Cameron Smith believes he will inevitably win The Masters, after his charge for the green jacket unravelled on Sunday.

The Australian went into the final round three strokes behind eventual winner Scottie Scheffler, and he was still in contention with seven holes remaining, before misfortune struck on the 12th hole.

Smith's weekend came undone from there, finishing the round with a one-over 73 and tied for third with Shane Lowry at five-under-par for the tournament.

After winning the Player's Championship in March, the world number six does not view the weekend and eventual faltering of his chances at Augusta National as a learning experience, holding the belief he will eventually put on golf's most coveted prize.

"I don't know really," Smith said. "I feel like I've played some of my best golf around here, it just hasn't quite been my time yet. A couple of lucky breaks here and there, and I'll be putting the green jacket on, I'm sure, one day.

"I feel really comfortable around this place. I feel like it's a place that really suits my game, and I look forward to coming back every year and playing good golf."

After birdieing the 11th hole, the world number six tried to capitalise on momentum and went straight for the pin on the notorious par-three 12th, a hole that leaves little margin of error for the aggressive.

Instead of heading for the safety of the middle of the green, Smith aimed for the narrow strip of green closer to the pin, only for Augusta's Amen Corner to claim another victim.

While his scuffed tee shot and triple bogey on the 12th might take all the headlines, consecutive bogeys after birdieing the opening two holes proved just as consequential, according to Smith.

"Just too many mistakes," he said. "I feel like maybe my two bogeys on the front nine weren't quite deserved – it kind of, I guess, halted my momentum a little bit. I got off to a really good start, birdieing the first two, and then two bogeys to follow that really slowed me down. A poor shot on 12, and there's the tournament.

"It was all fine, it was just a perfect nine iron, it was just a really bad swing. Probably one of the worst swings of the week, and at the worst time of the week. Just unfortunate, but I'll grow from this and be stronger for it."

After winning the Masters, Scottie Scheffler revealed he was in tears on the morning of his final round.

The 25-year-old American had not won a PGA Tour event two months ago, but in the past 57 days he has won four of the six events he has entered, and capped it off with a green jacket on Sunday.

Scheffler shot 71 for the round after four-putting the 18th, trimming his winning margin from five strokes down to three with the double-bogey, to finish 10 under for the tournament.

He looked cool, calm and collected throughout as he fought off the challenge of Cameron Smith, but speaking after his win he revealed he was anything but composed on Sunday morning.

"I cried like a baby this morning," he said. "I was so stressed out – I didn’t know what to do.

"I was sitting there telling [wife] Meredith ‘I don’t think I’m ready for this. I’m not ready, I don’t feel like I’m ready for this kind of stuff', and I just felt overwhelmed.

"She told me ‘who are you to say that you are not ready?' and 'who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life?’

"So what we talked about is that God is in control, and that the Lord is leading me; and if today is my time, it’s my time. 

"Gosh, it was a long morning. It was long. My stomach has been hurting for two days straight."

The gravity of the situation was what weighed on Scheffler, knowing the opportunity he had.

"I think I had a five-shot lead on Friday, and then a three-shot lead going into [Sunday] – I don’t know if you get better opportunities than that," he said.

"You don’t want to waste them. The human condition is to make things bigger than they really are, and years from now I would say people may not remember me as a champion, and that’s fine. 

"But in the moment, you think it’s a lot bigger deal than it really is."

While Tiger Woods was the talk of the weekend after returning to golf and making the cut, Scheffler took inspiration from some of his earlier appearances at Augusta.

"[Woods'] YouTube clips are such an inspiration for me," he said. 

"I remember watching the highlights of him winning in '97, kind of running away with it – he never really broke his concentration."

Scottie Scheffler had always dreamed about competing in the Masters, so winning the famous tournament at Augusta National left him full of emotion.

On Sunday, Scheffler secured a fourth PGA Tour win from his most recent six starts, with all four of his career wins having come about in a 57-day hot streak.

Scheffler entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over the chasing field, but after playing partner Cameron Smith found the water on the 12th hole, the 25-year-old American found himself leading by five down the final stretch.

After putting jitters meant he carded a double bogey on 18, Scheffler signed for a 71 to finish 10 under overall, three shots clear of runner-up Rory McIlroy.

He looked largely stoic as he navigated the nerves of a final-round lead, but prior to being presented with his green jacket by last year's champion Hideki Matsuyama in the cabin, Scheffler said he was putting on a brave face.

"I may have looked calm on the outside, but as Hideki [Matsuyama] knows, it's a long day, it's a tough day, so I just tried to keep my head down and execute shots," Scheffler said.

"Probably the first time [winning] popped into my mind was Friday in the afternoon after we got done.

"I never really make it this far – I always dream of just being here and competing. I can't put into words what it means that I'll be able to come back here for a lifetime, hopefully, and I can't speak highly enough of this place.

"I can't thank my family enough. My parents and my sisters have made so many sacrifices for me over the years.

"We've all dreamed about just making this tournament – it's emotional just making the field – so to have the honour of winning the golf tournament is so special."

Later on, he added: "I've dreamed of having a chance to play in this tournament – I teared up the first time I got my invitation in the mail. If you're going to choose a golf tournament to win, this would be the tournament I would want to win."

Scheffler has become the first man to win four times in a PGA Tour campaign by the end of the Masters since David Duval went on an early-season charge in 1999, but that end-of-the-century run did not include a green jacket.

Touching on the on-course action, Scheffler reflected on his crucial chip-in on the third hole after Smith started his day with two consecutive birdies while the eventual winner could not hit a green.

"Very excited [to see it go in] – a bit surprised too," Scheffler said. "It was definitely not a shot I expected to see go in.

"I wouldn't say it changed the complexion of the day, but it definitely got things rolling for me and I played some very solid golf after that.

"I was fortunate to put myself in a position where I was in control of the tournament today, so I didn't have to worry about what anybody else was doing out there.

"If I took care of my stuff, and played good solid golf, I felt like I could get the job done. That was the goal going into today, just keep my head down."

Tiger Woods had Jon Rahm for company in the final round of the Masters, and his Spanish playing partner senses the American golfing great is bang on track to be a major contender again.

The playing partners had contrasting fortunes on Sunday, with Rahm signing off with a classy 69 and Woods labouring to a weary 78.

But it was to be expected that Woods would flag this weekend, having amazed the golfing world by making the cut in his first PGA Tour event since November 2020. An opening 71 had been a staggering achievement.

After back surgery, and the shocking car crash in February 2021 which Woods has admitted he was lucky to survive, it was a wonder that he played Augusta at all this year.

He was bedridden for a good while after the crash in California in which he sustained major leg and foot injuries, and the undulating course that stages the Masters, a tournament that Woods has won five times, was hardly tailor-made to allow the 46-year-old a soft landing back in the professional game.

World number two Rahm had a view at close quarters of the returning Woods, and said: "It's really cool. It was great because nobody cared about me, so I was just watching him play. I was able to enjoy today as a fan and as a player.

"You can just tell that his leg is just not quite up there yet. I've seen him in the truck. He is limping in the truck. He is limping on the course. Obviously, he is trying very hard to play, but it's not easy to walk up and down those hills. At the end you can just tell that his leg and his body are just not used to walking this much, right?

"I believe if at home he can walk and get strength up and stamina in that sense, he will be able to be competitive again.

"This is the hardest walk all year. He will be able to go somewhere where it's a little easier to walk. It won't be as long, and I believe he'll be able to contend."

Rahm said "the Tiger effect" can be seen on the PGA Tour, where he faces competition from a generation that grew up watching and admiring Woods; he namechecked the likes of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, new Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith.

Rahm also said Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau were among the same peer group that has taken the game by the scruff of the neck, and he believes the intense competition may mean there is no one standout player who wins a great glut of majors.

Woods has 15 to his name, but such a staggering haul seems out of range for the players who have followed in his wake.

"All of us are close in age, and we all – Dustin being a little bit older – we're all within five years, and we all grew up watching Tiger. We all grew up wanting to be him, and we all grew up with the dream of being major champions," Rahm said.

"With the advancement in golf, in all of us thinking of ourselves as athletes, you can see the difference. Everybody can reach a new level.

"It's really hard to stay up there for a long time. Some players have been able to do it, but it's just the next guy comes up, gets hot, and there you go. It's a beautiful part of the golden age of golf we're living in right now.

"Hopefully it's me, but you might not get the one guy that's going to dominate for a long time, but you're going to get five, six, maybe 10 players that can do their part. Anybody gets hot for three, four months, and you can see what happens."

Woods said he felt "thankful" that he was able to last the distance.

"Just to be able to play, and not only just to play, but I put up a good first round," Woods said. "I got myself there. I don't quite have the endurance that I would like to have had, but as of a few weeks ago, didn't even know if I was going to play in this event.

"To go from that to here, we're excited about the prospects of the future, about training, about getting into that gym and doing some other stuff to get my leg stronger, which we haven't been able to do because it needed more time to heal. I think it needs a couple more days to heal after this, but we'll get back after it, and we'll get into it."

Tiger Woods has confirmed he will participate in The Open following his successful return to action at The Masters, but he does not expect to ever play a full schedule again.

The 15-time major winner defied the odds to compete at Augusta National this week, 14 months on from sustaining serious leg and foot injuries in a car accident.

Competing in his first PGA Tour event since November 2020, Woods not only made the cut for a 22nd successive time at the Masters, he also played all 72 holes.

After a strong start to the week, Woods faded from contention and carded back-to-back rounds of six-over 78 on Saturday and Sunday – both career-worst scores.

While that score may seem underwhelming for the 46-year-old, who won this event for a fifth time in 2019, Woods received a huge ovation when completing his round.

And after showing glimpses of his old self this week, as well proving his ability to complete a tournament, Woods intends to continue appearing at majors and other select events.

"I won't be playing a full schedule ever again," he told Sky Sports. "It will just be the big events. I don't know if I will play Southern Hills [next month's PGA Championship] or not. 

"But I am looking forward to St Andrews. It's something near and dear to my heart. I've won two Opens there and it's the home of golf, my favourite golf course in the world. 

"So I will be there for that one. Yes."

Woods was limping throughout the final round, which consisted of five bogeys and a double-bogey after a birdie on the second hole, but he was blown away by the support.

"It's crazy, it's just crazy," he said of his reception. "This golf course and this tournament has meant so much to me and my family.

"From the year I was born, it was the first year that a Black man played in the Masters, Lee Elder. He got a chance to be an honorary starter last year, before he passed. 

"He was there when I ended up winning in 1997, my dad was there.

"My mum was there the entire time, and is out there today. She's stubborn. 

"She shouldn't have been out there, she shouldn't have been walking, she has no business going up and down those hills. Where do I get it from, right?"

Rory McIlroy narrowly missed out on a maiden Masters triumph but said a record-equalling final round at Augusta made him "as happy as I have ever been on a golf course".

The 32-year-old, who was aiming to complete a career grand slam of the majors, entered Sunday at one over yet gave himself hope of a remarkable victory with an eight-under 64.

That tied the lowest final-round score in the competition's history and is the second-lowest 18-hole score McIlroy has managed in a major, behind his 63 at The Open in 2010.

Magnificent McIlroy's blemish-free round consisted of six birdies, including a dramatic bunker shot at 18, and an awe-inspiring eagle on the par-five 13th.

The Northern Irishman ultimately left himself with too much to do, however, as Scottie Scheffler held his nerve to win by three strokes.

But after rolling back the years with an Augusta showing for the ages, runner-up McIlroy could not hide his delight.

"It's what you dream about, you dream about getting yourself into position," he said. "To play as well as I did today and then to finish like this, it's just absolutely incredible.

"This tournament never ceases to amaze. That's as happy as I've ever been on a golf course, right there. I've never heard roars like that on the 18th green, it was really cool."

McIlroy, who has four major victories to his name but none since 2014, told CBS: "I gave it a great go and I can't ask any more of myself.

"I went out there today, shot my best ever score at Augusta. It's going to be my best finish ever, probably not quite good enough, but I'll come back next year and keep trying."

Scottie Scheffler is now the proud owner of a green jacket after winning the Masters with a terrific performance in the last round – even if he wobbled on the 18th green.

Scheffler, 25, finished 10 under overall and shot 71 on Sunday after a double bogey at the last, winning his fourth career PGA Tour title after landing his first just 57 days ago.

A terrific chip-in on the third hole helped him find his footing after a couple of wayward drives early on, but his ability to recover from less-than-ideal situations was on full display on the first nine.

He would birdie the seventh hole on the way to a bogey-free front half, before his first slip-up came with a bogey on the 10th as he missed a makeable par putt. He lost his putting poise on the final green, but had enough shots in hand that it hardly mattered a jot.

The final day shaped up as a two-horse race between Scheffler and Cameron Smith, but any chance Smith had at mounting a comeback went up in smoke as his tee shot on the par-three 12th found the water.

Smith went on to triple-bogey the hole, and fell apart from that point, pulling drives into the trees as his fight turned from a chance to win to a battle to hang on in the top five.

The surge of the day came from Rory McIlroy, who shot one off the course record with an eight-under 64 to finish outright second at seven under.

McIlroy went bogey-free, with birdies on one, three, seven, eight, 10 and 18, and an eagle on 13.

He capped off his round with a remarkable chip-in from the bunker on 18 – only for his playing partner, Colin Morikawa, to do likewise to put the finishing touches on a 67 to earn outright fifth place at four under.

Also finishing inside the top five was Shane Lowry, who finished with a three-under 69 to tie with Smith for third on a five-under aggregate, despite a triple bogey on the par-three fourth.

Tiger Woods has confirmed he will participate in The Open following his successful return to action at The Masters, but he does not expect to ever play a full schedule again.

The 15-time major winner defied the odds to compete at Augusta National this week, 14 months on from sustaining serious leg and foot injuries in a car accident.

Competing in his first PGA Tour event since November 2020, Woods not only made the cut for a 22nd successive time at the Masters, he also played all 72 holes.

After a strong start to the week, Woods faded from contention and carded back-to-back rounds of six-over 78 on Saturday and Sunday – both career-worst scores.

While that score may seem underwhelming for the 46-year-old, who won this event for a fifth time in 2019, Woods received a huge ovation when completing his round.

And after showing glimpses of his old self this week, as well proving his ability to complete a tournament, Woods intends to continue appearing at majors and other select events.

"I won't be playing a full schedule ever again," he told Sky Sports. "It will just be the big events. I don't know if I will play Southern Hills [next month's PGA Championship] or not. 

"But I am looking forward to St Andrews. It's something near and dear to my heart. I've won two Opens there and it's the home of golf, my favourite golf course in the world. 

"So I will be there for that one. Yes."

Woods was limping throughout the final round, which consisted of five bogeys and a double-bogey after a birdie on the second hole, but he was blown away by the support.

"It's crazy, it's just crazy," he said of his reception. "This golf course and this tournament has meant so much to me and my family.

"From the year I was born, it was the first year that a Black man played in the Masters, Lee Elder. He got a chance to be an honorary starter last year, before he passed. 

"He was there when I ended up winning in 1997, my dad was there.

"My mum was there the entire time, and is out there today. She's stubborn. 

"She shouldn't have been out there, she shouldn't have been walking, she has no business going up and down those hills. Where do I get it from, right?"

Leader Scottie Scheffler is relishing a "great fight" for a maiden major victory at The Masters on Sunday.

World number one Scheffler holds a three-shot lead over Cameron Smith heading into the final round at Augusta.

The 25-year-old bogeyed four of the final seven holes in his third round on Saturday and did well to only drop one shot at 18 after taking a one-stroke penalty following a poor tee shot.

Scheffler will tee off at nine under with a first major triumph in his sights and the American is looking forward to the challenge.

He said: "It should be a great fight. Obviously Cam is a tremendous player, and he's got a fantastic short game, and he's coming off a huge win at The Players.

"Both of us are in good form, so I'm definitely looking forward to the challenge of playing with him tomorrow.

He added: "Little bit of different conditions on the golf course. I'm sure they will keep the green nice and firm, but the wind will be a little lighter. I'm not sure how much lighter it will be, but I think we are both looking forward to the test and the challenge.

"Playing in the final group is always so much fun, so I'm looking forward to it."

Australian Smith knows there will be no margin for error in his final round as he also eyes a first major title.

Asked what it will take for him to win, he replied: "Shoot the lowest score out there again tomorrow probably. No, I think preparation. I think it's not going to be as windy tomorrow.

"Typically here on Sunday, especially the back nine, you can use plenty of greens to your advantage and have plenty of birdie opportunities.

"Again, just stay aggressive into the greens and just keep hitting quality shots."

Sungjae Im is five shots adrift of Scheffler in third place, with Shane Lowry and Charl Schwartzel a further two strokes back.

Scottie Scheffler will head into the final round of the Masters with a three-stroke lead from Cameron Smith, after a volatile back nine on Saturday at Augusta National.

The world number one opened moving day with a five-shot lead, and charged out the gate on Saturday with four birdies over the opening nine holes.

Seeking his first major title, Scheffler then delivered three bogeys on four holes on the back nine, before taking a penalty for an unplayable lie on the par-four 18th.

Yet he salvaged what could have been an even worse outcome, gambling with a long iron and making a tricky up-and-down to finish with just a bogey and an eventual one-under 71.

In windy and icy conditions at Augusta, Smith emerged as the likeliest challenger with a second four-under 68 to finish Saturday on six-under-par.

The Australian world number six will be paired with Scheffler despite trailing by seven shots midway through the third round, claiming three birdies in six holes on the back nine.

Like Scheffler, Smith also skewed his tee shot into the trees on the 18th, but was eventually able to scramble for par.

Smith's Presidents Cup teammate Im Sung-jae is in outright third, shooting a one-under-par 71 in the third round.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods' six-over-par 78 was his worst in 93 rounds over his career at Augusta, leaving him at seven-over-par.

Scottie Scheffler made a superb start to the third round of the Masters to extend his lead to six shots on Saturday.

The mission for the chasing pack was clear going into moving day at Augusta National: chase down the world number one, who ended day two with a five-stroke lead.

But Scheffler, seeking his first major title, made that task even harder with four birdies on the front nine.

After saving par at a tricky first hole, Scheffler produced a stunning second shot at the 575-yard second to put him on the edge of the green.

He chipped to four feet to set up a simple birdie, which was followed by another gain at the third following a superb approach shot to eight feet to move to 10 under par.

A dropped shot at the fourth gave hope to his prospective challengers, but that stroke was clawed back courtesy of an excellent 17-foot putt at the sixth.

He chipped to six feet for another gain at the eighth to improve to 11 under, with a par at the ninth leaving Cameron Smith as his closest challenger at five under through 12.

Scottie Scheffler admitted to having some fortune after windy conditions that had caused many players to struggle on day two of the Masters died down for him later in his round of 67.

The world number one established a five-shot lead at Augusta after shooting a five-under round for the day, a total matched only by Justin Thomas on Friday.

Scheffler sits well ahead of the chasing pack, with previous overnight leader Im Sung-jae, Charl Schwartzel, Shane Lowry and reigning champion Hideki Matsuyama all on three under par.

Speaking after his round, the 25-year-old exclaimed his happiness with his game, saying: "I feel like my game is in a good spot. I've done a good job managing my way around the golf course the last two days, and I've made some really nice up and downs and key putts that have kept my rounds going.

"I've kept my cards pretty clean for the most part, which is nice."

When asked about the pressure of holding the lead at Augusta, Scheffler added: "If anything, it gives me more confidence. Once I saw that I took the lead at one point today, and my first thought was to just keep trying to build it just because I feel like I'm playing well.

"That will be the goal going into tomorrow, just to keep putting myself in good positions, execute shots, and as long as I'm committed to everything, everything should be fine. The rest really isn't up to me."

Scheffler was among many players to comment on the windy conditions, but did admit that after it had died down, it allowed him to make a strong finish, birdieing four of his last seven holes.

"To be completely honest, the front nine was such a grind," he said. "The wind was crazy. There was some times where we saw the sand blowing up out of the bunkers out there. It was ridiculous.

"I think we were a little bit fortunate that it did die down a little bit towards the end of the day. It was still gusty, but you were able to find some spots where, for instance, on 16 I almost didn't even play any wind. We were definitely fortunate in that sense, but we were also playing in some pretty aggressive winds at the beginning of the round."

World number one Scottie Scheffler leads the Masters by five shots after a strong showing on a windy second day at Augusta.

Scheffler carded a five-under 67 to move to eight under for the tournament, ahead of four players in the chasing pack on three under.

After a woeful start to his second round, bogeying four of the first five holes, Tiger Woods recovered to card 74 for the day, tied for 19th on one over par, at least ensuring he will be back for the weekend.

The leader heading into the second round, Im Sung-jae, was unable to repeat his Thursday heroics but remains in the mix after his round of 74 left him among those tied for second with Charl Schwartzel, Shane Lowry and reigning champion Hideki Matsuyama.

Several big names did miss the cut, with Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka finishing on six over par after two rounds, Xander Schauffele on seven over, Justin Rose eight over and Bryson DeChambeau 10 over.

Shot of the day

An honourable mention to Woods and Lowry for tremendous second shots at 10, but there can only be one winner on Friday as Stewart Cink pulled off a crowd-pleasing hole-in-one at the 16th.

The 48-year-old ultimately missed the cut, finishing on seven over par, but hitting his tee shot on 16 to the right of the hole, only for the ball to roll back and into the cup led to the appropriate whooping from the fans and hugging from Cink's caddie, who also happened to be his son Reagan.

Player of the day

Lowry impressed with his four-under round for the day, but there is no looking past Scheffler, who dominated day two in Augusta.

The 25-year-old made seven birdies for his five-under round of 67, the joint-best of the day with Justin Thomas, following his 69 from Thursday and giving him a big lead going into Saturday.

Scheffler was already in the lead when he put his foot on the accelerator after the turn, making birdies on four of his last seven holes.

Chipping in

Collin Morikawa on Tiger: "I've never heard roars like that [on Thursday]. Especially at Augusta when everything kind of echoes a little bit more. I think we were walking down six, and [Dustin Johnson] and I heard that Tiger I think made birdie, and you can hear that. There's nothing like it."

Schwartzel on his mindset: "I think that's where I've been going wrong. Mind is too active, and I really worked hard in staying in the present and just trying to execute a golf shot and not to worry about what can go wrong because I've been playing too much golf thinking of what can go wrong."

Cink on whether he would be getting his son Reagan, who also caddied for him on his birthday, a present: "I already got him the hole-in-one. That's the extent of my birthday present. I gave him the ball. That should be enough, right?"

A little birdie told me

- Scheffler's five-stroke margin ties the largest 36-hole lead in Masters history.

- Woods maintains his 100 per cent record of making the cut at the Masters (22 out of 22). He has secured a top five place in 57 per cent of his previous 21 appearances (12), winning the title on five occasions.

- Cink's hole-in-one was the 34th in Masters history, though 16 is by far the most popular hole for aces at Augusta, with 24 being made there.

Tiger Woods said he needs "to go out there and handle my business" as the five-time Masters champion recovered from a dreadful start to his second round.

It is a surprise that Woods is competing this week, and while a fairytale tournament victory looks beyond him – with world number one Scottie Scheffler leading the chasing pack by five shots on eight under – he is pleased to have at least secured his place for the weekend's action at Augusta.

Woods was champion at the Masters most recently in 2019, when he ended a run of 11 years without a major title.

However, his second round on Friday got off to a woeful start as he bogeyed four of his first five holes, with his comeback threatening to turn sour as he flirted with the projected cut score of four over par.

Woods soon turned things around, though, and despite two more bogeys on 11 and 12 he followed up with two birdies and four pars to finish with a round of 74 and on one over par overall, meaning he kept up his 100 per cent record of making the cut at Augusta.

The 46-year-old has now made the weekend on 22 occasions at the Masters, which is the only major in which he has always made the cut as a professional. He has secured a top-five finish in 12 of those previous 21 appearances.

Five-time Masters champion Woods conceded the wind had been an issue early on, saying: "It was blustery. It was windy. It was swirling all over the place.

"I hit a couple shots that I got a couple of bad gusts and also made a couple of bad swings on top of that. Then on four, I ended up in a divot. It was just like 'okay, what else can go wrong?'"

When asked how he was feeling, Woods laughed and replied: "Well, I don't feel as good as I would like to feel. That's okay.

"As I said, I've got a chance going into the weekend. Hopefully I'll have one of those light bulb moments and turn it on in the weekend and get it done. You've seen guys do it with a chance going into the back nine. If you are within five or six going into the back nine, anything can happen.

"I need to get myself there. That's the key. I need to get myself there.

"Tomorrow will be a big day. It's going to be cool. It's going to be tough. Again, the wind is supposed to blow again and tough scoring conditions. I need to go out there and handle my business and get into the red and get myself a chance going into that back nine on Sunday."

Rory McIlroy endured a "really tough" day in the Georgia wind after carding another round 73 to sit on two over par after two rounds at the Masters.

The weather really put the "gust" in Augusta on Friday as several players struggled with the conditions, though McIlroy looks to have made the cut, projected to be four over.

The Northern Irishman made three birdies, three bogeys and one double bogey as he found himself unable to make a move on the leaders.

Speaking after his round, McIlroy said of the conditions: "Tough, really tough. It's gusty, it's hard to commit to a number and say 'okay, it's 170, it's really playing 200', and committing to it because the wind's just going up and down.

"It's a tough challenge, being okay with hitting to 30 feet and getting within two shots and making pars, that's been the name of the game today."

The 32-year-old hit a bogey at 10 before double bogeying the 11th to drop to four over par, but was able to birdie two of the last seven to potentially rescue his week.

"That was a soft couple of holes on 10 and 11, giving away three shots," he added. "And then to play the last seven in two under was really nice. I hit the ball very well coming in, felt like I left a couple out there too, I had a few chances, but it's just one of those days that even the 10 footers are difficult because the wind's gusting.

"One of those days that unsettles you a bit and puts some doubt in your mind, and that's where golf can become difficult."

A number of high-profile players are likely to miss the cut, with Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka on six over par after two rounds, Xander Schauffele on seven over, Justin Rose eight over and Bryson DeChambeau 10 over.