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Brian Harman hasn\u2019t been in great form of late. Even so, he was mentioned in dispatches before the Tournament began as a dark horse, with the fiery conditions negating his length disadvantage, and his short game so sweet. However, form trumped hipster punditry as he opened with a dismal 79. However the 2023 Open champion bounced back spectacularly with a 69 yesterday, and he\u2019s in even better nick this afternoon, with birdies at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 14. Just the one dropped shot at 7, and he\u2019s level par overall.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Alex Noren was out in the first group this morning. The veteran Swede has absolutely no history at Augusta National to speak of \u2013 a tie for 62nd in 2019 is his best return \u2013 but he\u2019s looking to amend that record this year. A round of 69 today to follow yesterday\u2019s 71; how he\u2019ll be ruing his opening 77. But as things stand he\u2019s in the top 40 at +1 overall and very much trending in the right direction. Ladies and gentlemen, your very early clubhouse leader.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n In terms of importance and sheer breathtaking drama, Rory McIlroy\u2019s run of six birdies in the last seven holes last night is unlikely to be matched this week. If it is, we\u2019re in for an era-defining treat. But the course does seem to be offering opportunities. The 2011 PGA champion Keegan Bradley reached the turn a wee bit earlier with four consecutive birdies, 6 through 9; he\u2019s level par for the Tournament. And now Rasmus H\u00f8jgaard has matched that feat with birdies at 13, 14, 15 and 16. The run\u2019s unlikely to continue, as he\u2019s just whistled his tee shot at 17 into the trees down the right, although that\u2019s what Rory did yesterday and look what ended up happening there<\/a>. Anyway, H\u00f8jgaard is +3 overall for now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There have only been three aces in Masters history at the famous short par-three 12th Golden Bell. Claude Harmon (1948 champion and father of Butch) in 1947; the amateur William Hyndman in 1959; and two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange in 1988. Three in 89 years \u2026 then nearly two in two days. Yesterday afternoon, the 18-year-old amateur Mason Howell landed his tee shot a couple of inches away from the hole; today the 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel smacked his wedge flush onto the base of the flagstick, a couple of feet up, and away. So close, but yet so far. Howell\u2019s ball stopped near enough to tap in for birdie; Schwartzel\u2019s nearly twanged back off the green but at least he saved his par.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The world number one Scottie Scheffler, twice a winner here, started the day 12 shots off the lead. But he\u2019s only six off second spot, and you can be darn sure he won\u2019t have given up the ghost just yet. To this end, he creams a high fade into the 2nd green from 265 yards to six feet, and makes no mistake with the eagle putt. That\u2019s his second eagle at Pink Dogwood of the week, and it whisks him up the standings to -2. He followed up the first on day one with birdie at 3, but he can\u2019t repeat that today, missing a relatively straight seven-footer on the next green. But there\u2019s an early reminder for Rory that there\u2019s plenty of trouble lurking in the pack should he slip up.<\/p>\n -12: McIlroy Scottie Scheffler\u2019s got some ground to make up. Photograph: H\u00e9ctor Vivas\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.12 EDT<\/p>\n Welcome, patrons, to another sunny day in Augusta, Georgia. Temperatures are expected to make the mid-80s this afternoon, and the wind shouldn\u2019t get up too much. So expect the course to get harder and faster as the day progresses \u2026 though the early signs suggest the greens might have been treated to a sprinkle of water overnight or early this morning, because they\u2019ve been fairly receptive and agreeable so far. That seems a fairly logical thing to do if you\u2019re hoping to keep this Tournament competitive: more birdies, more chance of someone taking a run at Rory McIlroy and making a game of this tomorrow. Then again, that also gives Rory the chance to attack the pins, and look what happened with relatively agreeable greens yesterday afternoon. Who\u2019d run a professional golf tournament?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n It\u2019s Moving Day! Here\u2019s what the top of the leaderboard looked like after 36 holes \u2026<\/p>\n -12: McIlroy \u2026 here are some big names who have missed the cut \u2026<\/p>\n Danny Willett, JJ Spaun, Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Nicolai H\u00f8jgaard, Akshay Bhatia, Robert MacIntyre, Cameron Smith, Fred Couples, Jose Maria Olazabal, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, Angel Cabrera and perhaps most shockingly of all Bryson DeChambeau \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026 and today\u2019s tee times can be found here<\/a>. We\u2019ll get going at 6pm BST. It\u2019s on!<\/p>\n
-6: Burns, Reed
-5: Rose, Lowry, Fleetwood
-4: Clark, Hatton, Li, Reitan, Day, Young
-3: Gotterup, Koepka, Griffin
-2: Gerard (4), Scheffler (4), Homa, Knapp, Schauffele, Matsuyama<\/p>\n
-6: Burns, Reed
-5: Rose, Lowry, Fleetwood
-4: Clark, Hatton, Li, Reitan, Day, Young
-3: Gotterup, Koepka, Griffin
-2: Homa, Knapp, Schauffele, Matsuyama
-1: Brennan, Taylor, Fitzpatrick, Morikawa
E: Campbell, \u00c5berg, Scheffler, English, Gerard, D Johnson, Henley, Cantlay<\/p>\n