Bryson’s Week Buried in the Sand

👋 Hey Patrons,

Friday at the Masters wasn’t at all what anyone expected, least of all Bryson DeChambeau. Not only did he fail to challenge Rory McIlroy, but he also fell flat on his face (figuratively, of course). Today, we are diving into that, talking about some behind-the-scenes moments, key stats from round two, and John Daly’s new Masters hangout.

P.S. If you missed our last night’s coverage, check it out here. This is a detailed edition on the cut day before round three starts. Expect us to be back in your inbox with more breaking news and key moments as moving day progresses.

Onward…

Before we start with today’s edition, let's kick things off with the stories that've been making waves.

Robert MacIntyre ridicules the Masters after being reprimanded for his indecent gesture during round one.

Phil Mickelson laments the loss of “intrigue” at Augusta National. Lefty is clearly against the new changes on the course.

Kai Trump stirs the pot by allegedly breaking one of Augusta National’s essential rules.

Rory McIlroy (-12/1st) is two steps away from donning the Green Jacket again. Patrons are absolutely salivating at the prospect of it. We’ll just recount one moment that perfectly summed it all up. Rory made a chip-in birdie on the 17th. Rumor has it the crowd’s roar was heard from the West Coast. Just watch and tell us, when was the last time you saw the Augusta crowd lose their mind like this?

Would you believe that McIlroy was co-leading with Patrick Reed (-6/T2) till the 12th? Six birdies in his final seven holes fueled a 7-under 65, leaving the pack wondering if they were already playing for second place. Rory’s six-shot cushion is the largest 36-hole lead ever. In the last 50 years, every player with a six-shot lead after two rounds has gone on to win.

What about the guy who threw an open challenge? By the time you read this, Bryson DeChambeau might have already landed in Dallas. Like Thursday, DeChambeau needed more than one shot to get out of the greenside bunker. This time it was on the 18th. He made a triple, and from making the cut on the line (4-over), he missed it by two shots.

Sam Burns and Patrick Reed (-6/T2) fired 71 and 69 for a T2. Justin Rose (-3/T4) is back in the hunt after steady rounds of 70 and 69. He's got company at 5-under from Shane Lowry (-3/T4) and Tommy Fleetwood (-4/T4). Tyrrell Hatton (-6/T7) is the only LIV pro inside the top ten.

So there you have it. Two stars: Rory and Bryson. One leads by six shots. One finished at 6-over. Rest seems to be fighting for the second spot.

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Hungry: Scottie Scheffler (+2/ T24) is a big fella. He's 6’3” (1.91 meters) and tips the scales at about 200 lbs (91 kg). On Friday morning, cameras caught him with not one, not two, but three thick sandwich stacks at the driving range. The sight of him walking to the range with that actually stopped Brooks Koepka and his caddie, Ricky Elliott, dead in their tracks—just check it out below.

TMI: Haotong Li (-4/T7) is a man of many talents, no doubt. He can pose in a bathrobe and turn an awkward moment into a cool one. He also nearly made a hole-in-one yesterday en route to a 3-under 69. All this after spending the previous night glued to the toilet seat. How do we know that? He spilled the beans to the media post-round, admitting he had no clue what triggered it—listen to him break it down here. Sorry for the guy (we are), but Li, maybe too much information?

Lucky: Justin Rose is generating mixed feelings. You've got to expect backlash when you are taking nearly three minutes for one shot. But if Augusta doles out a single fortuitous break to the pros, Rose is making full use of it. On the 12th in R2, his drive seemed destined for the thick shrubbery past the bunker. Instead, it bounced on the fairway, then ricocheted off what looked like a sand rake by the bunker, hopping safely back onto the green. We have visual evidence; have you ever seen anything like this before?

Friday’s Result: 75.54% of you said Robert MacIntyre should face disciplinary action after flipping the bird in R1.

Here’s what the second round at the Masters looked like by the numbers.

100%: Say what you want about Tyrrell Hatton—temper tantrums and all—but he really slayed yesterday. On Friday, he hit all 18 greens, a feat matched by just Jim Furyk (2009) and Kevin Na (2020) at Augusta since 1997. The flawless stat was fueled by elite ball striking, as Hatton gained nearly five strokes via SG: Tee to Green (4th in the field; 8th best in Masters since 2021), driven by razor-sharp iron play (3rd in SG: Approach) and pinpoint driving accuracy (9th in the field). Need a visual proof of his superlative gameplay? We have attached one below.

4: Dustin Johnson’s (-1/T24) putter is so hot (4th in SG: Putting) that he could easily be in contention if the iron and wedge play were anywhere close to average. Johnson ranks 88th in SG: Approach, and the weak play shows up everywhere else. He hit just 11 greens in regulation and ranks 83rd in fairway proximity, meaning even from the short grass, he’s leaving himself far too much work. Here’s Johnson proving us right with a waterball.

1: Tea Olive (1st) and Flowering Crab Apple (4th) knotted up as Round Two's toughest holes to crack. Hole One averaged a gritty 4.307 strokes, dishing just three birdies and 58 pars against 29 bogeys and one double or worse, after ranking seventh toughest in round one with 23 bogeys and 2 doubles. Meanwhile, No. 4 served just five birdies and 57 pars, but bit back with 25 bogeys and four doubles or worse, down from T11 in Round One.

John Daly is, for lack of a better term, awesome. So, patrons used to queue up outside Hooters until last year, dying for a glimpse of the Wild Thing, until Augusta shut it down. But where there's a will, there's a way, they say. Daly teamed up with Top Dawg Tavern to open a new spot just a mile from Augusta National. His hours are loosely 9-5, but the line rarely dies down. Fans span young and old, local and international—watch a busy John Daly signing merch after merch.

They do a roaring trade, $20,000 an hour, with items like T-shirts ($40), caps ($40), lighters (two for $10), books ($20), golf gloves ($20), and guitar plectrums ($20). Nearly everything flaunts Daly’s face, name, or catchphrases. Is there anything this guy can’t do?

Essentially Golf brings you handpicked, well-thought-out, and not-to-be-missed recommendations to make your weekend more fun.

🎥 Watch — Rebel Without a Cause, the late James Dean’s most beloved movie.

🛍 Buy — Barstool Quickster Chipping Net helps you refine chipping accuracy.

👕 Wear — Rae’s Creek T-Shirt is the best Masters merchandise out right now.

🍸 Unwind — Batched Azaleas are made with vodka and grenadine.

🧩 Solve — ESGolf Puzzle. (Hint: Every day is a good day with this score.)

We’re expanding our coverage during the Masters. Expect more frequent updates from Augusta National delivered to your inbox daily.

As always, we are curious to know your thoughts and open to your suggestions. So let us know in the comments below.

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