising JMD$1 million annually.
Peter Chin, president of the Buccaneers Golf Club, praised the event’s resilience despite weather challenges. “This tournament has been running since the 1990s and is the oldest golf tournament outside of the Jamaica Open on the JGA calendar. The course was in great condition considering the rain over the past few weeks,” Chin said.
The AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament was sponsored by AMG Packaging, with Scientific & Medical Supplies as an associate sponsor.
McIlroy honoured to be 'mentioned in same breath' as Ballesteros after matching Race to Dubai tally
Rory McIlroy says he is honoured to be "mentioned in the same breath" as Seve Ballesteros, after matching the Spaniard's haul of six Race to Dubai titles.
McIlroy secured the title for the third year running following his victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.
The four-time major winner finished two shots clear of Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard to seal his third triumph in the event.
"Everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and Ryder Cup players," an emotional McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes from Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from [1995], the last Ryder Cup he played.
"He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud."
"I've been through a lot this year, professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024," added McIlroy, who narrowly lost out on the US Open title to Bryson DeChambeau.
"I've persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn't able to get it done. I'm really pleased with the way I finished and, thankfully, I hung on after a tough day and got the job done."
McIlroy seals sixth Race to Dubai title with DP World Tour Championship triumph
Rory McIlroy secured his sixth Race to Dubai title with victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy finished at 15 under par and two shots clear of Rasmus Hojgaard, who he partnered during the final round, to seal glory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The four-time major winner claimed his record-equalling third triumph in this event, matching Jon Rahm.
It is also his third successive Race to Dubai victory - and sixth overall to move level with Seve Ballesteros.
McIlroy was tied for the lead heading into the final day, and a run of four successive birdies gave him a three-shot advantage early on.
However, he hit bogeys on the ninth and 13th holes, allowing Hojgaard to draw level heading into the final four.
Nevertheless, McIlroy dug deep with a brilliant approach leading to a birdie on the 16th, which put him back in front.
And while Hojgaard could only par the final hole after narrowly missing a birdie putt, the Northern Irishman held his nerve with another birdie to seal his seventh tournament win in Dubai.
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