AUGUSTA -- Thursday felt like a day to score during the opening round of the Masters Tournament. Friday felt like a day to survive.
Unpredictable, gusting winds wreaked havoc on Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters field, firming up the greens, influencing the direction of putts, blowing sand out of bunkers, sending leaves tumbling across fairways and even dropping a pine cone into Gary Woodland's line on the 16th green.
What was already going to be a long day, after a third of the field didn't finish Thursday because of a rain delay, became even longer in the afternoon, as players had to take their time gauging the wind, waiting on their golf balls to stop moving on the greens and for workers to run leaf blowers on the putting surfaces to clear debris.
"Patience" was again the word on everyone's minds - though those playing in the afternoon may have had some other, unprintable words in mind - and the three who handed it best are the three tied for the lead. Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa and Scottie Scheffler share the lead at 6 under on a day where no one could run away from the field.
"Yeah, it was extremely challenging," said Scheffler (72), the top-ranked player in the world. "The winds were up very high, and it blows from everywhere out here. I think even-par this afternoon was a really good score. And, yeah, I couldn't really describe how windy it is and how difficult the gusts are just because, I mean, I think you just have to be out there and experience it. ... Everything out there is extremely difficult when it's this windy. So I was definitely - definitely pleased to get in there at even-par."
Scheffler's 72 included his first bogey of the week on hole No. 5, but it also included key pars that felt like birdies on the scoreable holes on the back nine.
DeChambeau (73), who led Scheffler by one after the first round, again relied on a more mature approach than in years past - and Friday was a day that required it more than any other. DeChambeau smartly played to spots rather than attacking pins, and even despite a disappointing finish to the round - he parred 17 after a 395-yard drive, then bogeyed 18 - he was still pleased to remain at the top of the leaderboard.
"I'm very excited," he said. "I get an opportunity to show my skill set, and hopefully it's good enough to do something special this weekend. I feel like the game is in a great spot. Mindset is in a solid place. Caddie is keeping me in check. We're joking out there, having fun in some tough conditions. So I feel like everything is lining up pretty well. Just got to make sure my lag putts are doing well and striking it well off the tee. That's all that matters. If I can do those things, I think I'll put myself in a good place."
Homa (71) doesn't shy away from the fact that his track record at Augusta National has not been strong, with two missed cuts and a tie for 43rd last year as his best finish in four career starts. He was proud of his course management, and he said the difficult conditions more or less forced him to be patient and take his medicine, and that's resulted in back-to-back productive rounds.
"I think I'm just aware when you're out of position, get back in position," he said. "Doesn't have to be the green. Doesn't have to be really anywhere near the green. Just make sure, especially these conditions, chipping into the wind best you can. So I feel like when I was - when I had been out of position, I had done a great job of getting back into it. I made some really good putts to make that look even better. But, yeah, just in general, just taking what I get, what the golf course gives me."
Homa also said playing alongside Tiger Woods both days helped relieve some pressure - even though the biggest crowds always follow a Woods group, Homa said he knew they weren't there to watch him so he was able to stay in his own world and enjoy being along for the ride.
Woods (72) will be around for the weekend for a tournament-record 24th consecutive time. He got in at 1 over, which became more and more secure as the day progressed. The projected cut line continued to rise, eventually landing on 6 over to keep around players like Grand Slam-seeking Rory McIlroy (77) at 4 over and defending champion Jon Rahm (76) at 5 over.
The scoring average for the day was 75.08, more than a stroke and a half higher than Thursday. Masters rookie Ludvig Åberg (69) was the only player to break 70, sending him surging up the leaderboard into solo seventh place at 2 under.
Fellow rookie Nicolai Højgaard (73) is two strokes off the lead in fourth place, with Cameron Davis (72) and Collin Morikawa (70) another shot back at 3 under. Another seven players are at 1 under.
Everyone got caught up and into the house despite 30 players having to finish round one before starting round two, so no one will have to come back early Saturday to clean up any unfinished holes. Now it's on to the weekend, and it's on to Moving Day at the Masters.
